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Here's the ultimate salt and pepper chicken recipe: crispy, bite-sized fried chicken pieces seasoned with salt, pepper, and a blend of flavorful spices. Learn how to make this beloved appetizer that perfectly balances savory and aromatic flavors.
Chinese Salt And Pepper Chicken
Salt and pepper, these most basic ingredients in the kitchen performs wonders for Chinese deep-fried dishes, such as this salt and pepper chicken.
Salt and pepper chicken is a popular dish that typically involves coating chicken pieces with a mixture of salt, ground pepper, and other seasonings, then deep fried until crispy. Called Yansuji (盐酥鸡 or 咸酥鸡) in Chinese, this is a night market top seller in many Asian countries, especially Taiwan. In Japan, a similar street snack called is chicken karaage or Japanese fried chicken.
Chinese salt and pepper chicken is all about the tasty mix of salty salt and spicy black pepper. What makes this appetizer so special is its crispy exterior, thanks to coating the chicken in cornstarch before frying. It keeps the chicken juicy inside and gives it a nice crunch on the outside.
Whether you grab it from a street food stall in Taipei, or make it at home, salt and pepper chicken brings together simple cooking and bold flavors that everyone loves.
Salt And Pepper Chicken Recipe
This recipe is made from scratch, adapted from a Taiwanese cookbook. The soul of the dish lies in the salt and pepper seasoning, or which is available in a shaker at Chinese or Asian food stores.
These fried chicken pieces tasted just like the authentic versions at any night markets in Taipei. I absolutely loved it.
For the basil leaves, they are optional but I have to say that if you don’t have basil leaves, they don’t taste quite as authentic. This Chinese/Taiwanese salt and pepper chicken is addictive, and especially great with a can of cold drink or best with beer.
Gather a few good friends over, have a lazy summer afternoon or evening, fire up your wok and make a big batch of these munchies, and chat the day or evening away.
Ingredients For Salt And Pepper Chicken
Ingredients For Taiwanese Salt And Pepper Chicken
- Chicken breast
- Cornstarch
- Basil leaves
- Pepper salt
- Oil
Ingredients For The Marinade
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Salt
- Sugar
- Water
- Rice wine
- Soy sauce
- Pepper salt
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
How To Make Salt And Pepper Chicken
Step 1: Mix all the ingredients of Marinade in a big bowl, stir well. Add the chicken pieces and marinate for 30 minutes.
Step 2: Heat up the oil in the wok for deep-frying. Coat the chicken with the cornstarch evenly. Deep-fry the chicken until they turn golden brown, remove from the oil and set aside
Step 3: Pour the oil out and add the basil leaves and stir a few times before adding the chicken back into the wok. Remove from the wok, add the pepper salt and toss well with the chicken. Serve immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe is only 408 calories per serving.
What To Serve With Salt & Pepper Chicken
For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
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Taiwanese Salt and Pepper Chicken
Ingredients
- 8 oz (225g) chicken breast , or thighs, cut into bite-size cubes
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 2 cups oil , for deep-frying
- 1 cup fresh Thai basil leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper salt
Marinade:
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper salt, or mix together 1/4 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of white pepper.
- 1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon, optional
- 1 tablespoon rice wine
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Add garlic, ginger, soy sauce, pepper salt, chicken bouillon power, rice wine and water to chicken pieces and marinate for 30 minutes.
- Coat the chicken evenly with cornstarch, shaking off the excess. Heat 2-3 inches (5cm-7cm) of oil in a pan or stock pot for deep-frying. Deep-fry the chicken until it turns light to golden brown. Then, add the Thai basil leaves to the oil. As soon as the leaves crisp up, remove the chicken and basil leaves from the oil using a strainer or slotted spoon, and place them in a mixing bowl.
- Add the pepper salt and toss well with the chicken and basil leaves. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Thai basil leaves are optional if you can’t find them.
- Traditionally, the basil leaves are deep-fried and served as a garnish. In my recipe, I skipped the deep-frying process but cook them with the chicken.
- You may find bottled pepper salt at Asian supermarkets. Please note that pepper salt is not the same as Chinese five-spice powder. Pepper salt is specially formulated for Asian fried chicken bites, nuggets, or chicken cutlets. Depending on the brand, it typically includes salt, white and/or black pepper, MSG, or chicken bouillon powder. Sometimes, additional ground spices such as nutmeg, cinnamon, star anise, and Sichuan peppercorns are also included in the blend. I recommend Oriental Mascot Pepper Salt, made in Taiwan, which contains only salt and pepper.
- Depending on the brands, the label can also be “white pepper and salt” or “white pepper salt” or “black pepper salt.”
- To ensure even cooking, cut the chicken into equal-sized pieces.
- For even deep frying, always arrange the chicken in a single layer.
- Deep fry in batches to ensure you don’t crowd your wok or frying pan. This will ensure every single piece of chicken pieces are crispy and crunchy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
