Taiwanese street food is famous for its bold flavors and irresistible textures, and one of the most iconic snacks is the Taiwanese fried chicken cutlet. Crispy, juicy, and packed with flavor, this oversized, deep-fried delicacy has always been a crowd pleaser. Whether you’re wandering through a bustling night market in Taipei or making it at home, this dish delivers an unforgettable crunch in every bite.
The Origins of Taiwanese Fried Chicken Cutlet
Taiwanese fried chicken cutlet, or “Ji Pai” (雞排), became popular in the 1990s as a quick, satisfying street food option. It draws inspiration from Japanese tonkatsu and Western-style fried chicken but has evolved into a unique Taiwanese creation. Vendors often pound the chicken thin, marinate it with soy sauce and aromatics, season it with a blend of spices, coat it in sweet potato starch, and deep-fry it to golden perfection.
What Makes It Special?
Several elements set Taiwanese fried chicken cutlet apart from other fried chicken varieties:
- Size & Thickness: The cutlet is usually pounded thin, making it quite large like a veal schnitzel.
- Crispy Coating: Instead of regular flour or breadcrumbs, the chicken is coated in coarse sweet potato starch, which creates an ultra-crispy texture that is also light and fluffy.
- Signature Seasoning: A mix of white pepper, five-spice powder, garlic powder, sugar and a dash of chili flakes gives it its signature Taiwanese flavor.
Ingredients
Chunky sweet potato starch
It’s the key ingredient in the coating, and what gives Taiwanese fried chicken its special texture.
You can tell from the picture below. Compared to regular sweet potato starch, the coarse type has a grainy texture.
You can usually find it in Chinese markets or Chinatown on the shelf with other starches. The package is usually marked “thick” on the package, and you can see from the package that the texture is different from other starches. You can also purchase it on Amazon.
If you don’t have this ingredient, the best substitute is panko breadcrumbs. The coating of the chicken will come out more like Japanese katsu, but it still be crispy and taste good.
Marinade ingredients
The marinade includes:
- Light soy sauce
- Shaoxing wine
- Sugar
- Ginger
- Garlic
- White pepper
- Five spice
The marinating keeps the chicken juicy, and creates a mild savory fragrant that is warm and slightly sweet.
Spice mix
A spice mix is used to coat the chicken once it’s fried. It contains ingredients that are quite similar to the marinade, minus the liquid ingredients. It gives the chicken another layer of flavor.
How to make Taiwanese fried chicken
Taiwanese fried chicken takes three steps – marinate the chicken, bread it, and deep fry it.
To prepare it for marinating, you need to pound the chicken very thin. I found it very helpful to place a piece of plastic wrap over the chicken before pounding it, so the chicken stays in one piece when pounded thin, and won’t make a big mess.
To marinate the chicken, I recommend using a tray that is large enough to hold the chicken pieces for even marinating. A large ziplock bag will work as well. If you have time, marinating overnight yields the best result. If you’re short on time, a few hours in the fridge will do the trick.
When you’re ready to bread the chicken, you should have all the ingredients set up nearby – the marinated chicken, beaten eggs with cornstarch, and the sweet potato starch.
Bread the chicken by dipping it in the egg mixture, then directly place it into the sweet potato starch.
Lastly, deep fry the chicken until golden, then sprinkle the spice mix over it while the chicken is still hot.
Can I cook this dish in the air fryer or without deep frying?
I don’t recommend cooking this dish using other methods. Because the chicken is pounded so thin, it overcooks very easily. If using an air fryer, you will probably overcook the chicken and under cook the coating, resulting in chewy dry chicken with a coating that’s not crispy enough.
Shallow frying is not suitable for this dish because it simply wouldn’t cook the surface evenly. Plus, deep frying is possible without too much splatter, if you set it up properly.
How do I store the leftover oil?
Once you finish frying the food, wait until the oil cools off. Then use a few layers of coffee filter to filter the oil into a jar. Store the oil in a cool dark place, or even better, in the refrigerator. You can reuse the oil once or twice, depending on how well you filter and store it.
