Fried Chili Soy Chicken Thighs

Moist and tender chicken thighs are marinated in an Asian-inspired sauce with garlic, ginger, soy, and green onions, and cornstarch. Pan-fried until crispy, the chicken is then drizzled with a homemade chili sauce that is easily prepared with brown sugar, chilies, vinegar, and sesame oil.

I think chicken is one of the most common mains in most homes. You can easily purchase chicken at all grocery stores, it comes in various formats, and in my case, it’s cheaper than pork or beef. And, above all else, it’s easier to prepare too. Speaking of various formats, for me, my go-to cut of the chicken is the thigh. More specifically, I go for boneless skinless chicken thighs, just like in the case of this Fried Chili Soy Chicken Thighs recipe.

When it comes right down to it, chicken thighs are more flavourful than breast meat. Sure, thighs are a bit fattier and not so “healthy,” but they’re certainly tastier. I tend to prefer skinless and boneless simply because most of the prep work is already done. I hate removing the bone from thigh meat because it’s so tedious. And even though chicken skin is edible, I prefer to have it battered and deep fried, which is not what this recipe calls for.

The recipe as written is quite spicy. However, you can easily adjust the spice level to suit your preference. I used to be so afraid of spicy foods. In fact, it took me years to increase my spice tolerance. You must understand, Dear Reader, I grew up in a house where the spiciest and hottest ingredient ever used was regular ground black pepper. Even that was used sparingly!

Come to think of it, I probably add spiciness to almost everything I prepare for myself. I’m just thinking about those dried red chili flakes, for example. I use about a jar of those in one month because I load up on them all the time. Of course, I only use those when I make something for myself. If John.e is eating what I’m preparing, it’s back to ground black pepper only. John.e, however, is a vegetarian, so this time I added a lot of spice!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this Fried Chili Soy Chicken Thighs recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post. 

For the Chicken and Marinade:

• Chicken – For best results, use boneless skinless chicken thighs.
• Low-Sodium Soy Sauce – If you only have regular soy sauce, use half and top it up with water otherwise the chicken may be too salty.
• Vinegar – Use rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or white wine vinegar.
• Brown Sugar
• Ground Black Pepper
• Fresh Ginger and Garlic
• Green Onions
• Cornstarch – Cornstarch is the key to a light and crispy batter.
• Cooking Oil

For the Sauce Mixture:

• Cooking Oil
• Garlic
• Brown Sugar
• Dried Red Chili Flakes – I’m using a whole tablespoon of really hot chili flakes, but you can cut it back to suit your spice tolerance.
• Sesame Oil
• Low-Sodium Soy Sauce 
• Water
• Lime Juice – Use freshly squeezed lime juice for best results.
• Vinegar – Use rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or white wine vinegar.
• Parsley – For freshness and garnish.

HOW TO MAKE FRIED CHILI SOY CHICKEN THIGHS

For the Chicken and Marinade:

Measure the soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, ground black pepper, ginger, garlic, green onions, and cornstarch into a mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the chicken and toss well to coat in the marinade. Set aside.

For the Sauce:

While the chicken marinates, prepare the sauce by adding all of the ingredients – except the parsley, to a saucepan and whisk to combine. Turn on the heat to medium and cook the sauce until it comes to a boil, stirring often. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting to keep the sauce warm.

To Cook the Chicken:

Next, add enough vegetable oil to a heavy-bottomed pot so that there are two inches of oil. Bring the temperature of the oil up to 350 degrees. Once the oil is hot enough, fry the chicken in batches until the chicken turns a golden brown colour. Once each batch of chicken is fried, remove it from the pot and place it onto a paper towel-lined plate. Once all of the chicken is cooked, plate and drizzle the chicken with the prepared sauce. Garnish and enjoy!

WHICH CHOICE OF CHICKEN WORKS BEST?

For this Fried Chili Soy Chicken Thighs recipe, I would highly recommend boneless, skinless chicken thighs. I love working with chicken thighs. No matter what cooking method I throw at them, they always come out tender and moist. I’m also a fan of dark meat. I think it’s more flavourful. So, boneless, skinless chicken thighs are the way to go in my opinion.

You can certainly use breast meat for this recipe too. Because breast meat tends to cook faster than dark meat, you’ll want to ensure that the breast meat is cut into larger strips. The breast meat can dry out rather quickly, especially if you’re planning to immerse it in hot oil. Using a larger piece of breast meat will ensure that it doesn’t become overdone and too dry. There’s nothing worse than dry breast meat! My rule of thumb is as follows: fry the thigh meat until golden brown. It’s really that simple.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

When it comes to sides to pair well with Fried Chili Soy Chicken Thighs, it is quite easy to come up with something, because just about everything works well with it. Just be sure to pair it with more muted sides, because it would be a shame to overshadow the flavour of that delicious chicken!

You cannot beat a simple side consisting of steamed white rice and maybe some steamed broccoli too. These two sides pair very well with something as flavourful as this chicken. Plus, the rice is so good with that sweet, nutty sauce!

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down below the recipe card to find my Follow Me on Social Media box and never miss another recipe!