Chilli chicken gravy is a popular Indo-Chinese restaurant-style dish with crispy fried chicken tossed in a spicy, savory, and tangy sauce. It is ready in 30 minutes and uses simple ingredients like soy sauce, bell peppers or capsicum, and aromatic spices. Serve with egg fried rice, egg hakka noodles, or steamed rice. For a dry version, try my chilli chicken recipe. Learn how to make this dish easily at home with step-by-step photos and a quick video tutorial.
This chilli chicken gravy recipe reminds me of chicken 65 gravy. I first tasted this crispy saucy chilli chicken served with fried rice during a family outing at a cozy Indo-Chinese restaurant in Kolkata. The crispy fried chicken is coated with a delicious blend of sweet, tangy, and spicy Indo-Chinese flavors.
I wanted to give this Indo-Chinese chilli chicken recipe a try. It took a few trials and errors, but I finally perfected the recipe, and I'm thrilled to share it with you all. You might also like these popular Indo-Chinese dishes, like Dragon Chicken, Chicken Manchurian, Gobi Manchurian, Egg Hakka Noodles, and Chicken Manchow Soup.
About this Chilli Chicken Gravy Recipe
In this recipe post, I am sharing how to make Chilli Chicken Gravy, a twist on a popular Indo-Chinese chilli chicken recipe. Chilli Chicken is a popular Indo-Chinese dish that combines the bold and spicy flavors of Indian cuisine with Chinese cooking techniques.
This saucy chilli chicken is made with boneless chicken pieces marinated in soy sauce, black pepper, salt, vinegar, and egg. The marinated chicken pieces are then coated with flour, deep-fried until crispy, and tossed with onions, bell peppers, and flavorful chilli sauce.
The best part of this Indo-Chinese chicken dish is that the chicken pieces are crispy outside and soft and juicy inside. You can customize the recipe and adjust the sauces and spices as per your taste. It's my new go-to recipe. Serve it with fried rice or noodles.
You may also like these other popular Indo-Chinese recipes from this website
- Dragon Chicken
- Schezwan Chicken Fried Rice
- Chicken Shashlik
- Chicken Chow Mein
- Chicken Hakka Noodles
- Chicken Manchow Soup
Ingredient Notes
This chilli chicken gravy recipe uses simple yet flavorful ingredients to create a restaurant-style dish that’s crispy, juicy, and bursting with delicious Indo-Chinese flavors. When you make them at home they are way healthier compared to restaurants. Here’s what you will need to make the recipe.
- Boneless chicken: You can use either chicken thighs or chicken breasts for this spicy chilli chicken gravy recipe.
- Aromatics: Fresh ginger and garlic are key aromatics, adding depth and a burst of freshness to this Indo-Chinese dish.
- Vegetables: I have used spring onions, green and red bell peppers (also called capsicum, any color works), and red onions (white onions also work well) to provide crunch and color, enhancing both flavor and presentation.
- Sauces: light and dark soy sauce, red chili sauce (add as per taste), and ketchup (optional but kids love them)—create the perfect balance of savory, spicy, and sweet notes. For red chili sauce, you can add sweet chili sauce too, if you prefer a sweet taste.
- Cornstarch: You can substitute cornstarch with potato starch or arrowroot powder to thicken the gravy.
- Marinating the chicken: black pepper powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, salt, rice vinegar, ginger-garlic paste. You can use any cooking white vinegar or substitute it with lemon juice.
- Egg Whites: egg whites in the marinade keep the chicken tender, even after frying chilli chicken.
- Oil: Any cooking oil with a neutral flavor and a high smoke point can be used.
- Green chilies: optional. Adjust the spice levels with green chilies or skip them for a kid-friendly chilli chicken recipe.
- Seasoning: black pepper and salt.
- For the batter: I have used a combination of corn flour (cornstarch) and all-purpose flour (maida) for the crispy coating. You can substitute cornstarch/all-purpose flour with rice flour for the batter.
For the detailed list of ingredients & their measurements, please check out the recipe card below.
