It’s sizzling! Jalapeno Chicken is one of my favorite things to order for Asian takeout. Crispy coated chicken breast pieces that are fried and then tossed in a brown sugar and soy sauce-based sauce with a bit of heat from the jalapenos and the sweetness from sauteed onions? Yes, please, sign me up. I love the hint of garlic and the slight tang from the rice vinegar. It’s one of the first things I order at a Chinese restaurant if it’s on the menu. Do you need anything but some freshly made jasmine rice to serve alongside this 30-minute dinner recipe? Nope. It’s just perfect as is. And if you’re not into chicken, I’ve made a shrimp version of this dish that we love just as much! It’s a bit lighter without soy but just as flavorful! But I love making Chinese take-out recipes at home because we’re saving on calories by not deep frying the chicken or shrimp, so it’s healthier. Plus, it saves time too. A total win-win!
Ingredients for Jalapeno Chicken:
Chicken: Feel free to use boneless skinless chicken thighs, tenders, or skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. You want to ensure that all the chicken is cut into 1-inch pieces so that it all cooks up roughly the same amount of time.Baking soda: is an ingredient commonly used in Chinese cooking to velvet the chicken. The baking soda raises the pH of the chicken and causes it to become tender and moist.Sugar: A pinch of granulated sugar goes into the bowl with the chicken when we’re velveting the protein. You’ll also need some brown sugar to make the brown sauce for the dish.White Pepper: I like adding white pepper to this recipe to give it a hint of spice! Sesame Oil: Toasted sesame oil gives the chicken a deliciously juicy and slightly smoky flavor.Soy Sauce: You’ll need low-sodium soy sauce for marinating the chicken and for the brown sauce that we’ll toss everything in at the end.Rice Flour or Cornstarch: I typically use rice flour for this recipe. It gives the chicken pieces that perfect crunch. Cornstarch is an excellent substitute if rice flour isn’t something you typically have on hand.Rice vinegar: Adds just a hint of acid to the brown sauce mixture.Garlic: You’ll need tons of garlic for this recipe. We’ll saute the garlic with the onions and jalapenos at the end right before tossing the final dish.Onions: Chopped onions add more crunch to this recipe and some natural sweetness. Feel free to use a sweet onion or whatever you have on hand!Jalapeños: Use more or less based on the heat level you can handle. I typically add in 2 jalapenos because the sweetness in the brown sauce helps curb the heat. But feel free to use 1/2 a jalapeno if you aren’t a fan.Oil: You’ll need a high-heat oil to fry the chicken and then saute the peppers and onions. I like to use avocado oil for this recipe but use any high-heat oil you typically have on hand.
Instructions for the best jalapeno chicken:
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Air Fryer: You can toss the chicken pieces in an air fryer set to 375ºF for 4-6 minutes or until the chicken is cooked all the way through after step 1. You’ll want to do this in at least two batches and be sure to spray the chicken with cooking spray.Gluten-Free: To make this recipe free, use GF tamari instead of the soy sauce.
