Are you pressed for time but want to cook a meal that everyone will love? This bang bang chicken recipe has got you covered. The zesty, honeyed, and thoroughly addictive sauce that forms is so great that anytime I prepare them, The chicken skewers will quickly evaporate.
Table of contents
When I have these bang bang chicken skewers ready to serve in less than 30 minutes, it’s the sauce that stands out. Bang bang chicken, also known as bonked chicken, bang bang shrimp, or bonked shrimp, is a meal of crispy chicken pieces glazed in spicy chili mayo that is popular in Sichuan. This name originated from the technique of hitting the chicken with a hammerwooden mallet in order to piecemeal it before cooking it. However, this dish has a pleasant creamy sauce mixture that takes it to the stage where chicken sticks are used. This simple bang bang chicken dish is made crunchy by blending a small amount of spicy and sweet sauce, making it a popular choice for dinner.
Ingredients
Chicken
- All-purpose flour – 1 cup
- Cornstarch – 1/2 cup
- Garlic powder – 1 tsp
- Paprika – 1 tsp
- Onion powder – 1 tsp
- Salt and pepper
- Eggs – 2 beaten
- Vegetable oil
- Wooden stick
Ingredients for sauce
- Mayonnaise – 1/2 cup
- Sweet chili sauce – 1/4 cup
- Sriracha – 2 tablespoons
- Honey – 1 tablespoon
- Rice vinegar – 1 teaspoon
- Garlic – 1 clove minced
How to Make Bang Bang Chicken Skewers
First, you must look at the food you have cut in a nice uniform way.
Step 2: Make the Coating
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper. It’s the cornstarch that’s doing all the heavy lifting here – it’s what makes the coating extra crispy.
Step 3: Coat the Chicken
Roll each piece first in beaten eggs and then in flour mixture. Ensure everything is coated well. Let it rest for 5 minutes so the coating adheres more.
Step 4: Fry the Chicken
In a deep fryer or heavy pot, heat oil to 350°F. Fry chicken, in batches, 5-7 minutes or until golden brown and chicken is done (165°F). You don’t want to overfill the pot, or the temp will drop.
Step 5: Make the Sauce
While chicken is cooking whisk together mayo, sweet chili sauce, sriracha, honey, rice vinegar and minced garlic. Taste and add extra sriracha a little at a time to adjust the heat.
Step 6: Toss and Serve
Combine the hot fried chicken with the bang bang sauce, and toss until the everything is coated. Serve right away while it’s still crunchy.
What to Serve with Bang Bang Chicken
This chicken is a big favorite with my family.
This chicken on a stick taste great with:
Steamed jasmine rice
Asian slaw or coleslaw
Fried rice
Roasted vegetables
French fries (yeah really)
Serve it over a little bit of rice with some fresh cucumber, shredded carrots, and green onions for a bang bang chicken bowl. Sprinkle with a few sesame seeds on top if you’re feeling fancy.
For another delicious chicken bowl option, check out our Greek Chicken Bowls recipe for a Mediterranean twist!
How to Make Bang Bang Chicken Skewers You’ll also love these!
Not to be missed in there is the cornstarch – it’s the key to having the coating so much crisper than even just plain flour.
Maintain oil temp – use an instant read thermometer, and adjust your heat as necessary. Too hot, the outside burns while the inside cooks
Serve it up right away – it’s really optimal eaten the day it’s made when the coating is still crunchy
Double the sauce – it’s always the first to go. If at all possible, double the sauce recipe: more sauce to sop up with bread, more flavorful tomatoey juice, more everything wonderful.
Bang Bang Seasoning Recipe
The magic is in the sauce. And here is what makes bang bang seasoning work:
Mayo provides the creamy base
Sweet chili sauce does it for sweetness and slight heat
Sriracha brings spiciness and depth of flavor
Honey balances the spice
Rice vinegar, with its slight acidity, cuts through all the richness.”
Garlic ties it all together
You can including all the recipes to suit your taste. Want it spicier? Add more sriracha. Too hot? More honey and mayo.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to simply cook bang bang chicken?
The easiest: Dredge chicken in seasoned flour, fry until crisp and toss in a sweet chilli sriracha mayo. Takes about 30 minutes total.
Why do they call it bang bang chicken?
It originates from Sichuan cuisine in which the chicken is pounded with wooden stick to tenderize it. Though modern versions don’t rely on the technique, the name stuck.
What is in Bang Bang seasoning?
The sauce is usually made with mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, sriracha or hot sauce, honey, rice vinegar, and garlic. Some include ginger or sesame oil as well.
What to eat with bang bang chicken?
Serve over rice, noodles or in a bowl with fresh veggies. Also excellent served cold as an appetizer with toothpicks or as party chicken on stick.
What, then, is the Yum Yum and Bang Bang difference?
Yum Yum sauce is simply mayo (a good brand, says Pat Tanumihardja, a certified yum-yummer) — but with a little nickel kick and a far more flavorful profile, generally in the form of ketchup and sugar. Bang Bang sauce is a little spicier with sriracha and tangy from rice vinegar.
Bang Bang Chicken Skewers
Equipment
- mixing bowls
- Deep fryer or heavy pot
- Thermometer
- Tongs
- Wooden skewers
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 eggs beaten
- Vegetable oil for frying
- Chicken breast or thigh cut into bite-size chunks
- Wooden skewers
For the Bang Bang Sauce:
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
- 2 tbsp sriracha adjust to taste
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 clove garlic minced
Instructions
Prep Chicken:
- Cut chicken into uniform bite-sized chunks and thread onto skewers.
Prepare Coating:
- In a large bowl, mix flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.
Coat Chicken:
- Dip chicken into beaten eggs, then roll in flour mixture. Let rest 5 minutes to set the coating.
Fry Chicken:
- Heat oil to 350°F (175°C). Fry chicken in batches for 5–7 minutes until golden brown and internal temp reaches 165°F.
Make Sauce:
- In a bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, sriracha, honey, rice vinegar, and minced garlic. Adjust spice to taste.
Toss and Serve:
- Toss hot chicken in bang bang sauce and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Make-Ahead Tips
The chicken and coating mix can be made in the morning. The sauce is also good in the refrigerator for a week. But for maximum benefit, fry up the chicken right before you serve so it’s crispy.
If you have any left (unlikely), just keep the chicken and sauce separate. Reheat the chicken in a 400°F oven to re-crisp it.
Final Thoughts
Bang bang chicken is one of those things that seems fancy but is actually very simple. After all, you have crunchy chicken with an irresistibly savory sauce that’s great for dinner, parties or whenever you feel like serving something a little extra special.
The best part? After you’re comfortable with it, feel free to play with the ratios of the sauce to make this exactly how you like it. Some people like more sriracha, others more honey. Make it your own.
Give this ban ban chicken recipe a try when you feel like trying something different for dinner. It will certainly be a repeat request in your family.
