Hot And Spicy Chinese Chicken is one of the easiest and most delicious recipes. Marinate the chicken with simple ingredients and toss it into the tasty, spicy sauce, ready in under 30 minutes.
I always take inspiration from my family favorites for making everyday meals, like this jalapeño Chinese chicken.
This Chinese jalapeño chicken is simple to make and uses easy-to-find ingredients. The chili, garlic sauce, and soy sauce create a delicious coat to the tender cooked chicken, leaving you wanting more.
You can make this recipe at home and have a meal that tastes even better than your favorite takeout place.
People all over the world love hot and spicy chicken because it’s so tasty and juicy. But what is hot and spicy chicken exactly, and how did it become so popular? In this article, we’ll look at its history, ingredients, cooking methods, and different versions of this fiery favorite.
A Brief History
While the exact origins are debated most food historians agree that hot and spicy fried chicken traces its roots to African American communities in the southern United States. According to legend it was first created at Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack in Nashville, Tennessee by Thornton Prince III in the 1930s. He developed an extra spicy fried chicken recipe as revenge against his girlfriend who had cheated on him. But instead of deterring her, she loved it, and the dish was born.
Hot chicken’s popularity slowly spread through word of mouth. By the 1980s it had gained fame in Nashville’s music scene and began garnering national attention. Today it is served in specialty restaurants across the country and has inspired fast food chains like KFC to create their own versions. The recipe has evolved over time but remains a fiery southern classic.
The Key Ingredients
The ingredients in hot and spicy chicken seem simple, but it’s the careful balance that makes the dish sing. Here are the key components:
Chicken – Typically bone-in chicken pieces like wings, thighs, and drumsticks. The dark meat stands up well to aggressive spicing.
Spice Mix: Cayenne pepper is the main spice, but garlic powder, paprika, black pepper, and chili powder are also often used. Regional variations use dry rubs or wet marinades.
Hot sauce—There are a lot of different kinds, from Texas Pete to Sriracha. It adds chili flavor and regulates the heat level.
Flour – For dredging and creating the crispy exterior. Cornstarch or potato starch help achieve ultra-crispiness.
Eggs and Buttermilk – Helps the coating adhere to the meat for a crunchy crust.
Oil for Frying – Peanut oil is traditional, but vegetable and canola oil work too. Must have high smoke point.
Spicy Glaze or Sauce – Drizzled over the chicken after frying. Made with cayenne pepper, butter, vinegar and other spices.
Preparation Methods
There are a few key steps to preparing hot and spicy chicken:
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Marinating – First the chicken is soaked in buttermilk and spices for enhanced flavor and tenderness.
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Breading – After marinating, the chicken is dredged in a flour coating, sometimes with cornstarch or potato starch added.
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Deep Frying – Next it is submerged and cooked in 350°F oil until golden brown and cooked through.
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Saucing – Finally, it’s tossed or brushed with the spicy glaze made of butter and hot sauce.
Frying methods and specifics vary, but this process consistently yields juicy, spicy chicken with a crispy exterior.
Regional Variations
Hot chicken has evolved into several regional styles:
Nashville Hot Chicken – The original! Features cayenne pepper and served atop slices of white bread.
Sichuan Mala Chicken – Uses Sichuan peppercorns to create a numbing spicy taste.
Korean Fried Chicken – Typified by a thin, ultra-crispy crust and gochujang sauce.
Buffalo Wings – Deep fried and sauced chicken wings popularized in Buffalo, NY. Uses hot sauce and butter.
Jerk Chicken – A Caribbean style that uses jerk seasoning with allspice and Scotch bonnet peppers.
Serving Suggestions
Hot chicken is best enjoyed piping hot, ideally with some cooling sides like:
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Pickles – To provide tart, crunchy contrast
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Coleslaw or Potato Salad – For a creamy, tangy counterpoint
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Macaroni & Cheese – Adds familiar comfort against the heat
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Cornbread – To sop up any leftover sauce
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Beer or Milk – To quench the inevitable thirst!
Is Hot Chicken For You?
If you crave bold, complex flavors and enjoy a slow, lingering burn, hot chicken may become your new favorite food. But before you take the plunge, consider your tolerance. This dish is intentionally spicy, sometimes to an extreme degree. Start slowly, and be ready with plenty of cool, creamy sides. And above all, prepare for an addictively spicy, crispy, down-home eating experience like no other!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe?
⭐️It’s quick to prep and easy to make!
⭐️With simple tips, you can’t go wrong with this recipe.
⭐️ Its a one-pan dish and a crowd-pleaser as well!
- Chicken: You can use chicken tenderloins, breasts, or thighs. When you cook frozen chicken, let it come to room temperature first.
- Soy sauce: I have used light soy sauce. You can also use dark soy sauce, but keep in mind that it has a little more salt than light soy sauce, so you may need to change the amount of salt in this recipe.
- In this hot and spicy Chinese chicken, chili garlic sauce is what makes it hot. You can use Hunan or Szechuan sauce from the store instead of this sauce.
- Rice wine vinegar is an Asian ingredient that brings out all the flavors and makes the food a little sour. This can be switched out for mirin, which is an Asian ingredient.
- Garlic: Mince it for the smooth textured sauce.
- Corn starch gives the sauce its thickness and a shiny finish.
- Spring onion: The dish looks nice because of its bright color. It also gives the dish a lot of flavor and good nutrition.
♨️How To Adjust The Heat
Chili garlic sauce is what makes this Chinese chicken recipe hot and spicy. You can change the amount of sauce you use based on how much heat you can handle.
If you want to increase the heat in this recipe, add more chili garlic sauce, use authentic Chinese Szechuan peppercorns, and stir in bottled Sichuan sauce.
You can refrigerate this leftover hot and spicy Chinese chicken for up to four days or freeze it for up to two months.
When youre ready to enjoy it again, you can thaw the spicy chicken by leaving it in the refrigerator overnight or by microwaving it gently in 30-second intervals until its heated.
and reheat on the stovetop (over medium heat) or in the microwave(in increments of 30 seconds) by adding a little water to preserve its moist texture.
Enjoy this hot and spicy Chinese chicken by serving it with steamed rice, fried rice, noodles, Asian-style stir-fried vegetables(try Chinese green beans), dumplings, or pan-fried wontons.
Yes, all great options are vegetables such as broccoli, bell peppers, snow peas, carrots, mushrooms, zucchini, and onion.
You can absolutely make this recipe vegan by swapping the chicken for tofu. Use firm tofu, cut it into cubes, and follow the same steps in the recipe.
Small, Big, Giant Spicy Chicken Wing!?
FAQ
What is the difference between hot and spicy chicken?
In food, “hot” refers to the amount and type of pepper used in a recipe, while “spicy” refers to the amount and type of spices used.
What is McDonald’s hot and spicy chicken made of?
The following things are in the chicken: bleached wheat flour, water, vegetable oil (canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, and hydrogenated soybean oil); wheat flour; modified corn starch; spices; salt; potassium chloride; sea salt; spice extracts with paprika and annatto extracts; garlic powder; onion powder; yeast extract; Sodium
Are hot and spicy and McChicken the same?
The only difference between the regular and Hot ‘n Spicy McChicken is that the patty has a spicy seasoning on it.
Is KFC hot and spicy chicken good?
What makes KFC’s Hot & Spicy chicken so good? Well, it has the perfect balance of flavour and heat (delivering just the right amount of spice), plus a double-breaded coating which makes it extra crispy – just how we like it.