Chicken Majestic is a popular Hyderabadi chicken starter or appetizer, crispy on the outside and soft inside. This is a dry chicken dish that tastes just like the restaurants, comes together quickly, and is perfect for snacks, parties, or a simple side dish.
What is Chicken Majestic?
Chicken Majestic is a popular Hyderabadi dry chicken dish. It's crispy, spicy, and full of flavors. The chicken is marinated, fried, and then tossed in a quick ginger-garlic and yogurt mix. It reminds me of my dragon chicken recipe.
I love making it as a starter because it has that slight Indo-Chinese touch and tastes better than the restaurant version. It is quick and easy to make at home. You can serve this Hyderabadi chicken majestic with egg fried rice, garlic chili oil noodles, or enjoy it hot on its own.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It turns out crispy on the outside but stays so soft inside.
- The marinade is super simple, and the recipe uses everyday ingredients.
- I make it a lot for guests because it's a real crowd-pleaser. It disappears fast. For another Indo-Chinese favorite at home, try my chilli chicken gravy.
- The taste is just like the Hyderabadi restaurant style we all enjoy.
Quick Look: Chicken Majestic Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Servings: 4 Calories: ~256 kcal per serving (based on nutrition panel)
- Cook Method: Marinate chicken → deep-fry → stir-fry ginger, garlic, green chilies & curry leaves → add spices and yogurt → stir in soy sauce → toss fried chicken → finish with mint & coriander → serve hot
- Spice Level: Medium to hot
- Flavor Profile: Crispy, juicy chicken with spicy, tangy, and aromatic flavors
- Difficulty: Easy-Medium, great for weekend meals or a tasty starter.
Ingredients Notes
See the recipe card at the end of the post for full ingredients, quantities, and a printable version.
- Boneless Chicken: Use boneless skinless chicken breast cut into thin strips. Strips cook fast and stay soft.
- Spices: Salt, pepper, turmeric, coriander powder, garam masala, and Kashmiri red chilli powder for colour and mild heat. Substitute with any red chili powder, but then add as per taste.
- Egg: Helps the coating stick and keeps the chicken strips juicy after frying.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic gives the best aroma to chicken majestic.
- Curry leaves: They give that true South Indian touch.
- Yogurt: Use thick, whisked curd for the final toss as we did in our chicken 65 gravy.
- Cornflour/Cornstarch: It absorbs extra moisture and makes the chicken crispy.
- Soy sauce: Adds a light Indo-Chinese taste.
How to make Chicken Majestic
- Step 1: Cut the boneless chicken breasts into thin, long strips (image 1).
- Step 2: Mix buttermilk with a little salt in a bowl. Add the chicken strips and let them soak for at least 2 hours in the fridge or overnight in the refrigerator (image 2).
- Step 3: Gently squeeze out the extra buttermilk and move the chicken strips to another bowl (image 3).
- Step 4: Add ginger-garlic paste, black pepper, egg, and cornflour, and mix everything (image 4).
- Step 5: Heat oil over medium heat. Add the chicken strips and fry until golden and crisp. Keep them aside (images 5 & 6).
- Step 6: In a pan, heat 1 teaspoon of oil over high heat. Add ginger & garlic & stir-fry it for 30 seconds (image 7).
- Step 7: Now add green chilies & curry leaves. Stir fry it for 30 seconds (image 8).
- Step 8: Reduce the heat & add red chili powder, turmeric powder & garam masala powder. Stir-fry it for 30 seconds on low heat (images 9 & 10).
- Step 9: Add curd or yogurt. Mix it well with the spices & cook, stirring continuously for a minute (image 11). Next, stir in soy sauce (image 12).
- Step 10: Turn the heat on high & add the fried chicken strips. Stir-fry on high heat for 3-4 minutes (images 13 & 14). Finally, add mint leaves & coriander leaves. Stir-fry it for a minute and remove from the heat.
Recipe Tips
- Frying the chicken: Heat the oil until hot before adding the chicken. This seals the outside, keeping the strips crisp and juicy inside.
