Taiwanese Fried Chicken (Crispy and Light!)

CRISPY on the outside, JUICY on the inside, there is no better recipe to kick off the Nightmarket Series than these UNREAL fried chicken recipe. 

Taiwanese Fried Chicken is honestly going to change your life. The batter is light yet super crispy, and the chicken is flavorful and juicy. I wanted to replicate the chicken thighs you find in Taiwan, and these are honestly IT! I tried these Taiwanese Fried Chicken with a big glass of ice-cold beer; you will thank me later. 

I tried in total six different methods to perfect my Taiwanese Fried Chicken recipe, and this one is the easiest and the best you will try.

Taiwanese Fried Chicken is known for its light and crispiness. You want a thin enough batter that the skin is still crispy and thick enough, so the meat doesn’t dry up. All you need to make the batter is rice flour, egg, and COLD soda water. The cold soda water is the secret to making the batter light yet super crispy. 

It is important to marinate the chicken to flavor but also tenderize your Taiwanese Fried Chicken.

Therefore, I marinated the chicken with soy sauce, salt, five-spice powder, smashed garlic, and Chinese cooking wine. Let the chicken rest for at least 20 minutes or overnight. The longer the chicken is marinated, the more tender the chicken will get. 

My secret trip to an evenly cooked Taiwanese fried chicken is to pre-cut the chicken.

First, cut a slit along the bone; this will help the chicken flatten to absorb the marinade better and help the chicken fry evenly. Second, fry the chicken at 150 C fry for 5 minutes, and then fry at 180 C for 7-9 minutes. Frying at two different temperatures will lock in the moisture and crisp up the batter. 

Do you want more Taiwanese Recipes? Here are some of my favorite Taiwanese dishes that will BLOW YOUR MIND: 

• Taiwanese Black Pepper Steak Sauce (Nightmarket Style!)
• Authentic Taiwanese Braised Pork Rice (Instant Pot & EASY)
• Scallion Pancake (Extra Crispy & Flakey!)
• Instant Pot Authentic Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup

Ingredients 

• 4 Chicken Legs 
• 5 cloves of Garlic (smashed) 
• 1 tbsp of Five Spice Powder 
• 1.5 tbsp of Soy Sauce 
• 1 tsp of Salt 
• 2.5 tbsp of Chinese Cooking Wine (optional) 

Batter 

• 2 Eggs 
• 2.5 cups of Rice Flour 
• 200 ml of ICE COLD Soda Water 

1. Cut a slit along the bottom of the chicken leg along the bone to help flatten the chicken leg. 
2. Marinate the chicken with five-spice powder, soy sauce, salt, Chinese cooking wine, and smashed garlic. Let it rest for at least 20 minutes or overnight. 
3. In a bowl, mix eggs, rice flour, and ICE COLD soda water. You want the batter to be a watery consistency but still able to hold on to the chicken. 
4. Dip the chicken in the batter and let it rest for 2-3 minutes. 
5. In a pan, add in oil (I am using grapeseed oil), and bring it to 150 C. Add the chicken legs into the oil and fry for 5 minutes. 
6. Remove the chicken, increase the heat to 180 C and fry for another 7-9 minutes or until crispy and golden brown. 
7. OPTIONAL: Season with Seasoning Powder – Paprika, Five-Spice Powder, White Pepper, and Salt. 

Print

Taiwanese Fried Chicken

CRISPY on the outside, JUICY on the inside, there is no better recipe to kick off the Nightmarket Series than these UNREAL fried chicken recipe. Taiwanese Fried Chicken is honestly going to change your life. The batter is light yet super crispy, and the chicken is flavorful and juicy. I wanted to replicate the chicken thighs you find in Taiwan, and these are honestly IT! I tried these Taiwanese Fried Chicken with a big glass of ice-cold beer; you will thank me later.

Prep Time20 mins

Active Time25 mins

Total Time45 mins

Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Snack

Cuisine: Taiwanese

Keyword: Asian Food, Asian Recipes, Easy, Easy Recipes, Fried Chicken, Taiwanese Food, Taiwanese Recipes

Yield: 4 People

Materials

• 4 Chicken Legs
• 5 cloves of Garlic smashed
• 1 tbsp of Five Spice Powder
• 1.5 tbsp of Soy Sauce
• 1 tsp of Salt
• 2.5 tbsp of Chinese Cooking Wine optional

Batter

• 2 Eggs
• 2.5 cups of Rice Flour
• 200 ml of ICE COLD Soda Water
• Seasoning

Instructions

• Cut a slit along the bottom of the chicken leg along the bone to help flatten the chicken leg.
• Marinate the chicken with five-spice powder, soy sauce, salt, Chinese cooking wine, and smashed garlic. Let it rest for at least 20 minutes or overnight.
• In a bowl, mix eggs, rice flour, and ICE COLD soda water. You want the batter to be a watery consistency but still able to hold on to the chicken.
• Dip the chicken in the batter and let it rest for 2-3 minutes.
• In a pan, add in oil (I am using grapeseed oil), and bring it to 150 C. Add the chicken legs into the oil and fry for 5 minutes.
• Remove the chicken, increase the heat to 180 C and fry for another 7-9 minutes or until crispy and golden brown.
• OPTIONAL: Season with Seasoning Powder – Paprika, Five-Spice Powder, White Pepper, and Salt.

Video