Chicken 65 recipe with step-by-step photos and a video recipe. Chicken 65 is a spicy South Indian appetizer made with boneless chicken pieces, deep-fried, and tossed with chili, garlic, and curry leaves. This popular restaurant-style dish can be made easily at home within 30 minutes. Chicken 65 dry and Chicken 65 with gravy both versions are shared in the post. Serve it as a starter or a side dish with dal and rice.
Table of Contents
About Chicken 65
The recipe varies from one Indian state to another. There are slight variations in the ingredient used whether it is Hyderabadi chicken 65 or Kerala-style chicken 65.
But more or less the process to make it is the same. Similar to Chilli Chicken and Dragon Chicken, it is made with fried chicken tossed with ginger, garlic, and curry leaves.
The vegetarian variants of this crispy chicken fry are also popular like Gobi 65, paneer 65, mushroom 65, or aloo 65. Are you looking for a quick Indian chicken starter recipe? Then this spicy chicken fry recipe is just for you.
What is Chicken 65?
Chicken 65 is a popular South Indian chicken starter. It is made by marinating the chicken pieces with spices, yogurt, lemon juice, and curry leaves.
They are then deep-fried until golden and crisp. Finally, these crispy fried chicken are tossed with garlic, green chili, and curry leaves.
The chicken is super crispy outside and tender and juicy inside. It tastes absolutely delicious.
The credit for the invention of this recipe goes to A.M.Buhari of the Buhari Hotel chain (Chennai, India).
There are many interesting stories behind the name 65. Some believe that it was made for the Indian soldiers in 1965. This is the most believed theory.
Others say that this chicken recipe included 65 chili peppers when it was made. Some believe it is the number of ingredients (65 ingredients) that go into making it. To conclude, no one knows the exact meaning of 65.
Types of Chicken 65
There are two popular versions of this dish:
- Chicken 65 dry – Marinate the chicken with spices, curry leaves, and yogurt. Deep fry the marinated chicken and toss it with garlic, green chilies, and curry leaves. The chicken will be super crisp and aromatic.
- Chicken 65 with gravy – Marinate and deep fry the chicken. Cook the fried chicken in the sauce. The chicken will be super soft and melt in your mouth.
In this recipe post, I am sharing both methods. You can make it easily at home. It tastes similar to a restaurant-style chilli chicken recipe.
Why You Need This Recipe?
- This is a quick and easy chicken starter recipe that can be made with simple ingredients easily available in the kitchen pantry.
- The recipe is made easy with step-by-step photos and a video to help beginners.
- No eggs are used to make this recipe.
- This recipe is gluten-free.
- You can customize the recipe easily. Check out the ingredients and substitutions below.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chicken – Boneless chicken is used to make it. You can use either boneless skinless chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs.
- Flavoring – ginger-garlic paste, black pepper powder, coriander powder, lemon juice, and sugar. You can substitute lemon juice with vinegar.
- Yogurt – You can substitute it with egg whites. Yogurt keeps the chicken juicy when you deep fry them. The same can be achieved with the addition of eggs to the marinade.
- Kashmiri red chili powder – It gives a bright red color to the dish and is not spicy. If you do not have it, skip it, and add normal red chili powder. However, you will miss the color. In restaurants, they add red food color to chicken marinade. I would not suggest adding food color as it is not good for health.
- Fresh Curry leaves – This is an important ingredient that gives authentic South Indian aroma and flavor to the dish. Curry leaves have a beautiful aroma. Do not skip it.
- Garlic and green chilies – Basics of Indian cuisine. You can skip the addition of green chilies if you prefer less spicy.
- Rice four and corn flour – This is the secret to making crispy fried chicken. You can skip the addition of rice flour if you do not have it. But the addition of rice flour adds an extra layer of crispiness to it.
Tips to make restaurant-style chicken 65
- Marinate the chicken for 2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. This is an important step, so do not skip it. The chicken will absorb all the flavors from the spices. The longer the chicken marinates the better it tastes. It keeps the fried chicken soft and juicy inside and crisp outside.
- Add corn flour and rice flour to the marinated chicken just before you fry them. It will make the chicken pieces crispy. Do not add the rice flour and cornflour while marinating the chicken.
- Do not fry the chicken pieces directly taken out from the refrigerator. Keep it aside for 15-20 minutes. If it is cold then it will lower the temperature of the oil.
- Deep fry the chicken in medium hot oil. If the oil is very hot then the chicken will quickly fry from outside and will remain uncooked inside. Similarly, if the oil is not hot enough then the chicken will absorb oil and will become oily.
- To check the exact temperature, drop a small piece of batter in hot oil. If it comes up quickly without getting burnt then it is ready to fry.
- Do not overcrowd the pan. Fry the chicken pieces in small batches. I have fried the chicken in two batches.
- To make restaurant-style chicken 65, red food color is used. You can get the same color with Kashmiri red chili powder. It is not too spicy and gives a bright red color to the dish.
