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Spice up your mealtime with this mouthwatering Bang Bang Chicken, combining crunchy, juicy chicken with a well-balanced sauce that's sweet with a kick. Each mouthful gives you that fantastic crispiness followed by an explosion of tastes that move between sweet, rich, and a perfect hint of spice.
This dish turned into our house favorite after I tried many times to copy what our neighborhood eatery serves. I finally cracked it when I figured out the best mix of panko and flour for coating, plus the right oil heat for that amazing crunch.
Key Ingredients Breakdown
- Buttermilk: Makes chicken soft and adds some zing. Mix milk with lemon juice as a quick substitute.
- Thai Sweet Chili Sauce: Try to grab Mae Ploy for the real deal. It adds that perfect mix of sweetness and spice.
- Panko Breadcrumbs: Don't swap these for standard breadcrumbs if you want that crunch. Pick ones without extra seasonings.
- Sriracha: Gives steady heat in your dish. Go easy at first and add more to match your taste.
- Chicken Tenderloins: They're softer than breast cuts. Pick ones that are about the same size so they cook evenly.
Step-by-Step Cooking Guide
- Step 1: Whipping Up The Sauce
- Stir mayonnaise until smooth. Slowly pour in sweet chili sauce while mixing. Add tiny bits of Sriracha, tasting as you go. Let it sit while you work on the chicken.
- Step 2: Getting The Coating Right
- Mix wet stuff until it's completely smooth. Dunk each chicken piece one at a time, letting extra drip off. Push panko on gently but firmly. Let coated pieces sit for 5 minutes before you fry them.
- Step 3: Frying To Crispy Perfection
- Warm oil slowly to keep the temp steady. Check if it's ready by putting a wooden spoon handle in to see bubbles. Put pieces in facing away from you. Only flip them once while cooking.
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I started playing with this dish during lockdown when we couldn't eat out. After lots of tries, I found out something cool - letting the coated chicken sit before frying helps the coating stick way better.
The sauce is so good we put it on everything now. From green salads to oven-roasted veggies. Getting the heat right makes all the difference. I've noticed that keeping the oil at the same temperature stops the coating from getting too oily.
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Now that I've got this dish down pat, everyone asks me to make it when they come over. That mix of the crispy outside, tender inside, and that crazy good sauce creates something really special that gets folks talking around the dinner table.