A popular Taiwanese night market classic featuring ultra-crispy, bite-sized fried chicken chunks heavily seasoned with aromatic five-spice powder and tossed with fragrant fried basil leaves.
Ingredients
Chicken: Cubed boneless chicken thighs.
Marinade: Soy sauce, Shaoxing rice wine, minced garlic, grated ginger, sugar, white pepper, and a pinch of five-spice powder.
Coating: Coarse sweet potato starch (or cornstarch for crunch).
The Magic Seasoning: Salt, white pepper, and extra five-spice powder (vijfkruidenpoeder).
Aromatic Finish: Fresh Thai basil leaves.
Cooking: Neutral oil for deep frying.
Instructions
Marinate the Chicken:
Cut the chicken thighs into bite-sized chunks.
In a bowl, combine the chicken with soy sauce, Shaoxing rice wine, minced garlic, ginger, sugar, white pepper, and a pinch of five-spice powder. Let it marinate for at least 20 minutes to absorb all the rich spices.
Coat for Maximum Crunch:
Dredge each piece of marinated chicken generously in the coarse sweet potato starch, pressing firmly so the coating sticks and creates those signature crispy ridges.
Fry until Golden:
Heat oil in a deep pan or wok.
Fry the chicken chunks in batches for about 4 to 5 minutes until they are beautifully golden brown and extremely crispy. Remove and drain on a wire rack.
Flash-Fry the Basil & Season:
Carefully toss the fresh Thai basil leaves into the hot oil for just 10 seconds until crispy (be careful, it might splatter!). Drain them immediately.
Toss the crispy chicken and fried basil together in a large bowl, and generously dust everything with your mix of salt, white pepper, and five-spice powder while it's still hot.
Serve immediately as a highly addictive snack or street-food style appetizer!