How to make restaurant-style chilli chicken gravy
Marinate the chicken
1) Marinate the chicken - In a mixing bowl, combine chicken, salt, pepper, Kashmiri red chili powder, ginger-garlic paste, vinegar, egg white, and soy sauce. Marinate for 30 minutes.
2) For the sauce - In a small mixing bowl, combine light soy sauce, red chili sauce, black pepper, tomato ketchup, and vinegar. You can taste it and adjust the seasoning as per your taste. Set this aside.
3) Finely chop the ginger and garlic. Cut onions and capsicum (bell peppers) in cubes and set them aside.
Frying chilli chicken
1) Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan over medium heat. Add flour to the marinated chicken. Combine it well. If needed, you can add one more tablespoon of all-purpose flour or cornstarch. Not more than that, we do not need a thick coating on the chicken.
2) Add the chicken pieces to the hot oil. Do not stir immediately. Let it fry for a minute. Gently stir and fry stirring continuously until it is golden and crisp. Remove it to a plate lined with a paper towel.
Making the Chilli Chicken Gravy
1) Heat 2 teaspoon of oil in a deep bottom pan over medium heat. Add ginger, garlic, spring onion whites, and green chillies. Stir-fry it for 30 seconds. Skip the addition of green chilies if you are making it for kids.
2) Next, add green bell pepper, red bell pepper and onion cubes. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add the prepared sauce and stir to combine.
3) Next, add the fried chicken and combine. Chilli chicken is ready. You can serve it.. For the gravy - Give a quick stir to the corn flour/cornstarch slurry and add it to the pan.
4) Stir continuously until the gravy thickens. Add 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce (optional) and combine. Taste the gravy and adjust the seasoning. Remove from heat. Restaurant-style chilli chicken with gravy is ready to serve. Garnish with spring onion greens. Serve hot and enjoy.
Tips to make the Best Chilli Chicken Gravy
- Marinate the chicken for about 2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. It will make the chicken pieces more juicer and flavorful.
- Oil should be medium-hot: When frying the chicken, ensure the oil is hot but not too hot. Perform a drop test: Drop a small drop of batter into the oil. It should rise to the surface immediately but not brown too quickly. If the batter browns rapidly, the oil is too hot. Turn off the heat and allow the oil to cool slightly before reheating. If the oil is not hot enough then the chicken will absorb oil while deep frying it.
- Do not over-fry the chicken. It will make the chicken pieces hard or rubbery.
- Do not make chilli chicken ahead of time. It should be prepared and served immediately or else it will not remain crisp.
Frequently Asked Questions
The ingredients are similar but there is a difference in the cooking process. For making the dry chilli chicken, cornflour/cornstarch slurry is not added. On the other hand for making gravy, cornflour slurry is added.
To reduce spice, use less red chili sauce and skip green chilies. For more heat, increase the chili sauce or add crushed red pepper flakes or red chilli powder.
Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F). Line a baking tray with parchment paper or lightly grease it with oil. Marinate the chicken as per the recipe. Coat the marinated chicken pieces with the flour and cornstarch mixture. Place the coated chicken pieces on the prepared baking tray in a single layer. Lightly brush or spray oil over the chicken pieces. Bake in the preheated oven for 15–20 minutes, flipping the pieces halfway through for even browning. The chicken should be golden and crispy on the outside.
Replace all-purpose flour with rice flour or more cornstarch for the batter. Also, ensure that the soy sauce you’re using is labeled gluten-free.
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and rating below. We'd love to hear your feedback.
For any questions or concerns while making this recipe, please get in touch with me directly at nayakprety@gmail.com. I'll try my best to respond promptly.
