If there is one dish that defines Indo-Chinese cuisine, it is this chicken manchurian recipe. Crispy golden chicken pieces — coated in a light cornstarch batter and fried until crunchy — are tossed in a glossy, savory manchurian sauce made with soy sauce, garlic, vinegar, and spring onions. It tastes exactly like the restaurant-style chicken manchurian from your favorite Chinese takeout, but it is ready in about 35 minutes at home. Best of all, this recipe gives you both the dry version (appetizer style) and the gravy version (to pour over fried rice) so you never have to choose.
Why You’ll Love This Chicken Manchurian
- Crispier than takeout — the cornstarch coating stays crunchy even after tossing in sauce, thanks to the double-fry and sauce-first technique below.
- Restaurant-style glossy sauce — soy, garlic, and a cornstarch slurry give that shiny, clinging manchurian sauce you get at Indo-Chinese restaurants.
- Dry + gravy in one recipe — serve it dry as an appetizer or with extra chicken stock as a saucy gravy over egg fried rice.
- 35 minutes, one wok — faster than delivery, and you control the salt and oil.
Chicken Manchurian Ingredients
For the Crispy Chicken Coating
- 1½ lbs (700g) boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (maida)
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Oil, for deep frying
For the Manchurian Sauce
- 2 tablespoons oil (use the same wok)
- 1 tablespoon garlic, finely minced (about 5–6 cloves — don’t be shy)
- 1 tablespoon ginger, finely minced
- 2–3 green chilies, slit or chopped (adjust to taste)
- 4–5 spring onions, white and green parts separated and chopped
- 1 medium capsicum (green bell pepper), cut into 1-inch squares
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce (optional but recommended for restaurant depth)
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup chicken stock (for the gravy version — skip for dry)
For the Cornstarch Slurry (Sauce Thickener)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons cold water — stir until completely smooth, no lumps
For Garnish
- Reserved spring onion greens, chopped
- Sesame seeds (optional)
How to Make Chicken Manchurian
Step 1: Coat the Chicken
Pat the chicken cubes dry with paper towels — dry chicken means a crispier coating. In a bowl, whisk the cornstarch, flour, beaten egg, soy sauce, black pepper, garlic, and salt into a thick batter. Add the chicken and toss until every piece is evenly coated. Let it rest for 10 minutes so the coating adheres properly.
Step 2: Fry Until Golden and Crispy
Heat 2–3 inches of oil in a wok or deep pan to 350°F (175°C). Fry the chicken in small batches for 4–5 minutes per batch, turning once, until deep golden and crunchy. Don’t crowd the pan — crowding drops the oil temperature and makes the coating soggy. Drain on a wire rack (not paper towels — a rack keeps the bottoms crisp). For extra crunch, do a quick second fry of 1 minute at 375°F (190°C).
Step 3: Build the Aromatic Base
Pour off the frying oil and wipe the wok clean. Heat 2 tablespoons of fresh oil over high heat until shimmering. Add the garlic, ginger, and green chilies and stir-fry for 30–40 seconds until fragrant but not browned. Add the spring onion whites and capsicum squares; toss for 1–2 minutes so the capsicum stays bright and slightly crunchy.
Step 4: Make the Glossy Manchurian Sauce
Stir in the soy sauce, oyster sauce, vinegar, sugar, and black pepper. If making the gravy version, pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. For the dry version, skip the stock and add just 2–3 tablespoons of water. Give the cornstarch slurry a quick re-stir (it settles fast), then drizzle it in while stirring constantly. Within 30–60 seconds the sauce will turn thick and glossy — it should coat a spoon. Taste and adjust: more soy for saltiness, a pinch more sugar if too sharp.
Step 5: Toss the Chicken in Sauce
Add the fried chicken pieces to the wok and toss vigorously for 1–2 minutes so every piece gets lacquered in sauce. Work fast — the longer the chicken sits in the sauce, the softer the coating gets. This is the secret to chicken manchurian that stays crispy.
Step 6: Garnish and Serve Hot
Transfer to a serving bowl immediately. Shower with spring onion greens and sesame seeds if using. Serve right away while the coating is still crunchy — chicken manchurian waits for no one.
Tips for the Best Chicken Manchurian
- Dry chicken = crispy coating. Pat the chicken completely dry before battering; surface moisture is the number one cause of soggy manchurian.
- Don’t skip the double fry. The first fry cooks the chicken through; a 1-minute second fry at higher heat sets the cornstarch shell so it stays crunchy under sauce.
- Re-stir the slurry every time. Cornstarch settles in seconds — if you pour it in without stirring, you get lumps instead of gloss.
- Sauce before chicken, always. Build and thicken the sauce fully first, then toss the chicken in at the very end. Adding chicken to a thin sauce = soggy chicken.
- High heat for the aromatics. Garlic, ginger, and spring onions should hit a properly hot wok so they turn fragrant without burning — that’s the wok hei (breath of the wok) flavor of real Indo-Chinese food.
