🍗 Crispy Thai-Inspired Chicken with Mozzarella

Serves: 3–4
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20–25 minutes
Total: About 45 minutes

Ingredients

For the crispy chicken

• 500 g boneless chicken breast or thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
• ½ cup cornflour/cornstarch
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• Oil, for frying

For the Thai-inspired sauce

• 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• ½–1 teaspoon red chili flakes, according to taste

For the stir-fry

• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 1 bell pepper, sliced
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• ½ cup carrots, thinly sliced
• 2–3 spring onions, chopped
• ½ cup shredded mozzarella
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• Fresh coriander/cilantro, optional
• Lime wedges, for serving

Step 1 — Prepare the chicken

Place the bite-sized chicken pieces in a large bowl.

Add:

• salt
• black pepper
• garlic powder
• paprika
• egg

Mix thoroughly until every piece of chicken is coated.

In a separate bowl, combine the cornstarch and flour.

Take each piece of chicken and coat it generously in the flour mixture. Press the coating onto the chicken with your fingers so you get a rough, textured surface. This texture is what gives the chicken its extra-crispy exterior.

Step 2 — Make the Thai-style sauce

In a small bowl, combine:

• sweet chili sauce
• soy sauce
• oyster sauce
• honey
• lime juice
• sesame oil
• minced garlic
• ginger
• chili flakes

Mix until smooth.

Taste the sauce. If you want it sweeter, add a little honey. For more heat, add chili flakes. For extra tanginess, add another squeeze of lime.

Set it aside.

Step 3 — Make the chicken crispy

Heat about 1–2 cm of oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.

Once the oil is hot, carefully add the coated chicken pieces. Don’t overcrowd the pan; cook in batches if necessary.

Fry for approximately 3–4 minutes per side, depending on the size of your chicken pieces.

The outside should become deep golden brown and crunchy, while the inside should be completely cooked.

Transfer the chicken to a plate lined with paper towels or a wire rack.

Tip: A wire rack keeps the bottom crispy better than paper towels because steam can make fried chicken softer.

Step 4 — Stir-fry the vegetables

Clean the frying pan and place it over medium-high heat.

Add 1 tablespoon of oil.

Add the sliced onion, bell pepper, broccoli, and carrots.

Stir-fry for approximately 3–5 minutes.

You want the vegetables to become slightly tender while remaining colorful and crunchy. Don’t cook them until they’re completely soft.

Add the spring onions near the end.

Step 5 — Add the sauce

Pour your prepared Thai-inspired sauce over the vegetables.

Stir continuously for about 1–2 minutes.

The honey and sweet chili sauce will begin to caramelize slightly, creating a glossy coating around the vegetables.

Step 6 — Add the crispy chicken

Return the crispy chicken to the pan.

Toss everything together gently so the sauce coats the chicken.

Don’t cook for too long at this stage—about 1 minute is enough. Overcooking can cause the crispy coating to absorb too much sauce and become soft.

For the crispiest result, you can also leave some chicken pieces on top rather than mixing every piece completely into the sauce.

Step 7 — Add the mozzarella 🧀

Now comes the fun part.

Reduce the heat to low.

Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella evenly over the chicken and vegetables.

Cover the pan with a lid and let it cook for approximately 1–2 minutes, just until the mozzarella melts.

You want the cheese to become gooey and stretchy, without completely disappearing into the sauce.

Step 8 — Finish and garnish

Turn off the heat.

Sprinkle over:

• sesame seeds
• chopped spring onions
• fresh coriander/cilantro, if desired

Add a squeeze of fresh lime juice just before serving.

🍚 How to serve it

This chicken is especially good with:

• steamed jasmine rice
• coconut rice
• egg fried rice
• noodles
• Thai-style cucumber salad

For a restaurant-style presentation, put the rice on one side of a plate and pile the crispy, cheesy chicken beside it. Finish with sesame seeds, spring onions, coriander, and a lime wedge.

🔥 For EXTRA crispy chicken

The most important tricks are:

1. Use cornstarch in the coating—it creates a lighter, crunchier crust.
2. Don’t overcrowd the frying pan.
3. Make sure the oil is properly hot before frying.
4. Drain the chicken on a wire rack if possible.
5. Add the sauce shortly before serving.
6. Add mozzarella at the very end so the crispy coating doesn’t have time to become soggy.

Flavor profile: 🌶️ sweet + spicy + tangy + savory, with crispy chicken and creamy melted mozzarella.