Asian-style fried chicken is widely recognized for its deliciousness.
It is evident that people over the world adore Asian fried chickens, from the widely consumed orange, sesame, or honey garlic chicken to fan favorites like chicken karaage or taiwanese popcorn chicken. Unbelievably, the air fryer is also among the greatest ways to prepare any Asian fried chicken recipe out there in addition to being quick and simple.
What distinguishes Asian fried chicken?
It is a fact that Asians are obsessed with texture. We have a running joke wherein Steph will only describe the textures of the food at a Chinese restaurant—for example, “they create incredibly crispy fried chicken” or “they have really chewy noodles”—when I ask her how wonderful it is. The fact that the food tastes delicious is taken for granted.
Asian fried chicken also places a strong emphasis on texture in its wings. This might signify “used to be crunchy but now saucy” or “crisp, shattering crunch” depending on the context. For that one, you have to taste it to grasp it.
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The best way to prepare fried chicken
Asian fried chickens are essentially all produced in the same way:
- If the chicken is not being coated with sauce, you must first marinade it.
- After that, it is coated with flour or starch and cooked.
- Then, if necessary, sprinkled with spices or sauced while still hot.
Whether making Thai fish sauce wings or Korean fried chicken, the fundamental procedures remain the same.
Which is better for coating fried chicken: flour, cornstarch, or potato starch?
We use cornstarch or potato starch most of the time. Even though Bob’s Red Mill is widely available and Amazon is now a thing, potato starch can be difficult to locate, but it yields the nicest, crispiest, lightest results. Cornstarch is widely available and ranks second in popularity. We occasionally use cake flour or rice flour. Steer clear of bread or all-purpose flour unless absolutely necessary. The wings get lighter and crispier the lower the gluten content.
How to use an air fryer to make Asian fried chicken
Air fryers are ideal for creating crispy, light wings. Even cooking is made possible by the fan movement of the air, and the absence of unnecessary oil results in a lighter finished product. Here’s how to go about it:
- Optionally season and marinade the chicken. After adding salt and pepper to your chicken, leave it for around five minutes. Do the marinating now as well if you are making a bird.
- Wet the chicken with paper towels and pat dry. Steam is produced by water, and at this point, steam is our enemy.
- Give the chicken a little oil. This will aid in fostering uniform browning. Although using a spray oil is preferable, you may instead simply throw the chicken in one tablespoon of oil heated to a high temperature.
- Coat the chicken with corn or potato starch. I prefer to use a produce bag that can be composted, or even better, a ziplock bag.
- The chicken is air-fried. Use a brush or a spray bottle to oil the air fryer’s basket. Next, place the chicken in a single layer with a minimum of 1/4″ separating each piece.
- Turn the chicken over. I have discovered that using tongs to turn the chicken ensures that the other side cooks evenly is preferable to the shaking method. Besides, you will need the tongs later on to remove the chicken.
- Salt or sauce? Take out the chicken right away to prevent overcooking and to help the sauce or spice dusting adhere to it more effectively.And that is it; consistently excellent Asian fried chicken.
What recipes can you prepare using this one?
- Vietnamese Fried Chicken: Dust with our spice blend (equal parts sugar, white pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder) after the chicken has been fried.
- Taiwanese popcorn chicken: toss it with one teaspoon soy sauce and marinade it with one teaspoon each of five spice and white pepper. Dust with one more teaspoon of white pepper and one teaspoon of five spice after frying.
- Korean spicy chicken sauce: (one tablespoon each of ketchup, gochujang, honey, brown sugar, and garlic; half a tablespoon each of soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and minced ginger) to the chicken after it has been fried.
- Japanese Karaage Wings: Marinate with one teaspoon sugar, one tablespoon each of soy sauce, sake, chopped ginger, and smashed garlic.
- Fish Sauce Wings (Thai/Vietnamese): After frying, toss with our vinaigrette (one tablespoon each of sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, two cloves of garlic, and Thai chili).
- Orange Chicken: After frying, drizzle with 1/4 cup of each of the following five ingredients: orange juice, soy sauce, sugar, and rice vinegar. To thicken, add a tablespoon of cornstarch.
How to make the greatest fried chicken
- Season your chicken always.
- As much as possible, dry your chicken; steam ruins crispness.
- You can double fry the chicken for maximum crispiness by frying it for five minutes on each side, then cooking it for an additional five minutes.