- Make sure the oil is hot when you deep fry the chicken. When you put the chicken pieces in hot oil, it will seal the juices of the chicken inside. The chicken will remain nice and moist inside and will turn crisp outside.
- The use of curry leaves is an important part of making this recipe. Do not skip adding this as curry leaves give it an authentic taste and aroma.
How to make chicken 65 recipe
Marinate the chicken
- In a mixing bowl, combine chicken with ginger-garlic paste, cumin powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, black pepper powder, salt, lemon juice, curry leaves, and yogurt.
- Marinate for at least 2 hours. Cover and keep it in the refrigerator.
- After 2 hours, add cornflour and rice flour to it and combine. Keep it aside for 15 minutes.
Frying Chicken
- Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
- Add the marinated chicken pieces one by one. Do not overcrowd the pan. Do not stir it immediately. Let it cook for a minute.
- Gently combine and fry until it is golden brown and crisp. Remove fried chicken and set this aside on a plate lined with a paper towel to drain excess oil.
For stir-fry (Tempering)
- Heat 2 tsp of oil over medium-high heat.
- Add garlic, green chilies, and curry leaves. Stir fry it for a minute.
- Add fried chicken and toss it well.
- Serve immediately.
You can serve it as a starter or as a side dish with rice and dal or rasam. Another popular version of this dish with gravy is given below:
Chicken 65 Gravy
This is my favorite version of this recipe. The chicken is soft and coated with a spicy and tangy sauce. Serve it with jeera rice or pulao/pilaf as a side dish or with noodles.
If you are a regular reader the old recipe is given just below this recipe. This version is inspired by the Hyderabadi Chicken 65 recipe.
Chicken 65 Gravy Recipe Ingredients
To make Chicken 65 gravy
- Follow the above recipe until you deep fry the chicken.
- In a medium size bowl combine all the ingredients mentioned under the sauce. Keep it aside.
- Heat oil over medium heat.
- Add cumin and let it crackle.
- Add in onions, curry leaves, green chilies, ginger, and garlic. Stir and cook until onions are golden brown.
- Reduce the heat to low. Whisk the yogurt mixture in the bowl and add it to the pan.
- Stir continuously until the sauce comes to a boil and thickens.
- Add vinegar and combine.
- On medium-high, add the fried chicken and cook it for 2 minutes.
- Garnish with coriander leaves.
You can check out the recipe video of the gravy version.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, definitely you can. Here, in this recipe post, I have shared the recipe without eggs. Simply replace eggs with yogurt. The only difference is that you have to marinate it longer up to 2 hours if you are replacing eggs with yogurt.
Yes, it is a spicy dish however you can adjust the spice levels if you are making it at home. This recipe will give you a mildly spicy dish.
Yes, substitute it with 2 tablespoons of egg white for 300 grams of chicken.
Yes, for a healthier version, shallow fry the chicken in less oil or use an air fryer. You can also bake the chicken.
Variations that you can try
Spicy Chicken 65 with Sauce (Gravy Version)
This is another method of making this recipe. The chicken will be soft and coated with a spicy sauce. I posted the recipe earlier. I have made a few changes to the ingredients.
For the fry
- Soak Kashmiri red chilies in hot water for 5-10 minutes. Grind it to a fine paste. Set this aside. If you do not have them then use Kashmiri red chili powder.
- Marinate the chicken with all the ingredients mentioned in the recipe card (except red chili powder). Instead of adding Kashmiri red chili powder, you can add 1 tbsp of the prepared Kashmiri red chili paste. Also, add 1 tsp of chicken masala powder to the marinade and mix. Marinate for 2 hours or overnight. Cover and keep it in the refrigerator.
- Deep fry the chicken over medium-high heat until crisp and golden brown. Keep it aside on a plate.
For the gravy
- Heat 2 tsp of oil over medium-high heat.
- Add 1 tsp garlic, 2 slit green chilies, and 1 spring curry leaves. Fry it for a minute.
- Add 3 tbsp water, 2 tsp of red chili paste, and 1 tsp lemon juice. Combine.
- Next, add salt and a little sugar. Be careful, we have already added it while marinating the chicken. Give it a quick stir. The homemade chili-garlic sauce is ready.
- Add the fried chicken back to the pan, and mix well to coat it with the gravy. Chicken 65 with gravy is ready. Serve hot and enjoy.
Serving suggestions
- Serve it as a starter with some onion rings, and lemon wedges. This is so flavorful that it doesn’t need any dip. But you can serve it with tomato ketchup or green chutney.
- You can serve it as a side dish with jeera rice or steamed rice and dal.
- Pair it up with fried rice or noodles.
Storage suggestions
- You can store the marinated chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Stays good for 2 hours. If you freeze the marinated chicken then it stays good for a month.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Stays good for 2 days. Reheat and serve. It will not remain crisp but tastes good.
- Not a freezer-friendly dish. Once you thaw it the outer coating will become soggy.
More Chicken Appetizer Recipes
- Chilli Chicken
- Dragon Chicken
- Chicken Popcorn
- Chicken Pakora
- Garlic Butter Chicken Bites
- Hyderabadi Chicken Majestic
If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and a starred review below.
