{"id":18354,"date":"2019-07-17T12:41:25","date_gmt":"2019-07-17T16:41:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/omnivorescookbook.com\/?p=18354"},"modified":"2022-10-25T20:42:51","modified_gmt":"2022-10-26T00:42:51","slug":"salt-and-pepper-chicken","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/omnivorescookbook.com\/salt-and-pepper-chicken\/","title":{"rendered":"Salt and Pepper Chicken Without Deep-Frying (\u6912\u76d0\u9e21)"},"content":{"rendered":"

This Taiwanese salt and pepper chicken recipe uses minimal oil to create the most scrumptious result. These chicken bites are super crispy, juicy, and bursting with flavor. {Gluten-Free}<\/p>\n

\"Homemade<\/p>\n

Taiwan, a small, sweet-potato-shaped island off the east coast of the China mainland, is world-famous for its incredible street food scene. Salt\u2019n\u2019Pepper Chicken (pronounced Y\u00e1n S\u016b J\u012b in Mandarin) is one of Taiwanese people\u2019s favorite night market munchies, normally eaten out of a basket or paper bag. It\u2019s sort of like popcorn chicken, made from bite-size tender breast or thigh cuts with a crunchy coating seasoned with zesty and refreshing ginger and five-spice. It\u2019s like a party on your palate!<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, constantly eating deep-fried street snacks isn\u2019t so good for the waistline. Plus, it always makes a mess in the kitchen and produces a ton of leftover oil. So I\u2019ve come up with a recipe that avoids the deep-frying method and drastically reduces the calorie count. The look of the final product might not be as perfect as the deep-fried version, but the flavor is out of this world! You\u2019ll get the same crispy result using a large skillet at high temperature and a fraction of the oil, allowing you to indulge in your night market cravings guilt-free.<\/p>\n

\"Taiwanese<\/p>\n

Cooking notes<\/h2>\n

1. The marinade<\/h3>\n

The marinade is the highlight of the recipe. It uses brown sugar, fresh ginger and garlic to impart a rich taste to the chicken. Ideally, marinating in the fridge overnight will help the chicken develop a deeper flavor. But if you\u2019re short on time, you can let the chicken marinate at room temperature for half an hour, and the result will be great, as well.<\/p>\n

\"Marinating<\/p>\n

3. The batter<\/h3>\n

The simple mix of egg and cornstarch does its magic. Not only does it create crispy chicken, but the cooked coating also holds well and stays crispy even after you chill the chicken for a while. When you mix the batter for the shallow fry, keep in mind that the batter should look a bit dry and not runny.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, if you do prefer to deep fry the chicken, the batter works just as great.<\/p>\n

4. How to shallow fry<\/h3>\n

I\u2019ve tried shallow frying with a nonstick pan and a carbon steel pan. They both work very well.<\/p>\n

Different from deep-frying, shallow frying requires you to flip the chicken to sear both sides properly and develop the crispy coating.<\/p>\n

Also, keep in mind that cooking time varies quite a bit depending on the pan and your stove. If you\u2019re using a light nonstick pan and an electric stove, it will take longer to brown and cook the chicken through. When using a heavy-duty pan (such as a cast iron or carbon steel pan) with a powerful gas stove, the cooking time might be cut in half. Always keep an eye on the bottom of the chicken, and cook it according to your own observations.<\/p>\n

\"Salt<\/p>\n

\"Homemade<\/p>\n

5. Spice mix<\/h3>\n

I made more spice mix than you might use in the recipe, so you can serve some on the side to adjust the flavor based on personal preference.<\/p>\n

6. No basil? no problem<\/h3>\n

The authentic Taiwanese-style salt and pepper chicken uses fried crispy basil leaves to add another flavor dimension to the dish. But it does require some extra effort to cook. I\u2019ve found that dried nori sheets have a similar texture and an equally interesting taste. You can simply shred some nori and add it to the chicken and skip frying the basil.<\/p>\n

You can use the large nori sheets<\/a> that are made for sushi rolls, or the small snack size ones<\/a> that are sold in grocery stores such as Trader Joe\u2019s.<\/p>\n

\"Homemade<\/p>\n

How to cook salt and pepper chicken video<\/h2>\n

I recorded a short video<\/a> to show you how easy it is to cook this dish. Find more videos to learn Chinese cooking on my YouTube channel<\/a>!<\/p>\n