Chinese Chicken Balls (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Main Ingredients
01 -
500g chicken breast, no skin or bones, diced into chunks about 2.5 cm each
02 -
A generous amount of vegetable oil for frying
03 -
Scant ½ cup of cornstarch (plus some more for coating)
→ Chicken Marinade
04 -
1 tsp of sesame oil
05 -
2 tsp of sugar
06 -
A tiny pinch of white pepper powder (¼ tsp)
07 -
1 tsp of salt
08 -
Half a tsp of baking soda
09 -
Either a tbsp of garlic paste or a tsp of garlic powder—your choice
10 -
1 tsp of cornstarch
→ Batter
11 -
½ cup of cornstarch
12 -
A full cup of regular plain flour (called all-purpose flour)
13 -
½ tsp of salt
14 -
1 tsp of baking soda
15 -
1 cup of chilled water
→ Sweet and Sour Sauce
16 -
A good 4 tbsp of ketchup
17 -
3 tbsp of sugar
18 -
Just 1 tbsp of tomato purée
19 -
4 tbsp of white vinegar
20 -
A ½ cup of water
21 -
1 tsp of cornstarch
22 -
½ tsp of salt
# Instructions:
01 -
Slice the chicken into even-sized 1-inch pieces. Toss them in a large bowl, add in the marinade ingredients (sugar, sesame oil, white pepper, salt, baking soda, garlic paste, and cornstarch), and mix everything thoroughly. Let the chicken rest for at least 15 minutes or as long as an hour.
02 -
Blend all components of the sauce (ketchup, sugar, tomato purée, vinegar, water, cornstarch, and salt) in a small pot. Stir until smooth and heat on medium-low, stirring all the time, until it’s thickened to your liking. Let it cool to one side once it's ready.
03 -
Take a large bowl and mix the plain flour with the cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add cold water, stirring constantly, until it turns into a lump-free batter with medium thickness. Adjust with water if it’s too stiff.
04 -
Sprinkle ½ cup cornstarch over the marinated chicken pieces and toss to coat. Then dunk each piece into the batter, making sure they get fully covered.
05 -
Heat enough oil in your fryer or heavy pot until it reaches about 180°C (350°F). Fry the battered chicken in small batches for around 2-3 minutes until light golden. Pull them out and let them sit for 4-5 minutes on a tray lined with paper towels.
06 -
Warm up the oil again to 180°C (350°F) and fry the chicken once more for another 2-3 minutes until really nice and crunchy with a deep golden look. Let the pieces drain on paper towels or a rack.
07 -
Enjoy your super crispy chicken bites right away, paired with the homemade sweet and sour sauce for dipping.
# Notes:
01 -
Go for the two-step frying process to get both juicy insides and super-crisp exteriors.
02 -
Avoid crowding the pot or fryer; fry in turns to stop the oil temperature from dropping, which makes food soggy.
03 -
Use a slotted spoon or mesh sieve to clean floating crumbs out of the oil between each batch to keep it from burning.