Crispy, Crunchy, and Coated in the Ultimate Sauce!
If you’re looking for a light, delicate chicken dinner, this probably isn’t it.
If you’re looking for crispy little pieces of chicken tossed in a creamy, sweet, spicy sauce that makes you want to lick the bowl clean, well, you’ve landed in the right spot.
This Bang Bang Chicken starts with bite-sized pieces of chicken marinated in milk and egg, coated in a seasoned potato starch and flour mixture, and fried not once, but twice. Because once just isn’t quite enough when crispy chicken is involved.
Then comes the sauce.
It’s creamy. It’s sweet. It’s tangy. It’s got just enough heat from the gochujang to make things interesting.
And when that sauce hits the hot, crunchy chicken?
Oh, yes.
That’s the good stuff.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
There are plenty of ways to make chicken. But when you want something that feels a little more fun than your everyday chicken dinner, this is the recipe I’d reach for.
The chicken is seriously crispy. The double-fry method is the trick here. The first fry cooks the chicken, and the second fry gives that coating an extra-crunchy finish.
The sauce takes about a minute. Mayonnaise, honey, sweet chili sauce, and gochujang. That’s it. Stir it together and suddenly you have a sauce that tastes like you worked much harder than you actually did.
It hits all the right flavor notes. Sweet, creamy, tangy, and spicy. Nothing is shy here, and that’s exactly what makes it so good.
It works as dinner or an appetizer. Put it over rice and call it dinner. Put out a platter with toothpicks and watch it disappear at a party. Either way, people are going back for another piece.
And that crispy chicken?
Try not to eat half of it before it makes it into the sauce.
I’m warning you now.
For Bang Bang Chicken
- Chicken – boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch cubes. Cutting the chicken into bite-sized pieces means they cook quickly and give you plenty of crispy edges.
- Milk and Egg – this is the quick marinade for the chicken. It helps keep the chicken tender before it gets its crispy coating.
- Potato Starch – this is one of the secrets to that light, crispy coating. You can also use cornstarch if that’s what you have.
- All-Purpose Flour – combined with the potato starch, this helps create a crunchy coating that holds up beautifully to the sauce.
- Salt – just enough to season the chicken coating.
- Ground Black Pepper – for a little extra savory flavor.
- Shichimi Togarashi – this Japanese seven-spice blend adds a little heat and extra flavor to the crispy coating. You can use any ground red pepper instead.
- Oil – for frying the chicken. You’ll need enough to come about 2 inches up the sides of the saucepan.
For Bang Bang Chicken Sauce
- Mayonnaise – this is the creamy base of the Bang Bang sauce. It gives the sauce that rich, smooth texture.
- Honey – this brings the sweetness to the sauce and balances the heat.
- Sweet Chili Sauce – this adds sweetness, a little tang, and another layer of chili flavor.
- Gochujang – this is where the sauce gets its spicy, savory kick. You can use any hot sauce instead if you don’t have gochujang.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Marinate the Chicken
First, whisk together the milk and egg in a large bowl.
Add the chicken cubes and give everything a good toss so the chicken is coated. Let it hang out for 15 minutes.
Nothing complicated here. Just enough time for the chicken to get ready for its crispy little transformation.
Then drain and discard the egg mixture.
Coat the Chicken
Now grab a separate bowl and combine the potato starch, flour, salt, black pepper, and shichimi togarashi.
Transfer that mixture to a large resealable plastic bag.
Add the drained chicken, seal the bag, and shake it up.
And shake it well.
You want every little piece coated in that seasoned mixture because that coating is going to become the crunchy exterior we’re after.
First Fry
Heat 2 inches of oil in a deep saucepan over medium heat until it reaches 325°F (165°C).
Then fry the chicken in small batches, about 5 to 8 pieces at a time, for 90 seconds.
Don’t rush this part by dumping the whole batch in at once. Crowded chicken means cooler oil, and cooler oil means less crispy chicken.
