Create restaurant-quality dynamite chicken in the comfort of your own kitchen. You get super velvety restaurant-like juicy chicken coated with crispy and saucy coating in 40 minutes. Marination is not required!
The crunch of the crispy coating loaded with tangy and spicy dynamite sauce gives way to juicy chicken that will make you crave more. This chicken is perfect for the appetizer and is loved by picky kids and adults alike.
Jump to:
It originated in P.F. Changs restaurant and it was created to provide a local alternative to dynamite shrimp.
While dynamite shrimp is made with bang band sauce, this dynamite chicken uses a comparatively more sweet and sour sauce, aptly referred to as dynamite sauce.
The Secret to This Recipe
The key to any fried chicken is a juicy, soft, and tender bite. To attain this you can either marinate the chicken overnight or use thigh pieces or another easiest method is velveting.
Velvetting Chicken is a well-guarded chicken trick of Chinese restaurants in which you coat chicken with a tiny pinch of baking soda. Rest for 15 minutes and then wash thoroughly under running tap water. This makes the flesh super soft.
Make sure to apply baking soda all over and evenly. Set an alarm and wash the chicken right after 15 minutes. Do not leave the chicken for long. You can find more about velveting here.
What goes into this recipe?
This recipe consists of two main components: the crispy, golden-brown fried chicken and the dynamite sauce. The first picture displays the ingredients for the fried chicken.
For Chicken Velveting and Seasoning
- Chicken: I used boneless chicken breast, chicken thigh will work too. Just make sure they are bite-sized chicken chunks.
- Baking soda: Mixing baking soda with chicken and leaving it for 15 minutes helps to make it soft and velvety.
- Red chili: I used 1 teaspoon for the seasoning you can always adjust the measure according to your taste preference.
- Garlic powder: I used garlic powder for convenience, garlic paste can also do the job.
- Soy sauce: I used soy sauce for this recipe. Light soya will work as well, avoid using dark soy sauce.
For Flour Coating
- Flour: I used plain flour, you can also substitute it with almond, wheat, or tapioca flour. I've also tried whole wheat flour for coating but it lacks crispiness.
- Corn flour: Corn flour gives an extra crispy texture. You substitute it with rice flour or just more flour.
- Paprika powder: This spice will add a subtle taste and color to the flour coating. This is optional.
- Salt and pepper: Both are essential seasonings for the dynamite chicken coating.
- Eggs: I required 1½ eggs to coat the chicken. You might need just 1 large egg or 2 small.
This picture displays the ingredients to make the dynamite mayo sauce.
- Mayonnaise: I used store-bought mayonnaise for best results, as homemade mayo can be thinner and may not yield the desired taste and consistency for this sauce.
- Chipotle sauce: Using chipotle sauce gives the best restaurant quality taste, you can substitute it with sriracha sauce or hot sauce. Adjust the measure if using a substitute.
- Tomato Ketchup
- Garlic powder: I love garlic as it infuses depth and intensifies the flavor.
- Honey: Honey has a sweetness to the sauce as well as a deep flavor like bottled sauce.
How to make this?
Let's begin!
- To make chicken breast soft and melt in the mouth like velvet, coat the chicken with a tiny pinch of baking soda. I'll leave to rest for 15 mins only. Consider setting a timer.
- Then wash the chicken thoroughly, and transfer it to a colander to drain excess water. Pat dry with a kitchen towel if needed.
- Meanwhile, mix all of the dynamite sauce ingredients in a mixing bowl and set aside.
- Prepare a coating mixture by combining flour, cornflour, and seasonings on a plate.
- Season chicken pieces with garlic powder, red chili powder, soy sauce, and salt. (if marinating overnight skip the velveting step.)
- Whisk egg wash and prepare the flour station. Dip seasoned chicken in egg wash first then in flour mixture, coat thoroughly. ( Only 1 coat is sufficient. )
- Fry chicken pieces on medium heat for about 4 minutes until golden and crispy. Work in batches.
