Easiest Chicken Fry recipe for Beginners | Chicken Fry recipe for Bachelors

Chicken Fry Recipe for Beginners is an easy and simple chicken dry dish. It can be served as a yummy starter or appetizer and also goes well with steamed white rice and rasam or sambar.

Chicken Fry is a traditional chicken dry dish that belongs to the Indian subcontinent. Most of you will be having a staple chicken fry recipe in your household. Say any party, function, cocktail party, buffet, or thali without chicken fry is an incomplete one for non-veg lovers.

Spicy chicken fry has always been a favorite for all non-vegetarians in South India. Depending on the region, there are probably thousands of different variations of chicken fry recipes.

chicken fry recipe for beginners

About Chicken Fry recipe for Beginners

The chicken fry recipe for beginners involves marinating the chicken pieces with curd, ginger-garlic paste, Indian spices, and chopped onions and then sauteed with onions in a pan till the gravy dries up.

This chicken fry recipe is simple to make with pantry ingredients and does not need any fancy ingredients.

I shared a recipe for dry chicken fry a while back that is made with freshly ground masala powder.

As this chicken fry recipe is for beginners and bachelors, freshly ground masala powder is replaced with readymade spice powders. These store-bought spice powders help you quickly whip up any Indian dish, both vegetarian or non-vegetarian at home.

On the whole, it’s a very simple dish but the only time spent is for marinating the chicken which you can do a day ahead and refrigerate. The chicken gets ready in under 30 minutes once you place it on heat.

This chicken fry dish gets a vibrant red color from the use of Everest brand red chili powder and Kashmiri red chili powder.

The recipe is not too spicy which makes it suitable for people of all ages. If you are like me and feel a non-vegetarian dish is no good unless it has heat, feel free to increase red chili powder or add ground black pepper powder, and/or green chilies too.

This recipe comes in handy if you have sudden guests or a get-together plan on short notice and you do not have much time to collect the ingredients to prepare something exotic.

Reasons to make

Straightforward recipe.

Thick and medium-spicy masala is finger-licking delicious.

A great option for parties as a starter.

Can be made dry as well as semi-gravy.

Basic pantry ingredients.

Fuss-free.

No grinding.

Burst of flavors.

Can easily double or triple the recipe if making it for a crowd.

marinated chicken fry recipe

Pro Tips

While this basic Indian-style chicken fry recipe is one of the most simple recipes anyone can make, there are a few tips that should be followed for the best taste.

1. Clean and rinse the chicken without any blood particles and then drain the chicken to remove the water completely. If there is water, the marination will not stick tightly to the pieces.

2. Mix everything well with your hand. That way each chicken piece will be coated well with the spices.

3. Do not skip marinating the chicken. Let it sit in the fridge overnight. The longer you marinate, the better the spices are absorbed by the chicken. You might have read about the benefits of marination in several cookbooks and TV shows. It will tenderize the meat and reduce the cooking time and also makes the chicken tender and juicy when cooked. If short on time, marinate for at least an hour.

4. If marinating the chicken overnight, remove the chicken from the refrigerator for about 30 minutes or until it comes to room temperature before cooking.

5. The quantity of onion in chicken fry is very less. For more masala to pair the dish with Indian flatbread, increase the number of onions.

6. I strongly recommend a pan with a tight-fitting lid.

7. While cooking a chicken dry dish, you do not have to add any water. Chicken oozes out a lot of water which is sufficient to cook in it.

8. Carry out the entire cooking process on low-medium flame.

9. To get moist and succulent chicken, saute the chicken just until it is done. Do not over-fry the chicken, the meat will get dry.

Ingredients

Chicken: For this recipe, I have used chicken on the bone with little fat. Because the juices in the bones impart flavor to the dish. Also, you can choose to use only legs (drumsticks) but the cooking time can vary.

If you do not prefer a bone-in chicken, then you can use boneless breasts or thighs cut into small pieces. Also, boneless chicken tastes best if you are making the dish as an appetizer to alcoholic drinks.

Oil: I have used neutral flavor oil. You can use any oil of your preference. For a smoky flavor, use mustard oil.

Cumin: It is a great spice for adding depth of flavor to several Indian dishes – stir fry, semi-gravy, and curry. I feel that cumin should not be left out.

Onions: It forms the base and the caramelized onions add a unique flavor.

Herbs: Curry leaves and coriander leaves. The most commonly used South Indian herbs and the flavor perks up any dish.

Garam masala: The blend of whole spices adds flavor and a punch of heat.

Marination

Curd: It is one of the key ingredients while marinating the chicken. It binds all the spices and makes the marination cling well to the chicken.

Lemon juice: Elevates the taste of the marinade.

Spices: turmeric powder, red chili powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, coriander powder, and chicken masala.

Ginger-garlic paste: It is a main flavoring ingredient for all non-veg dishes. Use any brand of ginger-garlic paste.

Seasoning: Salt.

bachelor chicken fry recipe

How to make Chicken Fry (step by step)

Marinating the Chicken

1. In a wide and deep bowl, add all the ingredients listed below.

500 grams Chicken (bone-in or boneless)
3 tbsp Curd (thick)
1/2 Lemon
1 tbsp Ginger-garlic paste
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
1-2 tsp Red chili powder
1 tbsp Kashmiri red chili powder
1/2 tbsp Coriander powder
1-2 tsp Chicken masala powder (any good brand)
Salt to taste

2. Mix everything well with a clean hand so that the marination mixes well with the chicken. Leave it to marinate for a few hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

If you are in a hurry, marinate for at least 30-60 minutes.

3. Heat a heavy bottom pan or non-stick pan over medium flame. When hot, add cumin and let them crackle.

4. Add 1 small finely chopped onion and saute until they turn a light golden color.

5. Add the marinated chicken and saute over medium flame for about 5 minutes.

6. Cover with a tight lid and cook on a low flame for a good 20-30 minutes stirring in between to avoid masala sticking to the bottom.

