This healthy Manchurian chicken recipe has all the joys of a restaurant quality dish right in the comfort of your own home! Chicken Manchuria is a perfect mix of Indian and Chinese flavors. You have to try this world-famous and super easy-to-make recipe!
When I first had Chicken Manchurian, an Indian-Chinese dish, I was instantly hooked! The spicy and delicious chicken paired with steamy white rice had my mouth watering every time I thought about it.
I decided to try and cook Manchurian Chicken at home. Most restaurants deep fry the chicken; I baked it instead. I just had to know if this indo chinese recipe would work and work well.
Boy oh boy did it ever. After a few tweaks, we've been making it this way ever since.
Chicken Manchuria
This was inspired by my Orange Chicken and Chop Suey recipe, and pairs well with this Homemade Chicken Fried Rice or our Red Rice recipe.
Ingredients
This ingredients list may seem long but don't worry! You may already have most of them at home. If not, you'll find them all at your local grocery store.
Chicken
- ground chicken
- garlic powder
- ginger powder
- dark soy sauce
- all purpose flour
- panko bread crumbs
- cornstarch
- large egg
- salt
- red pepper flakes
- green onions
Manchurian Sauce
- canola oil
- garlic cloves
- ginger
- red bell pepper
- red chili paste
- white onion
- green onion
- dark soy sauce
- tomato paste
- rice wine
- vegetable stock
- cornstarch
- water
- fresh cracked black pepper
See the recipe card below for exact quantities.
How to make Manchurian Chicken
Like most Indian-Chinese recipes, this recipe is also very simple and easy to make!
Step 1: Prep
Preheat the oven and lightly spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
Step 2: Mix the Chicken
Combine all the ingredients for the chicken in a large mixing bowl. Scoop out the chicken and turn it into golf ball-sized balls. Place the chicken balls onto the prepared baking sheet.
Step 3: Bake the Chicken
Place the baking sheet into the oven on the center rack and bake. Stop to turn the chicken halfway through cooking time.
Step 4: Prepare Manchurian Gravy or Sauce
Purée the sauce ingredients inside a blender or a food processor. Simmer the sauce in a pan and add the cornstarch slurry.
Step 5: Mix Chicken and Sauce
Toss chicken in the sauce. Garnish with green onions and enjoy!
Hint: You can prepare the sauce and chicken beforehand. When you are ready to serve the Chicken Manchuria toss the chicken in the sauce and serve.
Substitutions
Don't have the correct ingredients on hand or want to change something up? Here are some helpful tips for you to change this Chicken Manchuria recipe.
- Meat - Use ground turkey, ground pork, ground sausage, or a combination of ground meats instead
- Dark Soy Sauce - Use light soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, double black soy sauce, or, for this recipe specifically, to replace ¼ cup of dark soy sauce use 10 teaspoon regular soy sauce, 2 ½ teaspoons molasses and 1 teaspoon sugar
- Bread Crumbs - Use regular bread crumbs instead of Panko.
- Green Onions - Spring onions will work in a pinch
- Red Chili Paste - Use ketchup with some cayenne pepper, red chili flakes or ground jalapeno peppers instead
- Rice Wine - Dry sherry, white wine, dry vermouth or if prefer non alcolic substitute use white grape juice
- Canola Oil - Use another vegetable oil or peanut oil instead
Variations
Want to personalize this Chicken Manchurian recipe? Here are some of my tried and true tips for changing up this Chicken Manchuria recipe.
- Vegetarian - Replace meat with a plant based alternatives like paneer or firm tofu
- Spice - Add more red chili flakes, hot peppers or hot sauce to the Manchurian sauce.
- Hot Oil - Lightly fry red chili flakes in oil creating "hot oil". Garnish with hot oil for more heat.
- Chicken - Use cubed chicken breast or thigh meat
- Deep fry - Deep fry the chicken just like the restaurants do!
- Pan fry - Put some oil in a pan, making sure oil is hot, and stir fry your chicken pieces
- Sesame Seeds - Garnish with white or black sesame seeds instead of green onions.
- Side Dish - Best served with white rice, noodles, chow Mein or fried rice.
Equipment
You only need five basic pieces of kitchen equipment to make this delicious recipe.
- Mixing bowl
- Spoon or Ice cream scoop
- Baking sheet
- Blender or food processor
- Saucepan
Storage
Allow Manchurian Chicken cool to room temperature. Place the chicken inside an air-tight container. Store in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. You may also freeze for up to 3 months.
Tips
Here are some tips for making the perfect Manchurian Chicken
- You may cook the sauce and chicken well before it's time to eat. Heat the sauce and toss in the chicken right before dinner time.
- Manchurian Chicken is served best with rice or noodles.
FAQ
Do you have questions about Manchurian Chicken? Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about Chicken Manchurian.
Reheat Manchurian Chicken inside a pan on low-medium heat. Cover the pan with a lid. Microwaving will make the chicken soggy.
Let the Chicken Manchuria cool down to room temperature. Place it inside an air-tight container and freeze for up to 4 months.
Chicken Manchurian is traditionally served with steamed white rice. You may eat it with fried rice or noodles.
More Asian Chicken Recipes
Do you like Chicken recipes from Asia? Chinese? Japanese? Here are a few recipes I am sure you will love!
- Healthy Chicken Stir Fry
- Chinese Honey Chicken Drumsticks
- Teriyaki Chicken Drumsticks
- Yakisoba
- Ramen Chicken Noodle Soup
- Chicken Stir Fry
Manchurian Chicken
Ready to get cooking? Remember that you can print this recipe if you would like.
Manchurian Chicken
Equipment
- Ice cream scoop or Spoon
- food processor or Blender
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ginger powder or groud ginger
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 large egg whisked
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup green onions diced
Manchurian Sauce
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 ”ginger roughly chopped
- 1 red bell pepper roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon red chili paste
- ½ white onion roughly chopped
- 2 stalks green onion roughly chopped
- ¼ cup dark soy sauce
- 3 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon rice wine
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch + 2 tablespoon water whisked
- 1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
Instructions
- Get out and measure your ingredients.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Lightly spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. You may also use parchment paper or foil.
- Place ground chicken in a large mixing bowl.
- Add garlic powder, ginger powder, dark soy sauce, all purpose flour, panko bread crumbs, cornstarch, egg, salt, red pepper flakes and green onions.
- Mix until blended.
- Use an ice cream scoop to scoop uniform-sized balls of the chicken. If you do not have one, use a spoon and roll between your hands to form golfball sized pieces.
- Place completed chicken balls onto the baking sheet as you work.
- Place the baking sheet into the oven on the center rack and bake for 25 minutes. Stop to turn the chicken ½ way through cooking time.
- Meanwhile, prepare the manchurian sauce. Combine garlic cloves and green onion.
- Add white onion, ginger, bell pepper, red chili paste, and canola oil in a food processor or blender and purée.
- Once broken down into small pieces, pour in the soy sauce, tomato paste, rice wine, vegetable stock, and pepper. Puree for 45-60 seconds.
- Next, pour into a sauce pan and whisk. Place over medium heat until the sauce starts to simmer, then lower the heat. Simmer for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, stir in the cornstarch slurry. Let thicken for 5 minutes then turn off the heat.
- Toss chicken in the sauce.
- Garnish with green onions.
- Serve with rice, noodles or salad!
- Enjoy every bite!
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