Taiwanese Fried Chicken

5 from 10 votes

Enjoy authentic Taiwanese Fried Chicken at home—crispy, juicy, and full of flavor. A lighter, healthier recipe for the air fryer or stovetop.

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Marinate time30

Total Time1 5

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Taiwanese

Keyword: Taiwanese fried chicken, Taiwanese fried chicken cutlets

Servings: servings

Author: ChihYu Smith

Ingredients

1 lb chicken breasts skinless, boneless

Dry spice seasoning mix:

1 tsp coarse sea salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp ground white pepper
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp five spice powder
¼ tsp ginger powder

Others:

2 tbsp coconut aminos or 1 tbsp light soy sauce + ½ tsp sugar
½ tsp baking soda
4-6 tbsp avocado oil
1 large egg
½ cup coarse (thick) sweet potato starch see notes for alternatives

US - Metric

Instructions

Halve the chicken breasts and lightly pound them to ¼-inch even thickness.
In a bowl, combine all the dry spice seasonings listed under the spice mix—from salt to ginger powder. Set aside ¾ teaspoon of the mix (½ tsp + ¼ tsp) in a small bowl for serving later.
Use the remaining spice mix to season the chicken, along with the coconut aminos (or soy sauce + sugar), baking soda, and 2 teaspoons of avocado oil. Coat the chicken well on all sides. Marinate for at least 30 minutes in the fridge—1 hour is even better.
Whisk the egg with 2 tbsp water. Dip the chicken cutlets in the egg wash, then coat them in the sweet potato starch. Use your hands to gently press the starch into the chicken so it sticks well.
For stovetop: Preheat the avocado oil—start with 3 tbsp and add more if needed—over medium to medium-high heat for about 3 minutes. To test if the oil is hot, insert a wooden chopstick into the pan. If you see bubbles around the chopstick, it's ready.
Over medium heat, pan fry the first side for 3 minutes and the second side for 2 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Repeat the process and pan fry them in separate batches.
For air fryer: Preheat the fryer to 400°F (204°C) for 5 minutes. Spray the basket with a coat of avocado oil. Depending on the size of your basket, place the cutlets inside with some space in between. Spray more oil over the top of the chicken until you don’t see any white spots. Air fry at 400°F for 5 minutes. Flip, spray again, and air fry for another 5 minutes.
Rest the cutlets on a wire cooling rack to keep the bottoms from turning soggy.
To serve: Transfer the cutlets to a large serving plate. Sprinkle with the reserved spice mix. Serve it street food–style: a whole chicken cutlet placed in a bag you can hold and bite into, or slice into smaller pieces and eat with chopsticks. Serve hot.

Notes

Taiwanese fried chicken has an extra crunchy surface because of the thick (coarse) sweet potato starch. You can find it at local Chinese grocery stores or order it online.
If you can’t find coarse sweet potato starch: Use tapioca starch or regular (fine) sweet potato starch instead. To mimic the crumbly texture, gradually drizzle in ½ to 1 teaspoon of water for every 8 tablespoons of starch. Stir constantly with chopsticks or a fork as you add the water. You’ll start to see tiny clumps form—like coarse grains or small pebbles—which help the coating stick and crisp up better. Go slow! Adding too much water will turn the starch gummy.
Other uses for coarse sweet potato starch: It works great for any fried coating—like Taiwanese popcorn chicken or Taiwanese fried pork chops.
Storage, meal prep, and reheat tips: The chicken will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. For meal prep, marinate the chicken up to 24 hours in advance for deeper flavor. To reheat, bake at 350°F (175°C) for 10–15 minutes or use an air fryer at 360°F (182°C) for 5–6 minutes until hot and crispy again.

Nutrition