Nobody wants that.
Transfer each batch to a paper towel-lined plate and keep the batches separate.
Second Fry
Now comes my favorite part.
Increase the oil temperature to 350°F (175°C). You want the oil actively bubbling before the chicken goes back in.
Re-fry the first batch for another 90 seconds, then remove it to a clean paper towel-lined plate.
Repeat with the remaining batches.
This second fry is what takes the chicken from crispy to really crispy.
And really crispy is exactly where we want to be.
Make the Sauce
While the chicken is doing its crispy thing, make the sauce.
In a large serving bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, honey, sweet chili sauce, and gochujang until smooth.
Look at that.
Creamy, glossy, sweet, spicy.
You could stop there and find something to dip into it.
But please don’t.
We have chicken to finish.
Coat and Serve
Add the fried chicken to the sauce and toss until every piece is nicely coated.
Then serve it immediately.
This is not the moment to put the chicken aside and answer three emails.
Eat it while it’s hot.
That crunchy coating and creamy sauce together are the whole point.
Expert Tips
Don’t skip the second fry. I know. More frying sounds like more work. But this is the trick that gives the chicken its extra-crispy texture.
Fry in small batches. This keeps the oil temperature from dropping too much and gives the chicken room to crisp properly.
Keep an eye on the oil temperature. The first fry is at 325°F and the second is at 350°F. A kitchen thermometer makes this much easier.
Cut the chicken evenly. Similar-sized pieces will cook more evenly, which means fewer pieces wondering why their friends are done before they are.
Want more heat? The recipe already gives you easy options for swapping in different ground red pepper or hot sauce. Go as spicy as your taste buds allow.
Use a splatter screen if you have one. Hot oil has a personality, and sometimes that personality is dramatic.
Sauce just before serving. The longer crispy chicken sits in sauce, the more that crunchy coating softens. For maximum crunch, toss and eat.
Recipe Variations
Make It Spicier
If you like a little more heat, use a hotter ground red pepper or hot sauce in the substitutions already provided in the recipe.
You could also simply add a little extra gochujang to the sauce if you want more of that spicy Korean-inspired flavor.
Make It Milder
Prefer things on the gentler side?
Use a milder ground red pepper and hot sauce. You’ll still get plenty of flavor from the sweet chili sauce, honey, and creamy mayonnaise.
Use Cornstarch
No potato starch in the pantry?
No problem.
The recipe gives you the option to use cornstarch instead. Potato starch gives the coating a silky, crisp texture, but cornstarch is a handy substitute.
Turn It Into Dinner
Pile the saucy chicken over steamed rice and add some vegetables on the side.
Suddenly, your appetizer has become dinner.
I love when that happens.
Serve It as a Party Appetizer
Cutlery is optional here.
Serve the chicken on a platter with toothpicks and let everyone help themselves. Just make sure you make enough.
Because one platter of Bang Bang Chicken has a funny habit of disappearing.
Storage & Reheating
Bang Bang Chicken is definitely at its best right after it’s fried and coated in sauce.
That’s when the chicken is at its crispiest and the sauce is at its creamiest.
If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
For the best texture when reheating, use an oven, toaster oven, or air fryer rather than the microwave. The dry heat will help bring some of that crispness back.
And if you know you’re going to have leftovers, keeping the chicken and sauce separate is even better. Reheat the chicken first, then add the sauce.
Because soggy crispy chicken is just a little heartbreaking.
Serving Suggestions
You can absolutely serve this Bang Bang Chicken on its own as an appetizer.
But if you’re turning it into dinner, there are plenty of delicious directions to take it.
Serve it over steamed white or jasmine rice and let that extra sauce soak into the rice.
Add a simple cucumber salad or crunchy slaw for something fresh and crisp alongside the chicken.
Steamed or roasted vegetables are another easy option.
Or make a Bang Bang Chicken bowl with rice, vegetables, and a little extra sauce spooned over the top.
