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Shake up your evening meals with this mouthwatering Bang Bang Chicken, combining crunchy, juicy chicken with a well-mixed sweet-hot sauce. Each mouthful gives you that satisfying crackle followed by an explosion of tastes that move between sweet, smooth, and just enough kick.
This dish turned into our house favorite after I tried again and again to copy what we loved from the place down the street. My big win came when I figured out just how much panko to flour I needed and the right hot oil for that amazing crunch.
Key Ingredients Breakdown
- Buttermilk: Makes chicken soft and brings some tang. Mix milk with lemon juice as a quick fix if you don't have any.
- Thai Sweet Chili Sauce: Try to grab Mae Ploy for the real deal. It brings that perfect mix of sweetness and spice.
- Panko Breadcrumbs: Don't swap these for normal crumbs - you won't get the same crunch. Pick ones without extra spices.
- Sriracha: Gives steady heat throughout. Go easy at first and add more if you want.
- Chicken Tenderloins: These turn out softer than breast chunks. Pick similar-sized pieces so they cook evenly.
Step-by-Step Cooking Guide
- Step 1: Whipping Up The Sauce
- Stir mayo until smooth with no bumps. Slowly pour in sweet chili sauce while mixing. Add tiny bits of Sriracha and taste as you go. Let it sit while you work on the chicken.
- Step 2: Getting The Coating Right
- Mix wet stuff until it's totally smooth. Dunk each chicken piece and let extra drip off. Push panko on firmly but don't smash it. Let coated pieces sit for 5 minutes before they hit the oil.
- Step 3: Frying For That Perfect Crunch
- Warm oil gradually to keep temp steady. Stick a wooden spoon handle in to check for bubbles. Put pieces in facing away from your body. Only flip them once while cooking.
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I started playing with this recipe during lockdown when we couldn't eat out anymore. Through lots of tries and mess-ups, I found out that letting your coated chicken sit before frying really helps the coating stick better.
The sauce is so good we use it for everything now. We put it on salads and even roasted veggies. Watching your heat is super important for the best results. I've figured out that keeping the heat steady stops the coating from soaking up too much oil.
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Since getting this dish just right, everyone asks for it when they come over. The mix of that crunchy outside, moist inside, and that can't-stop sauce makes something really special that gets folks hanging out around the dinner table.