Air fryer recipe · Starters
Crispy Chilli Chicken
Crunchy chicken nuggets folded into a fiery, glossy chilli-soy sauce with peppers.
- 33 minTotal time
- 200°CAir fryer
- 6Serves
- Non-vegetarianDiet
Nutrition per serving
- 110kcal
- 13.0 gprotein
- 7.6 gcarbs
- 3.0 gfat
- 0.6 gfibre
Per serving, about 6 servings. Figures are estimates from standard ingredient databases, not medical, dietetic, or nutritional advice.
Ingredients
- Chicken thigh, cubed350 g
- Cornflour4 tbsp
- Egg1
- Red chilli sauce2 tbsp
- Soy sauce2 tbsp
- Capsicum and onion1 cup
Method
Batter the chicken
Dip the chicken cubes in beaten egg, then toss them in cornflour seasoned with salt and pepper. Let the coated pieces rest for 5 minutes so the egg and starch set into a crust that grips instead of flaking off in the basket.
Crisp the pieces
Mist the pieces generously with oil and air fry at 200°C for 16 minutes, shaking twice, until deeply golden. Check that the centres are no longer pink and the juices run clear before saucing, as the sauce stage is too short to finish cooking.
Make the chilli sauce
Stir-fry the capsicum and onion for a minute, then add the chilli sauce, soy sauce and a splash of water. Simmer until it turns glossy and just thick enough to coat a spoon, so it clings to the chicken rather than pooling.
Toss and finish in the air fryer
Fold the already-cooked chicken into the sauce and air fry at 200°C for 4 min. The glaze tightens onto the nuggets, the centres stay hot with clear juices, and the crisp coating holds its satisfying crunch.
