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Crispy Bang Bang Chicken Bites
A shallow-fried chicken dish that relies on a cornstarch dredge for a shattering crust, coated in a sweet chili mayonnaise.
- Prep
- 20 minutes
- Cook
- 15 minutes
- Total
- 35 minutes
- Yield
- 4 servings
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The common failure mode of homemade bang bang chicken is a heavy, greasy batter that slides off the meat the moment it meets the sauce. This happens when cooks rely on standard flour dredges or thick wet batters meant for deep fryers. The technique that fixes it is a simple buttermilk soak followed by a pure cornstarch coating, which creates a thin, shattering crust that clings to the chicken even after tossing.
Cornstarch contains no gluten, meaning it fries up exceptionally crisp without becoming tough or bready. The buttermilk tenderizes the chicken breast pieces while providing just enough moisture for the cornstarch to adhere. The sauce itself requires no cooking; it is a simple emulsion of mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, and sriracha that balances richness with a sharp, acidic heat.
These chicken bites are best served immediately while the contrast between the hot, crisp exterior and the cool, creamy sauce is at its peak. They pair well with steamed jasmine rice and thinly sliced cucumbers to cut the richness. If you must store leftovers, keep the sauce and chicken separate, reheating the chicken in a hot oven before tossing.
What you need
Ingredients
Measurements
Metric converts only measures that are mathematically safe. Density-dependent cups stay as Nicole wrote them.
Scale the batch
4 servings
Chicken
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 cup neutral oil (such as canola or peanut), for shallow frying
Sauce
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup Thai sweet chili sauce
- 1 tablespoon sriracha (or to taste)
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced, for garnish
How it goes
Method
Read the whole thing once before you start. Nothing here is difficult, but the timing is unforgiving at the end.
Marinate the chicken
In a medium bowl, toss the chicken pieces with the buttermilk, salt, and pepper. Let sit for 15 minutes at room temperature. The buttermilk tenderizes the meat and creates a tacky surface for the coating.
Whisk the sauce
In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, sriracha, and rice vinegar until smooth. Set aside. Mixing the sauce in a large bowl ensures you have enough room to toss the chicken later.
Dredge in cornstarch
Place the cornstarch in a shallow dish. Remove the chicken pieces from the buttermilk, letting excess drip off, and toss them in the cornstarch until heavily coated. Shake off any loose powder before frying.
Heat the oil
Heat the neutral oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers and a pinch of cornstarch sizzles immediately upon contact. The oil should be about a quarter-inch deep.
Fry the chicken
Working in two batches to avoid crowding the pan, fry the chicken pieces for 3 to 4 minutes per side. They are done when the crust is pale golden, firm to the tap, and the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Drain and toss
Transfer the fried chicken to a wire rack set over a baking sheet to drain briefly. While still hot, add the chicken to the bowl with the sauce and toss gently until every piece is coated. Garnish with green onions.
On the bench
Equipment
3 of these change the result. The rest are conveniences, with a workaround given. Nothing here is a brand recommendation — the spec is what matters.
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Wire cooling rack that fits inside a sheet pan
The one tool that decides whether these stay crisp. Draining on paper towels traps steam beneath the bites and softens the crust within about two minutes.
- What matters
- Oven-safe and sized to nest inside a half sheet pan. A tight cross-hatch grid keeps small pieces from falling through.
Instant-read or clip-on fry thermometer
Below 350°F the coating drinks oil; above 375°F the crust colors before the chicken reaches 165°F inside. Guessing is what produces greasy, pale bites.
- What matters
- A clip-on candy or fry thermometer reads the oil continuously. An instant-read also confirms the 165°F interior.
Heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven
Mass holds the oil temperature steady when a cold second batch goes in, so the last pieces fry the same as the first.
- What matters
- 10 to 12 inch cast iron skillet, or a 5 to 6 quart Dutch oven if you want deeper oil.
- Search for
- “cast iron skillet 12 inch” (paid link)
Spider skimmer
OptionalLifts a whole batch out at once and drains it against the rim, so nothing sits in cooling oil.
- What matters
- Wide woven-wire basket on a long handle. Slotted spoons trap and carry oil.
- If you skip it
- A metal slotted spoon works; lift in two smaller passes and shake the oil off over the pan.
The list
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Cook's notes
What we would tell a friend
- Do not substitute flour for the cornstarch; flour will absorb the sauce too quickly and turn soggy.
- If you do not have buttermilk, you can mix 1/2 cup of whole milk with 1/2 teaspoon of white vinegar and let it sit for 5 minutes before using.
- To scale this recipe up, fry in additional batches and keep the finished chicken warm in a 200°F oven on a wire rack before tossing with the sauce.
- The mistake to avoid is crowding the skillet. Frying too many pieces at once drops the oil temperature, resulting in greasy, pale chicken.
From the kitchen
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