However you serve it, just remember one thing:
Get it to the table while the chicken is still crispy.
That’s when it’s at its best.
And once everyone starts reaching for that first piece, you’ll understand why making a little extra is probably not a bad idea.
Enjoy!
Bang Bang Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- ⅓ cup milk
- 1 large egg
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
- ¼ cup potato starch (or cornstarch)
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp shichimi togarashi (or any ground red pepper)
- 2 cups oil for frying (or as needed)
For the Sauce:
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp sweet chili sauce
- 1 tsp gochujang (or any hot sauce)
Instructions
Marinate the Chicken
- In a large bowl, whisk together milk and egg until well combined.
- Add chicken cubes, mix to coat, and marinate for 15 minutes.
- Drain and discard the egg mixture.
Coat the Chicken
- In a separate bowl, combine potato starch, flour, salt, black pepper, and shichimi togarashi.
- Transfer the mixture to a large resealable plastic bag.
- Add the drained chicken, seal the bag, and shake to coat evenly.
First Fry (325°F / 165°C)
- Heat 2 inches of oil in a deep saucepan over medium heat until it reaches 325°F (165°C).
- Fry chicken in small batches (5-8 pieces at a time) for 90 seconds.
- Remove to a paper towel-lined plate. Keep batches separate.
Second Fry (350°F / 175°C)
- Increase the oil temperature to 350°F (175°C). The oil should be actively bubbling.
- Re-fry the first batch of chicken for another 90 seconds, then remove to a clean paper towel-lined plate.
- Repeat with remaining batches.
Make the Sauce
- In a large serving bowl, mix together mayonnaise, honey, sweet chili sauce, and gochujang until smooth.
Coat & Serve
- Toss the fried chicken in the sauce until well coated.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Nutrition
Common Questions
Can I use cornstarch instead of potato starch?
Yep! If you’ve got cornstarch in the pantry but no potato starch, go ahead and use it. The potato starch gives the chicken a particularly light, crisp coating, but cornstarch will still get you that lovely crunch.
So no, you don’t need to make a special grocery-store run for one ingredient.
Why do I have to fry the chicken twice?
Because we’re going for really crispy chicken, not merely “crispy enough.”
The first fry cooks the chicken and sets the coating. The second fry, at the higher temperature, is what gives it that extra-crunchy finish.
It might feel like an unnecessary extra step while you’re standing over a pan of hot oil.
It isn’t.
That second fry is worth it.
How do I keep the Bang Bang Chicken crispy?
There are a few little things that make a big difference here.
First, fry the chicken in small batches. Too much chicken in the pan at once will drop the oil temperature, and that can leave you with a coating that’s more soft than crisp.
Second, keep an eye on those temperatures—325°F for the first fry and 350°F for the second.
And finally, don’t sauce the chicken until you’re ready to serve it. The sauce is creamy and delicious, but crispy chicken sitting in sauce for too long is going to lose some of that crunch.
So fry it, sauce it, serve it.
And then eat it.
What can I use if I don’t have shichimi togarashi or gochujang?
No shichimi togarashi? No problem. The recipe gives you the option to use any ground red pepper instead.
And if gochujang isn’t something you normally keep in the fridge, you can use any hot sauce in its place.
The flavor will change a little depending on what you use, but that’s part of the fun. You’re still getting the sweet, spicy, creamy sauce that makes this chicken so hard to stop eating.
Can I make Bang Bang Chicken ahead of time?
You can do some of the prep ahead, but this is one of those recipes that’s happiest when you cook it just before serving.
The chicken is at its best when it’s hot and freshly fried, and the coating is at its crispiest before it has had much time to soak up the sauce.
If you do have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. For the best texture, reheat the chicken in an oven, toaster oven, or air fryer rather than the microwave.
And if you can keep the chicken and sauce separate?
Even better.
Reheat the chicken until crisp, then toss it with the sauce.
That way you get a second chance at that glorious crunch.