How to serve Taiwanese fried chicken
In Taiwan, the fried chicken cutlet is typically enjoyed straight from a paper sleeve, piping hot and fresh from the fryer. Some vendors slice it into bite-sized pieces for easier snacking, while others serve it whole.
When serving the dish at home, You can either serve the chicken as a whole piece, or slice it before plating. Either way, I prefer to serve it with a few lemon wedges, mayonnaise, and any leftover spice mix. It pairs beautifully with a cold bubble tea or a side of pickled vegetables for a refreshing contrast.
Taiwanese fried chicken is a fun party food as well, because you can prepare it ahead and reheat it in the oven or air fryer. Consider serving it with:
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
- Lumpia Shanghai (Filipino Spring Rolls)
- Barter-Worthy Spam Musubi
- Shrimp Toast
- Sesame Balls
Taiwanese Fried Chicken (台式鸡排)
Ingredients
- 1 lb (454 g) boneless skinless chicken thighs (or breasts)
Marinade
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
- 1 tablespoons sugar
- 1 ” (2.5 cm) ginger , grated
- 3 cloves garlic , grated
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon five spice
Spice mix
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Chinese chili flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon five spice
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Frying
- 2 pints peanut oil (for frying) (*Footnote 1)
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 cup chunky sweet potato starch (or panko breadcrumbs) (*Footnote 2)
Serving options
- Lemon wedges
- Mayonnaise
Instructions
- Pound the chicken: Work on one at a time, place a piece of chicken on a cutting board and cover with plastic wrap. Using a meat tenderizer or the back of a heavy knife, pound the meat until it is 1/3” (8 mm) thick and even throughout. If using chicken breast and the piece is thick, slice the breast horizontally into two thin pieces before pounding.
- Marinate the chicken: Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a medium bowl. Place the beaten chicken thighs into a plate or tray and pour the marinade over them. Gently mix and rub so the marinade covers the meat evenly. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.
- Set up cooking station: Beat the eggs in a wide bowl with the cornstarch until the cornstarch is mostly dissolved. It’s OK if small clumps remain. Place the sweet potato starch in a large bowl. Prepare a tray or plate for the breaded chicken, and a tray lined with a wire rack for the fried chicken.
- Prepare the spice mix: Combine all the spice mix ingredients in a small bowl.
- Bread the chicken: Work on one piece at a time, pick up a chicken piece to drain excess marinade, transfer into the egg mixture to coat well. Shake off excess egg mixture, then place onto the sweet potato starch. Coat both sides. Place onto the prepared tray.
- Fry the chicken: Heat the oil over medium-high heat to 365°F (185°C) in a wok or large pan with high sides. Carefully lower a breaded chicken into the oil. Fry for 2 minutes. Then carefully flip with a pair of tongs and fry for an additional two minutes. The chicken should be a light golden and cooked all the way through. Transfer onto the lined tray to drain off excess oil. Fry the rest of the chicken.
- Coat with the spice mix: While the fried chicken is still hot, sprinkle the spice mix evenly over both sides of the chicken.
- Serve immediately as a main dish. The chicken is tasty by itself, but some lemon wedges and a squeeze of mayo add a nice touch.
Notes
- Most of my recipes call for a high quality Chinese brand of peanut oil for its nutty flavor. This recipe only calls for regular peanut oil for its neutral flavor and high smoke point. You can also use other neutral high smoke point oil such as canola.
- Chunky sweet potato starch is the key ingredient that gives the fried chicken cutlets a light, fluffy and crispy texture. If it’s not available, panko breadcrumbs are a better alternative than regular sweet potato starch (or other types of starches). The cutlets texture will be different but should still taste good.
- To reheat: Reheat in a 400°F(200°C) oven or 350°F (176°C) air fryer until crispy and heated through.
- To make the dish gluten-free: Use tamari to replace soy sauce, use rice wine or dry sherry to replace Shaoxing wine.
