Thai-Style Fried Chicken Wings with Lemongrass
Fried Chicken Wings with Lemongrass and Kaffir Lime Leaves is a dish that is made for celebrations. It’s fragrant and so enjoyable with tender, juicy chicken and crispy kaffir lime leaves, the occasional fresh taste of onions and a spicy kick from the chillies.
This recipe serves 4 to 5 adults with a serving of rice.
Ingredients
Chicken Wings – the main star of this dish. It only takes 16 minutes to fry (8 minutes on each side) and is super tender and juicy. If wings are not available, drumsticks or thighs can be used as well – just note that they may need a longer cooking time, depending on the size. Chicken breast is not recommended as they tend to turn out overcooked and dry after deep-frying.
Salt, to season the chicken wings.
An egg, which gives liquid and a light flavour to the crispy flour batter, without introducing more moisture to the chicken wings.
Homemade Crispy Flour, which can be substituted with any tempura flour as well. It helps absorb excess moisture from the chicken wings’ skin, making it very crispy and golden brown.
Lemongrass, sliced very thinly and fine, before thoroughly pounded with a pestle and mortar. Pounding it breaks the fibres, which makes it very crispy to chew on (but be careful when swallowing them – they are still quite rough and can cause irritation!) It gives off a very fragrant, herbal aroma and infuses the cooking oil with its flavours, which gets carried over to the fried chicken wings as well.
Kaffir Lime Leaves are also another fragrant herb that is infused into the cooking oil. Unlike lemongrass, it’s perfectly safe to eat. Once fried, it becomes very crispy; just like a potato chip. If it is not available, feel free to omit it as no other leaf can replace it.
Red Chilli adds an interesting visual and a bright red colour to the otherwise brown and green Deep Fried Chicken Wings dish. It also adds a nice, spicy kick to enjoy in between bites – if you choose to enjoy it.
Red Onion gives a fresh taste to the fried chicken wings in between bites – should you decide to take the plunge. It also adds a nice shade of purple and white to the dish.
Unscented cooking oil is added to deep-fry the lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and chicken wings. It is infused with flavours from the herbs before cooking the chicken wings for added fragrance.
Steps
Here are the brief steps to make Thai Fried Chicken Wings with Lemongrass:
- Marinate the chicken wings with salt.
- Marinate the chicken wings with the egg and crispy flour. Set aside.
- Cut the chilli into strips.
- Slice the onions thinly.
- Cut the Kaffir Lime Leaves into half.
- Cut the lemongrass into 3 and into thin strips.
- Pound the lemongrass for 2-3 minutes.
- Mix some water and flour with the lemongrass.
- Heat the oil in a pan, until bubbles form at the tips of cooking wooden chopsticks.
- Fry the Kaffir Lime Leaves until very crispy. Remove from the oil and place on a cooling rack.
- Fry the lemongrass until golden brown and crispy. Remove from the oil and place on a cooling rack.
- Fry the chicken wings for 8 minutes on one side.
- Turn the chicken wings and cook for another 8 minutes.
- Let the chicken wings rest on the cooling rack.
- Sprinkle half of the fried lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and cut chilli and onions over the serving plate.
- Arrange the chicken wings and sprinkle the rest of the herbs.
Tips
- Rub the chicken wings with salt twice for even marination.
- Ensure the kaffir lime leaves are fully dry before adding them to the hot oil to prevent oil splashes.
- Thinly slice and thoroughly smash the lemongrass to weaken the fibres.
- The oil is hot enough once bubbles form at the tip of inserted cooking wooden chopsticks.
- Cook the chicken wings in batches if the pan is not wide enough.
- Do not turn the chicken wings once they are submerged in the oil until they are fully cooked at the bottom.
- The nutritional value does not include the serving of rice.
- Watch the video to see how I made it exactly!
Storage Instructions
As with all types of fried dishes – I do not recommend refrigerating nor freezing these Deep Fried Chicken Wings. Once it has been exposed for a while, the exterior will get quite hard and tough. Additionally, as the red onions are fresh and raw, leaving them exposed and consuming them afterwards may cause bloating and a stomach upset.
So instead, I recommend marinating the chicken wings at most, until overnight in an airtight container (or in clingwrap) refrigerated; and only cutting the herbs when you are about to make this dish.
Serve with some fragrant Jasmine rice for the ultimate Thai meal.
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Thai-Style Fried Chicken Wings with Lemongrass
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Stainless Steel Pan
- Cooling Rack
- Large strainer
- Wooden Chopsticks
- Food Tongs
Ingredients
- 1/2 tbsp salt
- 8 pieces chicken wings, large
- 40 g crispy flour, homemade, substitute with tempura flour
- 25 g crispy flour, homemade, optional. Substitute with tempura flour
- 1 red chilli, cut into strips
- 1 red onion, small, peeled & sliced
- 10 g Kaffir Lime Leaves, cut into half, omit if not available
- 4 stalks lemongrass, large, cut into 3 and sliced into long, thin strips
- 25 ml water
- 1 kg cooking oil, deep frying
Instructions
- Rub the chicken wings with 1/4 tbsp of salt to marinate. Rub another 1/4 tbsp of salt into the chicken wings.
- Break the egg into the mixing bowl and rub it evenly. Add 25g of crispy flour and coat the wings evenly as well.
- If the consistency is too runny, add another 25g of flour to thicken it. Leave the wings aside for 10 to 15 minutes to marinate.
- Cut the Kaffir Lime Leaves into half and set aside.
- Cut the lemongrass into threes. Slice the lemongrass thinly and add them into the mortar.
- Pound the lemongrass for about 2-3 minutes, or until they are thoroughly smashed and very fragrant. Remove them from the mortar and toss them with 15g of crispy flour and 25ml of water. Set aside.
- Pour all the cooking oil into a stainless steel pan over medium high heat. Wait for about 8 minutes, or until an inserted wooden cooking chopsticks forms bubbles in the oil.
- Add all the Kaffir lime leaves into the hot oil. Fry them for 2 minutes, or until they become very crispy. Remove them with a strainer, and set them aside on a cooling rack to drip off excess oil.
- Add all the lemongrass and fry for 2 minutes, or until crispy and golden brown. Remove them all with a strainer, shaking off excess oil and set aside to drip.
- Carefully add the chicken wings into the oil until fully submerged. Cook them for about 8 minutes, or until fully cooked at the bottom.
- Turn the wings to the other side and cook for 8 minutes.
- Remove them from the oil and place on the cooling rack as well. Let it rest on the cooling rack to drip off the excess oil.
- Meanwhile, sprinkle the serving plate with Kaffir lime leaves, red onions and red chillies. Then, place the fried chicken on the serving plate, and serve with white rice.
Video
Notes
- Rub the chicken wings with salt twice for even marination.
- Ensure the kaffir lime leaves are fully dry before adding them to the hot oil to prevent oil splashes.
- Thinly slice and thoroughly smash the lemongrass to weaken the fibres.
- The oil is hot enough once bubbles form at the tip of inserted cooking wooden chopsticks.
- Cook the chicken wings in batches if the pan is not wide enough.
- Do not turn the chicken wings once they are submerged in the oil until they are fully cooked at the bottom.
- As with all fried dishes, it’s best enjoyed immediately after cooking. Refrigeration and freezing are not recommended for this recipe.
- The nutritional value does not include the serving of rice.
- Watch the video to see how I made it exactly!