- Fry in batches: Overcrowding lowers the oil temperature and makes the chicken greasy. Reduce the heat to medium while frying.
- Adding yogurt: Make sure the curd/yogurt is at room temperature and whisked smooth. Add it to the pan on low heat to avoid curdling. This gives the chicken a creamy, flavorful coating.
Recipe FAQs
How spicy is chicken majestic?
It is a mildly spicy dish. You can adjust green chilies and red chili powder to suit your taste.
Which chicken cut is best for Chicken Majestic?
Boneless chicken breast or thighs work well. Thighs stay juicier, but I prefer breasts because they are easy to cut into strips.
Can I bake or air-fry chicken strips instead of deep-frying?
Yes, you can bake at 180°C for 10 minutes on each side. Air-frying works too. It's a lighter, healthier option.
Recipe Card
Chicken Majestic Restaurant Style
Chicken Majestic is a crispy, juicy Hyderabadi dry chicken dish tossed with ginger, garlic, yogurt, and spices. Perfect as a starter or served with fried rice. Here's how to make this restaurant-style chicken majestic recipe with step-by-step photos and video.
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Servings: 4 people
Calories: 256kcal
Video
Equipment
- 1 Heavy bottom pan
- 2 Mixing Bowls
Ingredients
- 200 gram chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
- 150 ml buttermilk
- salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
- ½ egg, beaten
- 3 tablespoon cornflour
- 1 tablespoon garlic, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon ginger, finely chopped
- 2 green chilies, slit
- 1 spring curry leaves
- ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder (or any red chili powder)
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- 2 tablespoon thick curd/yogurt
- 2 tablespoon chopped mint leaves
- 1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves
- Oil for deep frying
Instructions
- Cut boneless chicken breast into thin long strips.
- In a bowl, mix buttermilk and salt. Soak the chicken pieces in salted buttermilk for at least 2 hours in the fridge. For the best flavor, soak overnight in the refrigerator.
- Gently squeeze out the buttermilk and place the chicken in another bowl.
- Add ginger-garlic paste, black pepper, egg, and cornflour. Mix well.
- Heat oil in a heavy pan over medium-high heat. Fry the chicken strips in batches, lowering the heat to medium. Flip and cook until golden on all sides. Remove and set aside. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a pan over high heat. Add ginger and garlic, stir-fry 30 seconds.
- Add green chilies and curry leaves, stir-fry 30 more seconds.
- Reduce the heat and add red chili, turmeric, and garam masala. Stir-fry 30 seconds on low heat.
- Add yogurt and mix well with the spices. Cook for 1 minute, stirring continuously.
- Stir in soy sauce.
- Turn the heat to high and add fried chicken strips. Stir-fry 3-4 minutes.
- Finally, add mint and coriander leaves. Stir-fry for 1 minute.
Notes
- Soak the chicken pieces in buttermilk. This makes them soft, juicy, and tender inside.
- For the best chicken majestic, let the chicken soak overnight.
- If you are short on time, soak it for at least 2 hours to keep the chicken soft and juicy.
- If you don't have buttermilk, mix 1 cup of curd/yogurt with 1 cup of water and whisk or blend it well. Your buttermilk is ready.
- When frying, heat the oil on medium-high. Add the chicken pieces and then reduce the heat to medium. Fry the chicken over medium heat until cooked.
- Do not add the chicken if the oil is not hot enough. Cold oil will make the chicken greasy.
- Hot oil seals the outside, keeping the chicken crisp and juicy inside.
- Fry the chicken strips in batches. Overcrowding the pan lowers the oil temperature and makes the chicken soak up oil.
- The curd/yogurt should be at room temperature and well whisked before adding it to the pan.
- Make sure the pan is on low heat when adding yogurt to prevent it from curdling.
- You can bake the chicken strips. Preheat the oven to 180°C and bake for 10 minutes on each side. Oven timings may vary, so adjust as needed.
Nutrition
Calories: 256kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 382mg | Potassium: 267mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 203IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Samaira
Super!! I loved it.
Siya Borker
Great recipe! Worth making it