Guyanese Chinese fried chicken recipe is a popular fried chicken dish made in Guyana, considered a national dish. Additionally, it is similar to Jamaican Chinese fried chicken but with a much thicker batter and added rock salt.
In addition, this recipe includes the ingredients you need to make your own Guyanese Chinese fried chicken at home and the directions for how to do so. Enjoy this classic recipe on its own or with rice or mashed potato.
What is the Guyanese Chinese fried chicken recipe?
Comparatively, this fried chicken dish is a traditional Guyanese Chinese recipe called “Salt Chicken” or “Salt Chicken on the Rock” (sometimes the name of the dish is also written as “Salted Chicken”). It consists of a piece of chicken dipped in corn flour and dunked in a batter (called “flour”) made with eggs, flour, and salt, then deep fried.
In like manner, the chicken is then coated in a thick batter made of eggs and flour, sometimes with the addition of cornmeal or other ingredients. The batter is prepared before frying and left to fry in oil. The result is a crunchy, greasy delicacy that has become popular around the islands and even as far as Trinidad & Tobago and Jamaica.
How To Long Will It Take To Prepare?
- Prepare time: 10 minutes
- Brine time: 1 hour
- Broth time: 10-15 minutes
- Frying time: 15-20 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hrs 45 mins
- Servings: 4
- Cuisine: Chinese
How to make a Guyanese Chinese fried chicken recipe?
Ingredients:
For the brine:
- Four leg quarters
- 2 tbsp salt
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 6 cups water
For the broth:
- 3-star anise
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup Chinese rice wine
- 4 tbsp sugar
- Four cloves of sliced garlic
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 tsp Chinese five spice
- Two stalks of green onions
- Six slices of Chopped ginger
For the fry:
- Vegetable oil
Directions:
Step 1:
For the brine:
In the first place large bowl, mix salt, sugar, and water. Add chicken to the brine and refrigerate for at least an hour. Remove chicken from the brine.
Step 2:
For the broth:
Then in a medium saucepan, bring 3-star anise, water, soy sauce, rice wine, and sugar to boil over high heat. Add garlic, white pepper powder, rice wine, and ginger slices to the pan; cover the pot. Cook for 15-20 minutes.
Step 3:
Similarly, remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Take out ginger slices and garlic cloves. Add green onions, chicken breast, and sauce; cover the pot for 5 minutes.
Step 4:
For the fry:
Again pour oil into a large pot until it comes halfway up the side of the pan. Place over high heat and heat oil to 325 degrees F. Shake each piece of chicken to coat it thoroughly.
Step 5:
Then add half the fried chicken into the hot oil. Stir fry slowly until golden brown (about 15-20 minutes).
Step 6:
Remove fried chicken from the oil and drain on paper towels.
Step 7:
In like manner, serve the chicken with boiled rice, fried rice, or mashed potatoes. Drizzle more sauce over the chicken if desired. Garnish with green onions and ginger slices and serve on a plate.
Additional Tips:
- If you want to make your breaded chicken, use the same technique but before frying, dip chicken in egg wash, then dredge in cornmeal, flour, or breadcrumbs.
- You can serve this dish with steamed rice or mashed potatoes.
- Guyanese Chinese fried chicken is best when served as soon as it is cooked; however, you can keep it warm for a short while in the oven heated at 200 degrees F before serving.
- If you don’t have an oven, try this delicious Guyanese Chinese fried chicken recipe on the rock for a different take on this classic dish.
- You can use any type of chicken cut, from thighs to breasts and drumsticks to wings.
- Allow the fried chicken to drain for about 10 minutes on paper towels before serving extra sauce.
- The main ingredient in the brine is salt, which helps to draw all the juices out of the chicken when it sits in the brine.
Precautions For Guyanese Chinese fried chicken recipe:
- If you are not used to consuming large quantities of garlic and chilies, add half a clove of garlic and reduce accordingly.
- Use gloves when peeling the garlic cloves and ginger slices, as the oils released could irritate your skin; use fingertips or a spoon instead.
- Similarly, if you are not used to eating large quantities of chilies, cut them into smaller pieces or remove the seeds from the peppers to reduce heat.
- Use caution while preparing the chicken because it can be challenging to remove the bones from the meat in a bone-in piece of chicken.
- If you didn’t cut enough ginger slices, substitute with more chives or green onion.
- If it’s too hot for you, serve with ice-cold water to dilute the heat to help you ease into eating it.
- If you have a family too fussy for adventurous eating, this aromatic and delicious Guyanese Chinese fried chicken recipe will win them.