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Recipe Card
Restaurant Style Chilli Chicken Gravy
Ingredients
For marinating the chicken
- 300 g boneless skinless chicken breasts/thighs cut into1-inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon black pepper powder
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder optional
- salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon light soya sauce (low sodium preferred)
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- ½ egg white (from 1 egg)
For the batter
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch/corn flour
- 3 tablespoon maida (all-purpose flour)
For making the chili chicken gravy
- 2 teaspoon oil
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
- 2 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
- 3 tablespoon spring onion whites
- 2 tablespoon spring onion greens
- ¼ cup red bell pepper, cut into cubes (red capsicum)
- ¼ cup green bell pepper, cut into cubes (green capsicum)
- ¼ cup onions, cut into cubes
- 2 green chilies, (add as per taste)
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
For the sauce
- 2 tablespoon light soya sauce (low sodium)
- 2 teaspoon red chili sauce
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 tablespoon tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- salt to taste
To make corn flour slurry (used in making gravy)
- 1 tablespoon corn flour
- 1 cup water
Instructions
Preparations
- Marinate the chicken - In a mixing bowl, combine chicken, salt, pepper, Kasmiri red chili powder, ginger-garlic paste, vinegar, egg white and soy sauce. Marinate for 30 minutes.
- For the sauce - To a small mixing bowl, combine light soy sauce, red chili sauce, black pepper, tomato ketchup and vinegar. You can taste it and adjust the seasoning as per your taste. Set this aside.
- Finely chop the ginger and garlic. Cut the onions and capsicum in cubes and set it aside.
- Keep all the sauces and spices ready.
Frying the chicken
- Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan over medium heat.
- Add flour to the marinated chicken. Combine it well. If needed, you can add one more tablespoon of all-purpose flour or cornstarch. Not more than that, we do not need a thick coating on the chicken.
- Add the chicken pieces to the hot oil. Do not stir immediately. Let it fry for a minute.
- Gently stir and fry until it is golden and crisp. Remove it to a plate line with paper towel.
Making the chilli chicken gravy recipe
- Heat 2 teaspoon of oil in a deep bottom pan over medium heat.
- Add ginger, garlic, spring onion whites and green chillies.Stir-fry it for 30 seconds.
- Next, add green bell pepper, red bell pepper and onioncubes. Stir and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the prepared sauce-mix and stir to combine.
- Next, add the fried chicken and combine. Dry chilli chicken is ready.
- Give a quick stir to the cornflour slurry and add it to the pan. Stir continuously until the gravy thickens.
- Add 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce (optional) and combine. Taste the gravy and adjust the seasoning. Remove from heat. Garnish with spring onion greens. Serve hot and enjoy.
Video
Notes
- Marinate the chicken for about 2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. It will make the chicken pieces more juicer and flavorful.
- While frying the chicken, make sure the oil is not too hot. If you drop the batter in the oil, it should come up immediately but should not get brown quickly.
- Do not over-fry the chicken. It will make the chicken pieces hard.
- If the oil is not hot enough then the chicken will absorb oil while deep frying it.
- Be careful while adding cornflour slurry to the pan. Stir it continuously to avoid lumps.
- Addition of Kashmiri red chili powder while marinating the chicken is optional. It gives a bright red color to the dish.
- If you do not have vinegar then replace it with lemon juice.
- All the sauces especially soya sauce have salt in them. Take care while adding salt to the recipe.
- If you are making it for kids, do not add green chili to the recipe.
- Do not make this dish ahead of time. It should be prepared and served immediately or else it will not remain crisp.
- The addition of dark soy sauce is optional. When you add cornflour slurry, the gravy becomes light in color. To enhance the color, dark soy sauce is added.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Rakesh
Eager to try out this recipe. Wondering if I can make two substitutions:
1) Can I airfry the chicken instead of deep frying it?
2) Can I use green chilli sauce instead of red? I prefer the taste of green chilli sauce.
Preeti
Yes you can.
Dimple Gowria
It was delicious and my family enjoyed it i was happy to see the reaction from my family for the recipe u gave us to make this wonderful dish. Thanks and God bless.
Preeti
Thanks. Happy to know that you and your family enjoyed it.
Alex
Tasty and delicious
Vivek Kumar Sinha
I tried it today. It was equally delicious as if it was prepared in a good restaurant.
Preeti Nayak
Thanks for your feedback. Glad to know you liked it. Have a good day.
mobasir hassan
I have read many chilli chicken recipe but this one is simple and nicely explained. Hope to make this like yours. Will surely let you know how it come out. Looking for more Indo chinese recipe in future. Thank you.
Preeti Nayak
Thanks. Waiting for the feedback. Have a nice day.
Arti
Tried yesterday