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This chicken Manchurian recipe is a popular Indo-Chinese dish which is made with crispy chicken tossed in a slightly sweet and spicy sauce.
I love both Indian and Chinese cuisine - from chicken tikka masala to salt and pepper chicken to creamy coconut curry chicken to dragon chicken to beef biryani to chicken pakora.
So why not combine the two. That's what you get with this chicken Manchurian. No it's not a Chinese dish. It uses Chinese cooking methods but is suited to Indian tastes.
Why This Recipe Works
- Quick to prepare - When looking for dishes to make during the week, that magic 30 minute number is important and you can have this ready with time to spare.
- Flavorful - You get sweetness from the tomatoes and ginger and spiciness from the chili garlic sauce to form a sticky sauce coating the chicken.
- Versatile - It is incredibly versatile and can be adapted to suit various preferences. You can make it as mild or as spicy as you like by adjusting the amount of chili garlic sauce.
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Ingredient Notes
- Chicken - Chicken thighs are a little fattier which adds more flavor to the dish.
- Cornstarch - Used in both the chicken marinade and the sauce. It helps create a thick, glossy sauce and provides a crispy coating to the chicken when frying.
- Oil - Use a neutral oil with a high smoke point for frying the chicken, such as vegetable or peanut oil.
- Tomato puree - Adds a touch of sweetness and tanginess to the sauce.
- Chili garlic sauce - Adjust the amount to your desired level of spiciness.
- Vinegar - A small amount of vinegar is added to the sauce for acidity and tanginess.
- Sugar - A pinch of sugar can be added to balance the flavors, especially if your sauce is too salty or spicy.
- Soy sauce - Use light or dark soy sauce. Light soy sauce is saltier, while dark soy sauce has a richer color and slightly sweeter taste.
- Veggies - Green onion and red bell peppers add flavor and texture to the chicken Manchurian recipe.
- Aromatics - Freshly minced garlic and ginger are essential for adding depth of flavor to the sauce. Use a fine mince for best results.
Ingredient Swaps
Like any recipe you can mix up the ingredients. Some variations include:
- I like boneless, skinless chicken thighs, but you can also use chicken breasts.
- Chinese recipes usually calls for cornstarch to fry protein, but tapioca flour is a good substitute. If you don't need a gluten free recipe, all-purpose flour works fine.
- If you are gluten free, you can use tamari sauce instead of soy sauce.
- Tomato puree is the base for the sauce, but tomato sauce or even ketchup can be used.
- If you don't have chili garlic sauce, harissa sauce or sriracha are good substitutes.
- Use garlic and ginger paste or powder if you don't have fresh garlic and ginger. Generally, one third of the paste or powder can replace fresh ginger or garlic.
Step-by-Step Photos
Please note full ingredient list and instructions can be found in recipe card below.
Come the cornstarch, egg, soy, sauce, salt and pepper in a large bowl before adding the chicken, tossing to coat.
In another bowl, mix together the sauce ingredients until the cornstarch is dissolved and set aside.
Cook the chicken in a skillet over medium-high heat with oil until done. Remove the chicken and add the garlic and ginger, before adding the onions and pepper, cooking about 2 minutes.
Pour in the sauce, cooking until it thickens before adding the chicken, tossing to coat.
FAQs
Manchurian comprises Indian Chinese dishes made with roughly chopped ingredients that are fried with Chinese techniques but Indian tastes.
It can use many types of proteins like fish, cauliflower or in this case chicken.
These type of dishes are believed to have been created by Chinese restaurants in India.
The spiciness can be adjusted to your preference. It typically has a mildly spicy kick, but you can make it spicier by adding more chili sauce or red pepper flakes.
You know the chicken is cooked when it reaches 165°F with an instant-read thermometer or if you cut into the chicken and the juices run clear and there is no pink.
Honestly, I always just cut the chicken to see when it is done. If it isn’t just cook slightly longer.
Leftovers will store well in the fridge for 2-3 days in an air-tight container or be frozen for 3 months.
While you can microwave I like to reheat in a skillet over low heat with the sauce until warmed through.
Side Dish Options
This chicken Manchurian recipe is great on its own but works with some side dishes.
- White rice - A good white rice like jasmine or basmati complements the chicken.
- Fried rice - If you want to step up the game of regular white rice, fried rice works great.
- Veggies - I love sautéed sugar snap peas, green beans or broccoli.
Equipment
The equipment you use is important to how the recipe turns out. What is needed is the following:
- Skillet/Wok - You want something large enough to cook the chicken.
- Spoon - A wooden spoon helps to stir everything together.
- Chef's knife - A good knife is needed to slice/cut the veggies and chicken.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Be consistent with the size you cut the chicken so it cooks evenly.
- You can let the chicken marinate in the egg/cornstarch mixture for an hour as it helps tenderize the chicken even more. I skip this step since I use chicken thighs.
- Cook the chicken in batches so you don't overload the wok and cool it down. You want to cook the chicken quickly and adding too much at a time will slow the cooking process.
- If you want more heat, add crushed red pepper flakes in ½ teaspoon increments on increase the amount of chili garlic sauce.
- Feel free to customize this dish by adding other ingredients like cashews, sesame seeds, or your favorite vegetables.
Similar Recipes
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Chicken Manchurian
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 1 lb boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1" pieces
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup tomato puree
- 2 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
- 2 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 4 green onions, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, seeds removed and diced
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the cornstarch, egg, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Mix the chicken so it is well coated.
- Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken for about 6 minutes or until golden brown. Remove chicken and set aside. Keep 1 tablespoon of oil.
- In small bowl, add the tomato puree, chili garlic sauce, water, soy sauce, cornstarch, vinegar and sugar and whisk until the cornstarch is dissolved. Set aside.
- With the oil at medium heat, add the garlic and ginger, cooking for 30 seconds. Add the green onions and pepper, cooking for another 2 minutes. Pour in the sauce, cooking until it thickens, about 1 minute.
- Toss in the chicken until it is coated and warmed through. Serve over rice and top with additional green onions.
Notes
- Be consistent with the size you cut the chicken so it cooks evenly.
- You can let the chicken marinate in the egg/cornstarch mixture for an hour as it helps tenderize the chicken even more. I skip this step since I use chicken thighs.
- Cook the chicken in batches so you don't overload the wok and cool it down. You want to cook the chicken quickly and adding too much at a time will slow the cooking process.
- If you want more heat, add crushed red pepper flakes in ½ teaspoon increments on increase the amount of chili garlic sauce.
- Feel free to customize this dish by adding other ingredients like cashews, sesame seeds, or your favorite vegetables.
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