Description
Chicken Manchurian is a popular Indo-Chinese dish featuring flavorful ground chicken meatballs fried to golden perfection and coated in a tangy, spicy soy-based sauce with garlic, ginger, and fresh vegetables. Perfect as a savory appetizer or main course, it pairs beautifully with fried rice, Hakka noodles, or stir-fried veggies for a satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Chicken Meatballs
- Vegetable oil for frying
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup all-purpose flour (maida)
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup green onions, diced (divided)
- 1 teaspoon ginger paste
- 1 teaspoon Tamari, soya, or dark soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- Pinch red pepper flakes
For the Sauce and Stir-Fry
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 inch ginger, grated
- 1 red chili pepper, minced
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup green onions, diced
- 1 bell pepper, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon rice wine
- 3 tablespoons Tamari, soya, or dark soy sauce
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- Toasted sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- Heat Oil: Heat 1 inch of canola oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat to prepare for frying the chicken meatballs.
- Prepare Meatball Mixture: In a large mixing bowl, combine ground chicken, minced garlic, ginger paste, soy sauce, egg, sesame oil, flour, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and 1 tablespoon of diced green onions. Mix thoroughly until well combined. Use a medium cookie scoop to form small, golf ball-sized portions and place them on a baking sheet.
- Fry Meatballs: Carefully add the chicken balls to the hot oil and fry for about 7 minutes, turning frequently to ensure even cooking. Once golden and cooked through, remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels to remove excess oil.
- Make Cornstarch Slurry: Whisk cornstarch and water together in a small bowl until smooth, then set aside for thickening the sauce later.
- Stir-Fry Vegetables: Using the same wok, add a tablespoon of canola oil. Once hot, add minced garlic, grated ginger, minced red chili pepper, sliced shallot, diced green onions, and chopped bell pepper. Stir-fry for about 3 minutes until fragrant and vegetables soften slightly.
- Add Tomato Paste and Deglaze: Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1-2 minutes. Then, deglaze the pan with rice wine to lift any browned bits and add flavor.
- Create Sauce: Pour tamari/soy sauce and chicken stock into the wok. Whisk well to combine and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer.
- Thicken Sauce: Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens to a glossy consistency.
- Combine Meatballs and Sauce: Turn off the heat and gently add the fried chicken meatballs into the sauce. Toss carefully to coat the meatballs evenly with the flavorful sauce.
- Garnish and Serve: Garnish with the remaining diced green onions and toasted sesame seeds. Serve warm with Hakka noodles, fried rice, or stir-fried vegetables.
Notes
- For a gluten-free version, substitute all-purpose flour with rice flour and use tamari instead of regular soy sauce.
- Adjust the red pepper flakes and fresh chili to your preferred spice level.
- If you don’t have rice wine, dry sherry or a splash of white vinegar can be used as a substitute.
- To make larger meatballs, adjust cooking time accordingly to ensure they cook through.
- Leftover Chicken Manchurian keeps well in the refrigerator for 2-3 days and reheats nicely in a skillet or microwave.
