This tasty Chicken Manchurian is an amazing combination of crispy fried chicken and tangy, spicy, slightly sweet sauce that is an ideal appetizer for any night! This dish perfectly embodies the fusion of Chinese and Indian cuisines. Serve it as a side dish a snack, or just enjoy it as a meal that everyone will love!
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Indo-Chinese Fusion: Chicken Manchurian Feast
Chicken Manchurian is quite a popular Chinese dish but is also found in many Indian and Pakistani homes and restaurants.
Why? Well, the recipe was originally created by a chef of Chinese descent who was born and lived in Calcutta, India!
This dish is a wonderful example of how recipes and flavors are influenced over time by the environment in which they are created and prepared.
Chicken Manchurian is a tasty blend of salty and tangy flavors, with just a hint of sweetness that will have everyone begging for more!
Since my family loves all things spicy - from slightly to wow! - this was a recipe that had to be tried!
We've enjoyed it many times now and always fight the urge to add more of one of my favorite ingredients, the chili paste!
🥘 Ingredients
Several steps are involved in preparing Chicken Manchurian, but don’t worry! It’s the marinating that takes the longest - all of the other steps are fast and easy!
Chicken Marinade
- Chicken Breast - Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs. Both will work equally well, but the thighs tend to be a bit moister.
- Soy Sauce - Tamari can be substituted - both add a great umami flavor. Fish sauce is also a great go-to substitute for soy sauce!
- Ginger Garlic Paste - Gives an amazing spicy and peppery taste. Check out my ginger garlic paste recipe; it's so much better than store-bought!
- Chili Powder - This is mostly for color, and paprika can also be used.
- Ground Black Pepper - Use ground black pepper or freshly ground pepper to add flavor.
- Egg White - Works as a binding agent, keeping the marinade stuck to the protein.
- Corn Starch - Provides a coating for the meat that prevents it from overcooking.
- All-Purpose Flour - The bulk of the marinade mixture that creates the breaded chicken effect once fried.
- Cooking Oil - Use any neutral-flavored oil for frying, such as canola, avocado, or coconut oil.
Manchurian Sauce
- Yellow Onion - You can also use a white onion or the white section of green onions.
- Chili Paste - Crushed red pepper flakes are a great substitute, as is ketchup with cayenne added.
- Tomato Paste or Sauce - Optional, but it adds to the color and gives a slight sweetness.
- Rice Vinegar - This is always the best vinegar for Asian-inspired recipes, but any vinegar will do. My second choice would be apple cider vinegar, followed by white vinegar.
- Sugar - Or honey, for a sweet taste to balance out the vinegar.
- Salt - To taste. Salt will highlight all of the delicious sauce flavors!
- Chicken Broth - Homemade or store-bought chicken broth will work equally well. You can also use plain water, but broth adds richness to the dish.
- Bell Peppers - Use fresh peppers. Go with green bell peppers or a variety of colors for fun!
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How to Make Chicken Manchurian
The chicken can be chopped into small chunks, minced, or even shredded in a food processor. If you want to make meatballs, you will need to form them by hand after marinating and before frying.
Step 1: Make the Chicken Marinade
Combine Marinade Ingredients. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, mix the chicken with 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste, ⅛ teaspoon chili powder or paprika (optional), ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 egg white, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, and 1 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour until well-coated.
Marinate. Allow the chicken to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, though longer marination will enhance the flavors.
Step 2: Frying the Marinated Chicken
Prepare for Frying. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil (or enough to cover the chicken halfway) in a deep skillet, frying pan, wok, or Dutch Oven to 375℉ (190℃).
Fry Chicken. Deep fry the chicken pieces or formed meatballs until golden and crispy. Ensure the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165℉ (74℃) with no pink meat visible.
Drain. Remove the chicken and let it drain on a paper towel-lined plate or tray.
Step 3: Making the Manchurian Sauce
Combine Sauce Ingredients. In a small mixing bowl, mix 1 teaspoon rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 tablespoons tomato paste or sauce (optional), 2 tablespoons chili paste, 1 teaspoon sugar, and a pinch of salt.
Cook Aromatics. In the same pan, leaving about 1 tablespoon of oil, fry onions or green onions, 1 ½ tablespoons ginger garlic paste, and cubed bell peppers over medium heat until aromatic, about 1-2 minutes.
Add Sauce and Slurry. Pour in the prepared sauce. Then, mix 3 teaspoons of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water to make a slurry and add it to the sauce along with 1 cup of chicken broth or water. Stir until the sauce begins to bubble.
Simmer Sauce. Reduce the heat to low and let the sauce simmer until it thickens about 3-5 minutes.