- Vinegar goes in with the sauce, not earlier. Adding it with the soy lets its sharpness mellow into the balance instead of tasting raw.
Dry vs Gravy: Which Chicken Manchurian Should You Make?
- Chicken manchurian dry (no stock, just a slick of sauce): serve as an appetizer or party snack with toothpicks. The coating stays at maximum crunch.
- Chicken manchurian with gravy (1 cup chicken stock): the classic takeout version — pour it generously over egg fried rice or hakka noodles so the rice soaks up the savory sauce. This is the version most Indo-Chinese restaurants serve as a main course.
What to Serve with Chicken Manchurian
The classic pairing is egg fried rice — the savory manchurian gravy melting into fried rice is the iconic Indo-Chinese plate. It is equally good over hakka noodles, veg fried rice, or plain steamed basmati rice. For a full takeout-style spread, add spring rolls or a hot and sour soup on the side. Dry manchurian needs nothing more than extra spring onion greens and maybe a drizzle of chili oil.
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerator: Store the chicken and any leftover sauce in an airtight container for up to 3 days. If possible, store the fried chicken and sauce separately so the coating stays crisp.
- Freezer: Freeze the fried (unsauced) chicken pieces for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge, then re-crisp in a hot oven or air fryer at 400°F (200°C) for 6–8 minutes before tossing in freshly made sauce.
- Reheating: Warm the sauce in a wok until bubbling, then toss in the chicken for 1–2 minutes. If the chicken was stored already sauced, reheat in a hot oven at 425°F (220°C) for 8–10 minutes to firm the coating back up — the microwave will make it soggy, so avoid it.
Chicken Manchurian FAQs
What is chicken manchurian?
Chicken manchurian is an Indo-Chinese dish of crispy fried chicken pieces tossed in a glossy sauce of soy sauce, garlic, ginger, vinegar, and spring onions. It was invented in India and is a staple of Indian-Chinese restaurant menus.
How do I keep chicken manchurian crispy after adding sauce?
Three things: double-fry the chicken, thicken the sauce fully before the chicken goes in, and toss the chicken in the sauce for just 1–2 minutes right before serving. Serve immediately.
What is the difference between chicken manchurian dry and with gravy?
The dry version uses only a thin coating of sauce and is served as an appetizer; the gravy version adds chicken stock (about 1 cup) to make a pourable sauce meant to go over fried rice or noodles.
Can I make chicken manchurian without oyster sauce?
Yes — the recipe works fine with just soy sauce. Oyster sauce adds a deeper, slightly sweet umami that mimics restaurant flavor, but it is optional, not essential.
Can I air-fry the chicken instead of deep frying?
Yes. Spray the coated chicken pieces with oil and air-fry at 400°F (200°C) for 12–14 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden and crisp. The coating won’t be quite as glassy-crisp as deep-fried, but it is much lighter and still delicious.
Chicken Manchurian (Dry & Gravy)
Ingredients
Method
- Pat the chicken cubes dry with paper towels — dry chicken means a crispier coating. In a bowl, whisk the cornstarch, flour, beaten egg, soy sauce, black pepper, garlic, and salt into a thick batter. Add the chicken and toss until every piece is evenly coated. Let it rest for 10 minutes so the coating adheres properly.
- Heat 2–3 inches of oil in a wok or deep pan to 350°F (175°C). Fry the chicken in small batches for 4–5 minutes per batch, turning once, until deep golden and crunchy. Don’t crowd the pan — crowding drops the oil temperature and makes the coating soggy. Drain on a wire rack (not paper towels — a rack keeps the bottoms crisp). For extra crunch, do a quick second fry of 1 minute at 375°F (190°C).
- Pour off the frying oil and wipe the wok clean. Heat 2 tablespoons of fresh oil over high heat until shimmering. Add the garlic, ginger, and green chilies and stir-fry for 30–40 seconds until fragrant but not browned. Add the spring onion whites and capsicum squares; toss for 1–2 minutes so the capsicum stays bright and slightly crunchy.
- Stir in the soy sauce, oyster sauce, vinegar, sugar, and black pepper. If making the gravy version, pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. For the dry version, skip the stock and add just 2–3 tablespoons of water. Give the cornstarch slurry a quick re-stir (it settles fast), then drizzle it in while stirring constantly. Within 30–60 seconds the sauce will turn thick and glossy — it should coat a spoon. Taste and adjust: more soy for saltiness, a pinch more sugar if too sharp.
- Add the fried chicken pieces to the wok and toss vigorously for 1–2 minutes so every piece gets lacquered in sauce. Work fast — the longer the chicken sits in the sauce, the softer the coating gets. This is the secret to chicken manchurian that stays crispy.
- Transfer to a serving bowl immediately. Shower with spring onion greens and sesame seeds if using. Serve right away while the coating is still crunchy — chicken manchurian waits for no one.
Notes