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Chicken 65 Recipe
Equipment
- Heavy bottom pan or wok
Ingredients
For the marinade
- 300 grams chicken
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tbsp Kashmiri red chili powder used to give bright red color and is not spicy
- 1 tsp black pepper powder
- salt to taste
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp finely chopped curry leaves
- 2 tbsp curd/yogurt
For the batter
- 2 tbsp rice flour
- 3 tbsp cornflour
To make chicken 65 dry
- 2 tsp oil
- 1 tsp finely chopped garlic
- 2 green chilies slit (optional)
- 2 spring curry leaves
Sauce
- 1/2 cup full fat Yogurt
- Salt to taste
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1.5 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 tsp red chili sauce
- 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp garam masala powder
- 1 tsp cornflour (or cornstarch)
- 1/2 cup water
To make chicken 65 gravy
- 3 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 spring curry leaves
- 2 green chilies, slit
- 2 tsp finely chopped garlic
- 1 tsp finely chopped ginger
- 1 tsp vinegar
Instructions
To marinate the chicken
- In a mixing bowl combine chicken with ginger-garlic paste, cumin powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, black pepper powder, salt, lemon juice, curry leaves and yogurt. Marinate for at least 2 hours. Cover and keep it in refrigerator.
- After 2 hours, add cornflour and rice flour to it and combine.
To fry
- Heat oil in a pan at medium high heat.
- Add the marinated chicken one by one. Do not overcrowd the pan. Let it cook for a minute. Do not stir it immediately.
- Gently mix and fry until golden and crisp. Remove it and set this aside.
Stir-fry (Tempering)
- Heat 2 tsp of oil over medium high heat.
- Add garlic, green chilies and curry leaves. Stir fry it for a minute.
- Add fried chicken and toss it well.
- Serve immediately.
To make chicken 65 gravy
- Marinate and fry the chicken as mentioned above. Keep it aside.
- In a medium size bowl combine all the ingredients mentioned under the sauce. Keep it aside.
- Heat oil in a pan over medium heat.
- Add cumin and let it crackle.
- Add onions, curry leaves, green chilies,ginger and garlic. Mix and cook until onions are golden.
- Reduce the heat to low. Whisk the yogurt mixture in the bowl and add it to the pan.
- Stir continuously until the sauce comes to a boil and thickens.
- Add vinegar and combine.
- On medium high, add the fried chicken and cook it for 2 minutes.
- Garnish with coriander leaves. Chicken 65 gravy is ready to serve.
Video
Notes
- Marinate the chicken for 2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. It is an important step, do not skip it. The chicken will absorb all the flavors from the spices. The longer the chicken marinates the better it tastes. It keeps the fried chicken soft and juicy inside and crisp outside.
- You can add 1 tsp of chicken masala powder or garam masala powder to the marinade to make it spicy.
- Add cornflour and rice flour to the marinated chicken just before frying them. It will make the chicken pieces crispy. Do not add the rice flour and cornflour while marinating the chicken.
- Do not fry the chicken pieces directly taken out from the refrigerator. Keep it aside for 15-20 minutes. If it is cold then it will lower the temperature of the oil.
- Deep fry the chicken in medium hot oil. If the oil is very hot then the chicken will quickly fry from outside and will remain uncooked inside. Similarly, if the oil is not hot enough then the chicken will absorb oil and will become oily.
- To check the exact temperature, drop a small piece of batter in hot oil. If it comes up quickly without getting burnt then it is ready to fry.
- Do not overcrowd the pan. Fry the chicken pieces in small batches. I have fried the chicken in two batches.
- To make restaurant-style chicken fry, red food color is used. Food color is not good for health and adds no flavor to the recipe. You can get the same color with Kashmiri red chili powder. It is not too spicy and gives a bright red color to the dish. However, the color will not be bright red.
- While deep frying the chicken pieces, make sure the oil is hot. When you put the chicken pieces in hot oil, it will seal the juices of the chicken inside. The chicken will remain nice and moist inside and will turn crisp outside.
- The use of curry leaves is an important part of making this recipe. Do not skip adding it as curry leaves give it an authentic taste and aroma.
- Keep all the ingredients handy for making the sauce. For stir-fry, you need to keep everything moving quickly in the pan.
- If making chicken 65 gravy, add yogurt mixture at low heat and stir continuously until the mixture comes to a boil. It helps to prevent curdling yogurt while making the gravy.
Tried yesterday. Thanks for the share.
Glad you liked it. Thanks for the feedback.
Looks delicious! How hot is it?
Mild spicy
Hello dear Preeti,
I so miss your earlier chicken 65 recipe…it was such a fabulous recipe especially with the gravy … please do keep that in your blog. Thanks so much for sharing great recipes!
Added the gravy version. Hope you will like it.
Thankyou so much Preeti❤️
Thanks a lot for letting me know that you were following the recipe. Do check out other recipes on the website. Thanks for the star rating.