Easy Chicken Manchurian Recipe (2024)

Published: Aug 2, 2023 · Modified: Aug 29, 2023 by Anna Bay · Leave a Comment

This Chicken Manchurian recipe is made with tender pieces of stir-fried chicken coated in a satisfyingly sweet and sour sticky sauce made with tomato soy, ginger, garlic and vinegar.

An Indo-Chinese dish believed to be first created by Nelson Wang, a third-generation Chinese chef in India, it brings together Chinese cuisine with Indian techniques, and while it is not a traditional Chinese dish, it is commonly found in many Pakistani and Indian restaurants.

In this recipe, I'll guide you through the step-by-step process of making Chicken Manchurian with rice, along with some helpful tips and optional add-ins to customise the dish according to your preferences.

What you'll enjoy about this version of Chicken Manchurian

This version is a lighter and healthier version of traditional Chicken Manchurian. Instead of deep frying, we will stir fry the chicken, first marinating it in a mixture of corn flour, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine and egg, so the chicken will have a golden crispy fried texture without being deep fried. We also skip the chili to make it suitable for the whole family. AND you can whip this up in 30 minutes.

This sweet-and-sour recipe is perfect for fans of red capsicum (bell peppers), because it brings out the acidity in this vegetable. If you like sweet-and-sour recipes like this one, you should also try my Sweet and Sour Pork with Fresh Peaches, which is perfect for making in Summer when peaches are plentiful. You can also try my Thai Larb Gai, it is full of lime juice and a hint of brown sugar for that sweet and sour flavour.

Here are the ingredients you'll need for this Easy Chicken Manchurian

Chicken

• 500 g Chicken breasts or other boneless chicken
• 1 tablespoon Light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (Chinese cooking wine)
• 1 Egg
• 2 tablespoon Corn flour

Manchurian sauce ingredients

• 2 tablespoon Corn flour
• 1 tablespoon Rice wine vinegar
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 1 tablespoon Fresh ginger (piece)
• 1 tablespoon Dark soy sauce
• 60 g Tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon Brown sugar

Stir fry ingredients

• ½ bunch Green onion (scallion or spring onions)
• 1 Red capsicum (red pepper)
• 30 ml Vegetable oil
• 1 bunch Pak choi
• 1 tablespoon Fresh ginger (piece)
• 2 cloves Garlic

To serve

• 450 g Jasmine rice (microwave)
• ¼ bunch Coriander (cilantro)

Substitutions for Chicken Manchurian

If you need to make some ingredient substitutions, here are a few options:

• Green onion (scallion) or spring onions: You can use regular onions or shallots instead.
• Red capsicum (red pepper): Feel free to use any bell pepper of your choice, or carrots or tomatoes.
• Jasmine rice: Basmati rice or any long-grain rice can be used as an alternative.
• Rice wine vinegar: You can substitute with apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar.
• Shoaxing wine: Dry sherry is a suitable replacement.
• Tomato paste: Tomato sauce or tomato ketchup can be used in place of tomato paste.
• Soy sauce: you can replace light soy sauce with tamari, and dark soy sauce with a mixture of tamari and brown sugar.

How to Make Chicken Manchurian

1. Start by finely slicing the whites of the green onions (spring onions) and cutting the green part into 2 cm pieces. Peel and grate the ginger, and mince the garlic.
2. In a bowl, mix half of the grated ginger and minced garlic with the egg, Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, and cornflour. Dice the chicken into 2 cm pieces, add chicken cubes to the bowl, mix well, and set it aside to marinate.
3. In a small bowl, create a slurry by mixing equal parts of cornflour and water. In another bowl, combine rice wine vinegar, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, tomato paste, brown sugar, and a cup water or chicken stock. Set both mixtures aside.
4. Slice the red capsicum and pak choi on a different board.
5. Place a wok or frying pan over high heat and add vegetable oil. Add the marinated chicken in a single layer and cook for 1-2 minutes without stirring. Turn the chicken pieces and continue cooking until they are golden brown and cooked through for about 2-3 minutes. Transfer the crispy chicken to a plate.
6. If needed, add more vegetable oil to the wok or pan, and stir fry the whites of the green onions (spring onions), remaining ginger, minced garlic, and sliced capsicum until they become soft.
7. To make the Manchurian sauce, add the prepared sauce mixture to the wok, and once the sauce starts bubbling, stir in the cornflour slurry. Continue stirring until the sauce thickens, which should take around 1 minute.
8. Return the cooked chicken to the wok and add the pak choi and the green parts of the green onions (spring onions). Meanwhile, microwave the jasmine rice following the instructions on the packaging.
9. To serve, place the Chicken Manchurian over the jasmine rice and garnish with coriander leaves.

Optional Add-ins and variations on Chicken Manchurian

You can customise your Chicken Manchurian by adding the following optional ingredients:

• Vegetables - Sliced mushrooms, diced carrots, sliced green bell peppers
• Spice -Black pepper orchili flakes to the sauce to make chilli garlic sauce.
• For a healthier option, you can bake the marinated chicken or use an air fryer to cook the chicken instead of frying it.
• If you want to deep-fry the chicken, fry in cooking oil and place it on paper towels
• If you prefer a vegetarian version, you can replace the chicken with paneer (Indian cottage cheese, here's a recipe) to create Paneer Manchurian or use cauliflower florets to make Gobi Manchurian.

Kid-Friendly Options

• If you're preparing this dish for kids, consider reducing the amount of ginger and garlic in the Manchurian sauce.
• Do not add chili.
• Additionally, you can add some honey to the sauce to enhance its sweetness.
• You can also reserve plain sliced capsicum, cooked chicken and rice and serve your child these plain.

Equipment Needed to Make Chicken Manchurian

To make this Chicken Manchurian recipe, you'll need the following kitchen equipment:

• Wok or frying pan
• Bowls for marinating the chicken and preparing the sauce
• Cutting board and knife for slicing the vegetables and chicken

With all these tips and information, you're ready to create a mouthwatering Chicken Manchurian dish that will delight your taste buds and impress your family and friends. Enjoy this delectable Indo-Chinese fusion with fluffy jasmine rice for a complete and satisfying meal!

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