The Ultimate Guide to Preparing Salt Pepper Chicken Like a Pro

Salt Pepper Chicken is a classic dish worldwide for its straightforward yet bold ingredients. When prepared well, it is a wonderful addition to any meal as it is crispy, salty, and slightly spicy. In this article, you will learn how to make Salt Pepper Chicken correctly. You will learn to choose the correct ingredients and master the frying technique. 

Let’s go Through the Basics First: What Is Salt Pepper Chicken? 

Salt pepper chicken comes from Asian cuisine, particularly from the Chinese street food culture, and it is popular worldwide. The reason it is loved so much is its simplicity. Salt, black pepper, and other spices are sprinkled on the chicken before it’s perfectly fried. With a hard outside and juicy chicken centre, it is a dish worth trying. 

The recipe is quite flexible, and you can easily add your touch to the dish while keeping the main flavours intact. Salt Pepper Chicken is a great starter, snack or main course, and garnishing it or completing any dish with it never disappoints.

How To Pick The Best Ingredients

Salt pepper chicken can be best made only if the quality of the products you source is given due importance. For this dish, use fresh chicken thighs or breast meat. If a person is not keen on a diet, they can use thighs for their rich and juicy experience instead of slightly drier breast meat. Try to chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces so that it cooks evenly.

To achieve greatness in the coating, use potato starch or cornstarch instead of traditional flour, as it helps provide the proper coating. Additionally, simply throwing in salt, chilli flakes, black pepper, and garlic powder will suffice and give you the desired profile. Black pepper that has been coarsely grounded gives the strongest taste and enhances the profile as well.

Preparation Of The Chicken

For maximum efficiency, marinating the chicken is a crucial step that should be done prior to cooking. A quick marinade that involves a bit of soy sauce, a dash of sesame oil and some salt on the chicken makes it more flavourful while also tenderising. The best outcome is achieved when the chicken is allowed to sit and marinate for at least 20-30 minutes.

When the marinade is set, it is time to add the chicken to the starch. Be sure to coat each piece perfectly as this would ensure every piece would have the same amount of crispiness. In order to double batter the chicken, dip it in the marinade or water and then coat it with the starch again before frying.

Now, Let Master The Frying Technique 

Frying is the backbone of Salt Pepper Chicken. Fry in vegetable or canola oil, whichever gets you! Set the oil temperature to around 350°F (175°C) for the best results. If a thermometer is unavailable, place a little coated chicken in the pan; if it rises and sizzles, the oil is ready to go. 

Do not overwhelm the pan with too many pieces, as that can potentially make some of the chicken soggy. Instead, place them in small batches of about 4-6, and place the covered pan onto the stove for 4 – 6 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked and brown if you want the chicken to be extra crispy, deep fry it once again for 1-2 minutes after the resting point.

Pump It Up with the Seasoning 

Once your chicken is fried like a boss, it is now the time to add the final touch and season it. Got a large wok or skillet? Great! Heat a bit of oil in that, throw in broken-down garlic, and cut green chillies and some green onions. 

Blend these ingredients for a minute so they mix well until a good aroma comes out. Then add your fried chicken pieces, get some salt and black pepper, and sprinkle generously on them. It is time to toss all the ingredients together and coat the chicken properly with all those flavours.

Let’s be real: for egg lovers feel free to add in chili powder or crushed red pepper flakes for added zing. Want a tinge of sweetness? Sprinkle a dash of sugar to all that remained heat and salt.

Now Let’s Dish It Out

Salt Pepper Chicken is to be eaten once it is ready while it is hot and crispy. You can sprinkle extra green onions and cilantro to make it pop more. Steam rice, fried rice, or basic vegetable stir fry is a great combination with it. If you want to go casual, dip it in your favourite sweet chilli or soy sauce and use it as a snack.

Tips for Enjoyment

Make your Salt Pepper Chicken even better by adding or substituting Szechuan peppercorns for a tingling taste or more of a five-spice powder for enhanced flavour. Please remember to maintain some balance and not season excessively; only reduce the amount of salt or pepper to your taste. It is important to do this since it is with that dignity that this dish emphasises these ingredients. 

If you want the chicken to be calorie-friendly, think about air-frying it as an alternative. It might not taste the same as when I deep-fried it, but it came close enough. 

Conclusion

To make salt pepper chicken like a master, you start by picking fresh ingredients and processing them well. At first, Yana – the chicken curry might sound quite odd to some people, but when done right, it provides a burst of delicious flavours. 

With the right practice, anything is possible, even cooking like a pro straight in the comforts of your own kitchen. With that in mind, get all the materials you will need and follow the outlined steps, as you will have the joy of making it from complete scratch.