The cooking time will depend on the quality and size of the chicken pieces.

7. After 5-10 minutes, open the lid and give a good mix.

Chicken will release water that is enough to cook it in. If the chicken does not release enough moisture, sprinkle some water.

8. Cover the pan and cook for another 5-7 minutes. Repeat the process until the chicken is perfectly cooked and the oil starts oozing out.

If your chicken is matured, the cooking time will increase. Do sprinkle water if the gravy is getting dry and sticking to the pan.

9. Now open the lid and this will be a semi-gravy chicken fry. Taste test and if needed, add more salt and/or spice powders. As this recipe is chicken fry, reduce the liquids further by cooking on medium heat without the lid.

Gently saute the chicken until the moisture is reduced and the chicken is coated well with all the spices.

If you like semi-gravy, add hot water according to the consistency preferred.

10. Add 5-7 curry leaves and saute in the oil which was added and the oil leached from the chicken. If the dish lacks bright red color, add Kashmiri red chili powder and saute for a minute.

The curry leaves give a beautiful aroma and additional taste to chicken fry.

11. It’s time to add 1/2 tsp garam masala, and stir fry for 1-2 minutes. Turn off the heat.

12. Garnish with 2 tbsp coriander leaves and serve hot.

Serving Suggestions

As this chicken fry is a dry chicken dish, serve it as a starter or appetizer with a squeeze of lemon juice on top and along with some thinly sliced onions but it also makes for a good entrée.

Serve as a side dish with your main course meal – steamed rice and sambar, tomato pappu, garlic pepper rasam, or tomato rasam.

This dish also goes well with rice varieties like pulao, biryani, bagara rice, and basmati rice.

Chicken fry made with boneless chicken can be used as a stuffing to make sandwiches, rolls, or burgers.

Storage Suggestions

You can store leftover chicken fry in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 days. Let the chicken cool completely before storing it in the fridge.

Reheat in a microwave or in a pan on the stovetop. While reheating in a pan, sprinkle some water and heat it until hot.

chicken fry recipe

Variations

Now that you know the basic chicken fry recipe, create your own recipe with a different flavor. You can adjust the flavor of the final dish by adding extra ingredients to the marination. Below are a few options:

1. Sauces: tomato sauce and/or sweet and chili sauce is an option for sweet and spicy chicken fry.

2. Hot sauce: add a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce to turn up the heat.

3. You can skip curry leaves and add 1/2 tbsp kasuri methi for a different flavor.

4. Can substitute chicken masala powder with tandoori masala or meat masala.

5. Can reduce red chili powder and add koora karam.

If you’ve tried this Easy Chicken Fry Recipe for Beginners, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! Feedback and suggestions are highly appreciated. Also, please share the recipes with your friends and family members.

You can also follow me on Instagram to see what’s latest in my kitchen!

Recipe Card

Easiest Chicken Fry recipe for Beginners | Chicken Fry recipe for Bachelors

Author: Santosh Allada
A quick and simple chicken fry recipe that gets ready in just 30 minutes after marination. You could serve it as a side dish with a semi-gravy or dry it and serve it as a starter.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Marination 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine Indian, South Indian
Servings 2 people

Ingredients
  

Marination

  • 500 grams Chicken (bone-in or boneless)
  • 3 tbsp Curd (thick)
  • 1/2 medium-size Lemon (squeeze the juice)
  • 1 tbsp Ginger-garlic paste
  • 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
  • 1-2 tsp Red chili powder
  • 1 tbsp Kashmiri red chili powder
  • 1/2 tbsp Coriander powder
  • 1-2 tsp Chicken masala powder (any good brand)
  • Salt to taste

Other Ingredients

  • 3-4 tbsp Oil
  • 1/2 tsp Cumin
  • 1 small Onion (finely chopped)
  • 5-7 numbers Curry leaves
  • 1/2 tsp Garam masala
  • 2 tbsp Coriander leaves

Instructions
 

Marinate the Chicken

  • In a wide and deep bowl, add all the ingredients listed under marination.
  • Mix everything well with a clean hand so that the marination mixes well with the chicken. Leave it to marinate for a few hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

Make the Chicken Fry

  • Heat a heavy bottom pan or non-stick pan over medium flame. When hot, add cumin and let them crackle.
  • Add finely chopped onion and saute until they turn a light golden color.
  • Add the marinated chicken and saute over medium flame for about 5 minutes.
  • Cover with a tight lid and cook on a low flame for a good 20-30 minutes stirring in between to avoid masala sticking to the bottom.
  • After 5-10 minutes, open the lid and give a good mix. Chicken will release water that is enough to cook it in. If the chicken does not release enough moisture, sprinkle some water.
  • Cover the pan and cook for another 5-7 minutes. Repeat the process until the chicken is perfectly cooked and the oil starts oozing out.
  • Now open the lid and this will be a semi-gravy chicken fry. Taste test and if needed, add more salt and/or spice powders. As this recipe is chicken fry, reduce the liquids further by cooking on medium heat without the lid.
  • Gently saute the chicken until the moisture is reduced and the chicken is coated well with all the spices.
  • Add 5-7 curry leaves and saute in the oil which was added and the oil leached from the chicken.
  • It’s time to add garam masala and stir fry for 1-2 minutes. Turn off the heat.
  • Garnish with 2 tbsp coriander leaves and serve hot.

Notes

You can use boneless or bone-in chicken. I tried this recipe with both and each tasted equally good.
Do not skip the marinating part.
Increase or decrease the quantity of spice powders according to your palate. 
For nice tender pieces, do not over-fry the chicken.


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