- Drizzle some sauce over the fried chicken, and coat thoroughly. Drizzle some extra sauce on individual servings too.
Expert Tips
Make ahead tips:
Ideally, fry chicken right before serving. If frying at the last moment is not possible. Fry chicken 20 minutes before serving and store in a barely heated oven to keep it warm. Also, keep the sauce in the oven in a heat-proof vessel to keep it warm. Coat in the sauce just before serving.
Serving suggestion: Serve in an ice cream glass on a bed of lettuce. Sprinkle with spring onions and serve.
Variations:
- You can add a seafood twist, or replace the chicken with shrimp or prawns.
- You can use broccoli or cauliflower florets instead of chicken for a healthy vegetarian twist. Feel free to experiment with different ingredients and create your own unique dynamite variations.
FAQS
Pre-heat air fryer for 2 minutes. Air fry chicken in a single layer at 180ºF for 8-10 minutes, or until fully cooked through. Flip the chicken halfway through the cooking.
Dynamite chicken can be spicy, but the level of spiciness can be adjusted to your liking by adding more or less chipotle sauce.
Hungry for fried Chicken? Try these!
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📖 Recipe
Dynamite Chicken
Ingredients
- 500 grams boneless chicken breast, cut in cubes
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
Dynamite sauce
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 4 tablespoon chipotle sauce, or less to taste (See notes for substitute)
- 2 tablespoon ketchup
- ½ tablespoon honey
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder, or paste
Chicken Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon soya sauce
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder, adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Flour Coating
- ½ cup flour, (See notes for substitue)
- ½ cup cornflour, / cornstarch
- 2 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1-2 eggs
- Oil , to fry
Instructions
Velvetting
- In a bowl mix baking powder and chicken. Set aside for 15 minutes. Then wash the chicken thoroughly under running tap water. Strain water the chicken in a colander. Pat dry with a kitchen towel and set aside.
Make dynamite sauce:
- Mix all ingredients of dynamite sauce in bowl and set aside.
Chicken
- Mix the ingredients of seasoning with chicken in a bowl. Mix well and set aside until needed.
Coating:
- Mix all ingredients of flour coating in a plate. Set aside.
- Beat eggs in a bowl and set aside.
- Dip marinated chicken first in egg wash. Then coat thoroughly with flour mixture.
- Fry chicken in hot oil on medium-heat for about 4 minutes until crispy. Remove the fried chicken to a kitchen towel. Work in batches.
- Now transfer the fried chicken to a bowl and coat the chicken with the dynamite sauce. Serve.
Notes
- Serving suggestion: Serve in an ice cream glass on a bed of lettuce. Garnish with spring onions.
- Variation: You can add a seafood twist, or replace the chicken with shrimp or prawns. Similarly, you can use broccoli or cauliflower florets instead of chicken for a healthy vegetarian twist. Feel free to experiment with different ingredients and create your own unique dynamite variations.
- Flour: You can also substitute it with almond, wheat, or tapioca flour.
- Chipotle Sauce: Substitute with hot sauce, siracha sauce or chili sauce. Adjust heat to taste.
- Cornflour: You substitute it with rice flour or just more flour.
- Paprika: This spice will add a subtle taste and color to the flour coating. This is optional
- Baking soda: Mixing baking soda with chicken and leaving it for 15 minutes helps to make it soft and velvety.
- Red chili: I used 1 teaspoon for the seasoning you can always adjust the measure according to your taste preference.
- Mayonnaise: I used store-bought mayonnaise for best results, as homemade mayo can be thinner and may not yield the desired taste and consistency for this sauce.
Maria Motorwala says
IN LOVE WITH THIS RECIPE!! The sauce is to die for 🔥🤤
I added some cream and whole milk to it to make it more creamier, but overall I definitely recommend everyone to try this recipe!! 😍
Recipe 52 says
Thanks a lot for leaving a detailed review. I'm really glad you like it. Plus thank you for suggestions for a creamier version.