Bang Bang Chicken - Popular Chinese take-out that you can easily make at home with just a few essential ingredients. Bang Bang Chicken is a lip-smackingly delicious appetizer that you can also enjoy as your main course dinner recipe with some fries. It's simply battered chicken pieces fried in hot oil and coated in a sweet, tangy, nutty, and lightly spicy sauce. The umami flavors of "this strange" sauce will leave your tastebuds craving for more! Also, try Bang Bang Shrimp (Bonefish Grill copycat) and Bang bang Cauliflower.
What is Bang Bang Chicken?
One of the MOST popular appetizers that you are definitely gonna find in most Chinese take-outs, Bang Bang Chicken also called bon bon chicken or Pang bang chicken or pon pon chicken, originates from the Szechuan region in China.
Traditionally this is served as popular street food in the Szechuan region of China. Ideally, it is cold chicken drizzled with a nutty and slightly spicy sauce. Popular it is described as Shredded Chicken drizzled with Sesame Sauce.
But, popularly the Americanized version of Bang Bang Chicken is pretty different from the traditional one. Here in America, chicken is breaded and fried in hot oil. Finally, it is served in a nutty, spicy, sweet, and tangy sauce.
Why the Name Bang Bang?
So the Name Bang Bang comes from the fact that chicken is softened, tenderized, and eventually shredded after pounding it with a heavy wooden stick. Since the pounding sound is BANG BANG! So, the name "Bang Bang Chicken"
Sometimes it is also termed "Chicken with Strange Flavors". The sauce is sweet, spicy, nutty, and slightly tangy. The prime ingredient in the sauce is the "Sichuan peppercorns". Sichuan Peppercorns have umami, numbing aroma which you just can't beat.
How to Make Bang Bang Chicken?
STEP 1: Make Buttermilk Mixture
Whisk Buttermilk, Egg, Cornstarch, and Frank's Red Hot Sauce in a bowl.
STEP 2: Make Panko Mixture
In a bowl combine Panko Breadcrumbs, flour, salt, ground pepper, red pepper flakes.
Dip Chicken (one at a time) into your buttermilk mixture and then dredge into Panko mixture. Shake off any excess. Make sure each chicken piece is evenly coated in the batter. Set it aside.
STEP 3: Cook Chicken
Heat 1/2 inch oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add Chicken Pieces into the oil. Make sure you add them in batches. Fry for about 2-3 minutes and take them out on a plate lined with a paper towel. Now, fry the remaining chicken as well.
STEP 4: Make Sauce
Take a small bowl and combine Mayonnaise, Sweet Chili Sauce, Honey, Sriracha, and Frank's Red Hot Sauce. Toss chicken in this sauce and serve right away.
Baked Bang Bang Chicken
Baked Bang Bang Chicken is so much easier than fried. Moreover, when you bake, it's a lot less messy, though it takes more time. Another advantage of baking is cutting out the calories.
How to Make Baked Bang Bang Chicken
STEP 1: Preheat oven to 400 F degrees. Line a baking sheet with Parchment Paper. Set aside.
STEP 2: Coat chicken as mentioned in the recipe. Place them on a baking sheet. Bake for 20-30 minutes until browned and cooked through. Check with the internal temperate of chicken with an instant-read thermometer. It should be 165 F degrees.
What Do I Serve them with?
Bang bang Shrimp is so amazing that you can have it right away with a glass of wine. But, if you want to make your meal all the more interesting and appetizing. You can consider these sides.
How do I store them?
You can store them in the refrigerator and in the freezer.
Refrigerator:
Make sure they have cooled down completely. Transfer into a clean airtight container. Refrigerate for 3-4 days. Make sure you crisp them up in the oven when ready to serve.
Freeze:
First, make sure they have cooled down completely. Transfer them to a freezer bag and store them for up to 1-month.
Can I Make this Ahead of Time?
Oh! Yes. You can definitely make your Bang Bang Chicken in advance. This is how you can:
- You can place your battered chicken on a baking sheet. Freeze them right away. Once they become hard, transfer them to a ziplock bag or a freezer bag.
- Once you are ready to eat, bake your frozen chicken in a preheated oven at 425 degrees F for 20-25 minutes.
Tips for Making Bang Bang Chicken
- Do not overcrowd the pan while cooking chicken. Neither coat all chicken in the buttermilk mixture and panko mixture at once. It is best if you do it in batches.
- While making the sauce, follow the quantity of the ingredients to the "t". You don't want the sauce to be too spicy.
Other Asian Chicken Recipes you can try
- Orange Chicken
- Sweet and Spicy Honey Sriracha Chicken
- Sticky Asian Hoisin Chicken
- Gochujang Chicken Meatballs
- Sweet and Sour Chicken
- General Tso's Chicken
- Crispy Honey Chicken
- Ginger Soy Chicken
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Bang Bang Chicken
INGREDIENTS
- 4 Large Chicken Breasts cut into small cubes
- Oil for frying I used canola oil
Ingredients for Sauce
- ½ cup Mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp. Sriracha
- ⅔ cup Sweet Chili Sauce
- ½ tbsp. Frank's Red Hot Sauce
- 2 tbsp. Honey
- Salt and Pepper as per taste
Ingredients for Buttermilk Mixture
- 1 cup Buttermilk
- ½ cup Cornstarch
- 1 large Egg
- 1 tbsp. Frank's Red Hot Sauce
- Salt and Pepper as per taste
Ingredients for Panko Mixture
- 1 Cup Panko Breadcrumbs
- ¼ Cup all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp. Smoked Paprika
- ¼ tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a bowl combine ingredients for the buttermilk mixture. Dip chicken (one at a time) into this mixture and let it sit for 5-10 minutes
- Combine the Ingredients for the Panko mixture in a small bowl.
- Dredge chicken in panko mixture. Shake off any excess. Repeat with all of the chicken pieces.
- Heat ½ inches of oil in a deep dish skillet. Place chicken in the hot oil. Cook them for just 2-3 minutes. Do not add all chicken at once. Add them in batches. Once done, take them out on a plate lined with a paper towel.
- In a pyrex glass jar or a small mixing bowl add the ingredients for the sauce. Stir well to combine.
- Pour sauce on chicken and serve right away. If you want you can garnish with fresh chopped parsley.
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