Nutrition facts of Guyanese Chinese fried chicken recipe:
| Nutrition | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 150 kcal |
| Total Fat | 9 gm |
| Saturated Fat | 1 gm |
| Cholesterol | 60 mg |
| Sodium | 810 mg |
| Potassium | 380 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 14 gm |
| Dietary fiber | 0 gm |
| Sugars | 8 gm |
| Protein | 11 gm |
7 healthy benefits of Guyanese Chinese fried chicken recipe-
1. Low Blood Pressure:
Garlic and ginger are great for your blood pressure. They help to lower your blood pressure.
2. Boosts immunity:
Garlic is a superb anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral food that helps to boost your immune system.
3. Reduces Heart Disease:
Garlic is good for your heart and helps reduce cholesterol levels. It also helps with the prevention of strokes and heart attacks.
4. Prevents Cancer:
Garlic helps in lowering the risk of breast cancer and prostate cancer. Also, garlic contains allicin, which prevents cervical and colon cancer.
5. Great for digestion:
Green onions are a good source of fiber and help to aid in the digestive process. It also helps to reduce constipation with its fiber content and antioxidants.
6. Antioxidant:
Ginger is a powerful antioxidant that helps keep your body healthy from toxins that can cause cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and some cancers.
7. High Immunity:
Garlic is a blood builder and helps produce white blood cells to help fight off infection. It has also been found to increase the body’s natural immunity.
What is the best type of chicken for making a Guyanese Chinese fried chicken recipe?
The best cut of chicken for this recipe is chicken thighs. Chicken thighs are cheap, juicy, flavorful, and work really well in this recipe. If you have a well-stocked freezer, then the best type of chicken for this recipe is frozen chicken tenders. They have been deboned, cut into bite-sized pieces, and deep-fried.
What herbs should I use in this Guyanese Chinese fried chicken recipe?
The aromatic herbs used in this Guyanese Chinese fried chicken recipe are garlic cloves and star anise. When choosing those, look for plump, firm, and thick gloves. Also, make sure the star anise you are using is slender and has a point. However, if you don’t want to add star anise to the recipe, substitute it with cinnamon sticks.
What ingredients are needed for Guyanese Chinese fried chicken?
The main ingredients for this Guyanese Chinese fried chicken recipe are chicken, ginger slices, garlic cloves, star anise, soy sauce, and sugar. However, add more to your preference with ingredients such as ginger root slices or the famous Guyanese Scotch Bonnet peppers.
What is the best oil to use for making Guyanese Chinese fried chicken?
The best type of oil to use for this recipe is vegetable oil. Canola or corn oils can be used as well as sunflower and olive oil.
How to make Guyanese Chinese fried chicken crunchy?
If you want to make your Guyanese Chinese fried chicken crunchy, wrap it in plastic and put it in the refrigerator before serving.
Can I use other oil to make this Guyanese Chinese fried chicken recipe?
You can use other types of oil for making this dish. However, they need high-heat oils; areola and sunflower oil should not be used as they have a shallow smoking point.
How to make Guyanese Chinese fried chicken without a deep fryer?
If you do not own a deep fryer, use a large saucepan and fill it halfway with oil. Heat the oil over medium-high heat and when it is hot enough, put the chicken into the pan for frying until both sides are golden brown.
Can you make Guyanese Chinese fried chicken in a microwave?
You can make this dish in a microwave. However, heat the oil first and then cook the chicken in the microwave. However, ensure you take care while cooking since it is hot.
What is the best way to prepare Guyanese Chinese fried chicken recipe?
When preparing chicken, always take care of the bones and skin. Also, soak or marinate the chicken in an oil mixture with other vegetables or herbs.
Never prop it up on a kebab stick since that could make it challenging. Also, never use knives to cut the meat as that could make you cut part of the meat off with the bone and make it challenging. Instead, use a spoon to cut the meat into smaller pieces.
How to make a Guyanese Chinese fried chicken recipe at home?
To make Guyanese Chinese Fried Chicken at home, you must first cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Then, blanch it (dipping the raw chicken pieces in boiling water for less than 30 seconds) to kill any surface bacteria and give it a firm texture.
How to store leftover Guyanese Chinese fried chicken recipes?
This dish can be kept in the refrigerator for only 1-2 days as it has a strong smell and taste. If you want to delay its spoilage further, you can leave it for three days in the refrigerator before serving.
How To Reheat Leftover Guyanese Chinese fried chicken recipe?
You can reheat Guyanese Chinese Fried Chicken by microwaving it. Ensure the chicken portions are covered with plastic wrap to prevent them from drying up. You can also reheat it in a toaster or microwave oven for 2 to 3 minutes.
Conclusion
The Guyanese Chinese fried chicken recipe is a delicious dish that is deliciously crunchy. Be sure to use low-fat or non-fat ingredients for a healthier version of this dish.
Also, ensure the oil used for shallow frying the chicken has a low smoking point to prevent it from burning and making it challenging. Serve this Guyanese Chinese fried chicken with brown rice.
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