Combine and Serve. Return the fried chicken to the pan, coating it thoroughly with the sauce. Serve the dish hot and enjoy!
🍽️ What To Serve With
Chicken Manchurian is usually served on top of, or next to, a bed of rice. Garnish with chopped green onion for a perfect plate!
There is also a vegetarian version of this dish called Gobi Manchurian. It is the same recipe, but the chicken is replaced with cauliflower florets.
However you choose to make it, this delectable and savory Chicken Manchurian is a quintessential Indo-Chinese dish that will surely please everyone! Enjoy!
>>>>See all of my recipes here<<<<
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Marinating Time: Allow the chicken to marinate for at least an hour or longer. This infuses the chicken with flavor and helps tenderize it.
- Sauce Consistency: Adjust the thickness of the Manchurian sauce to your preference by varying the amount of cornstarch slurry. Remember, the sauce will thicken further upon cooling, so aim for a slightly looser consistency than desired when cooking.
- Freshness of Ingredients: Use fresh ginger and garlic for the marinade and fresh bell peppers in the sauce. Fresh ingredients make a major difference in the overall taste and aroma of the dish.
- Frying Technique: Get the oil hot enough before frying the chicken to get that perfect crispy exterior without overcooking the interior. An instant-read thermometer is handy for checking the temperature.
🥡 Storing
I didn't know it was possible to have leftovers! But if you do, place the fully-cooled chicken and sauce into an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 -4 days maximum. However, this breaded chicken is best eaten within 1 - 2 days.
If you know you may have more than enough for your planned appetizers, it would be ideal to store the fried marinated chicken separately from the sauce. This would yield the best results when it's time for reheating!
🍜 More Chinese Take Out Favorites
- Chinese Beef Meatballs
- Lo Mein
- Air Fryer Frozen Potstickers
- Stir Fry Recipes
- General Tso's Shrimp
- Sweet And Sour Pork
See more Chinese take-out recipes here.
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📖 Recipe Card
Chicken Manchurian
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade
- 1 lb chicken breast (boneless, skinless)
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- ⅛ teaspoon chili powder (or paprika, for red color)
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 egg white
- 2 teaspoon corn starch
- 1 ½ tablespoon all-purpose flour
- cooking oil (for frying)
Manchurian Sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- 1 medium yellow onion (finely diced, or use about 2 tablespoons of green onion whites)
- 2 tablespoon chili paste (such as Sambal Oelek)
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste or sauce (optional)
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 pinch salt (to taste)
- 1 cup chicken broth (or water)
- 1-2 bell peppers (cut into 1-inch chunks)
- 3 teaspoon corn starch
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
Chicken Marinade
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the chicken with marinade ingredients, including 1 teaspoon of soy sauce, 1 teaspoon portion of ginger garlic paste, ⅛ teaspoon of chili powder or paprika (optional, for red color), ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 egg white, the first 2 teaspoon portion of cornstarch, and 1 ½ tablespoons of all-purpose flour. Mix until the chicken is well-coated.
- Set the chicken aside and allow it to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Longer is better.
Frying the Marinated Chicken
- Heat your oil in a deep skillet, frying pan, wok, or Dutch Oven to 375℉ (190℃) over medium to medium-high heat. When frying chunked chicken, you only need about 3 tablespoons of oil, meatballs require at least a ½-inch depth of cooking oil to fry. *You need enough oil to come up at least halfway onto your chicken meatballs.
- Deep fry the chicken pieces or formed meatballs until golden in appearance and crisped. Break open a meatball or use a digital meat thermometer to check that the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165℉ (74℃). You should not see pink meat either!
- Remove the cooked chicken from your skillet (wok, etc.) and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate or tray.
Make the Manchurian Sauce
- In a small mixing bowl combine the sauce ingredients including 1 teaspoon rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 tablespoons tomato paste or sauce (optional), 2 tablespoons chili paste, 1 teaspoon sugar, and a pinch of salt (to taste).
- Clean your frying pan (wok, etc.) leaving about 1 tablespoon of cooking oil for the sauce.
- Over medium heat, fry the onions or green onions along with 1 ½ tablespoons ginger garlic paste and cubed bell peppers. Cook until aromatic, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add the sauce then make a slurry with the second portion of 3 teaspoons of cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water. Pour the slurry and 1 cup of chicken broth (or water) into the sauce once the sauce begins to bubble.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 3-5 minutes. Once thickened remove from heat.
- Add the fried chicken pieces or meatballs back into the frying pan and stir to coat thoroughly. Serve immediately.
Kim Wong says
One of my favorite Chinese take away dishes! I love that I can make this at home for my family now!!