Easy Crispy Fried Indian Chicken Mixed with Tangy Sauce

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I really hope you enjoy this Easy Crispy Fried Indian Chicken Mixed with Tangy Sauce recipe. If you do, please let me know in the comments below. I LOVE reading your comments ❤.

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE

Oh my goodness, you guys.

This recipe.

This dish is probably one of the best things you’ll ever ever EVER have!

I’m not kidding. Nope!

It’s such a different-tasting dish and everything goes so well with each other and…

You have no idea how happy I am to be sharing this with all of you… A recipe as close to my heart as this one!

If you ever ask me my top 5 favorite dishes in the whole world, THIS easy crispy fried Indian chicken mixed with tangy sauce will be one of them.

And I’ve been in love with this dish since I was maybe… 5 years old? It’s been a little more than 20 years since and I’m still in love!

Who in the whole wide world can say no to chicken marinated in Indian spices and some ginger garlic paste, then deep fried until nice and crispy and then tossed in a lightly spiced tangy yogurt sauce? Nobody! Nobody at all!

You’ll adore this recipe if you love crispy fried chicken. And then, mixing Indian spices into some crispy fried chicken? It’s just one of those amazing, out-of-this-world recipes you need to try right away.

And don’t let that beautiful fiery red color fool you. This is not a spicy dish at all!

A few more reasons why you’ll adore this scrumptious crispy chicken recipe? Here we go!

• If you’re fond of crispy chicken, then you’ll absolutely love this Indian version of crispy chicken. And then that crispy Indian chicken coated in a lightly spiced, tangy yogurt sauce? Love love love ❤! You’re gonna enjoy this different take on some amazing crispy fried chicken so much. It’s all that delish crisp with completely different but absolutely amazing flavors. It may just end up becoming one of your most favorite crispy chicken dishes ever!
• If you love Indian food, you’ll LOVE this crispy deep fried Indian chicken recipe to bits and pieces! It’s one of the most popular Indian dishes in India, so this is your chance to try something different other than the famous butter chicken (which is also an amazing dish!). This dish will be better than any Indian takeout you’ve ever had. It’s so easy to make at home too, a pretty easy Indian chicken recipe! And…
• If you’re new to Indian food or are new to cooking Indian food at home, get ready to open yourself up to a whole new world of wonderful flavors, aromas and cooking methods. Cooking food from a different cuisine is always such an exotic and fun learning experience! And when it tastes this good? Sooo worth it 😍!
• I understand some Indian spices and ingredients may be a little difficult to find, so I’ve tried my best to adapt this recipe in a way that there are not many Indian spices and ingredients used at all and the ones that have been mentioned are super easy to find at your local Indian grocery store!
• This easy crispy fried Indian chicken mixed with tangy sauce recipe is super easy and quick to cook up. I’ve also, as always, made sure to help you guys along the way with incredibly detailed step-by-step instructions. This will be super helpful, especially when it comes to the frying part. I know frying may be scary sometimes, but it’s not that scary at all. It’ll especially be a breeze if you follow the instructions here, don’t worry at all ❤! I’ve got your back, always.
• This dish is so versatile, it can be eaten any time of the day! It’s quick enough to make to be a filling snack, impressive enough to be an exotic appetizer and fulfilling enough to be a main dish served alongside some fresh veggies or rice (or both!).
• Is your diet preference vegetarian, dairy-free, gluten-free, nut-free or vegan? You can still make this dish! Check out our Variations Section below to see how you can make this recipe according to your diet preference!

We would eat crispy chicken literally every day, every hour, every minute and every second if we could 😍! If you’re like us, check out our collection of absolutely lip-smacking Crispy Chicken, Appetizers and Party/Special Day recipes.

WHAT IS CRISPY FRIED INDIAN CHICKEN MIXED WITH TANGY SAUCE?

In very simple words, easy crispy fried Indian chicken mixed with tangy sauce is cubes of chicken marinated in a classic combination of ginger garlic paste, Kashmiri red chili powder and lemon juice, then deep fried until perfectly crisp. This scrumptious crispy fried Indian chicken is then tossed in a delicious lightly spiced yogurt sauce.

The crispy fried chicken goes ahead and absorbs that delicious tangy yogurt sauce. The tangy yogurt sauce does the same thing and absorbs all that fried chicken flavor. The chicken slightly loses its crisp but this is how the recipe is meant to be and it tastes amazing!

It’s one of the most popular Indian chicken recipes out there. And for good reason!

It’s an incredibly different dish and tastes absolutely divine.

Coming to how this recipe came about, let’s jump into personal story time with just a little bit of food history!

Here on The Buttery Fairytale, we’re all about sharing our memories with food and creating new ones.

So here I am, sharing my memories with this dish! And hey, if you have any memories with it too or have created any new ones, please let me know in the comments below, I would love to read them. Food memories are important, and that’s one of the main reasons why we created The Buttery Fairytale in the first place!

So yes!

My mom has cooked this dish for as long as I can remember, and every single time she cooked it, I’d be so excited because I’ve always loved it so much! I’m super excited today too if she cooks it when I go meet her!

This dish is definitely one of my most favorite dishes that my mom makes.

My earliest memory of this dish is being absolutely fascinated as a small child, watching my mom fry up this crispy chicken and toss it in the lush yogurt sauce in the kitchen.

It feels incredible to share a recipe so close to my heart with all of you here…❤

I remember my mom cooking this dish for a special potluck party I had at school once. Everyone loved it so much that they finished it in minutes! The teachers kept asking me to ask my mom for the recipe, and my classmates practically begged me to bring it to school all the time 💖.

That’s the effect this recipe has on people! I’m not even kidding. There must be something really special about it that it’s been more than 20 years and I’m still in love!

My mom cooked this recipe for Zee after we got married, and needless to say, he’s crazy about this dish too.

Let’s delve into some food history and let me tell you a little something about this dish…

This dish is called Chicken 65 in India, and it’s a pretty famous Indian dish.

It differs widely from state to state, city to city, restaurant to restaurant and even family to family! All within the same country, India!

Chicken 65 is a pretty intriguing name for a dish, and there are loads of theories out there about why it was named this.

Some people say the chicken is traditionally marinated for 65 days (heck 😱!), some say 65 spices are used in the chicken (heck-er! 😱😱) and some also say the spices used in the chicken would traditionally be brought from 65 villages (heck-est 😱😱😱). I’ve also heard some theories saying 65-day-old chickens would be used to cook this dish… Phew!

There are so many more stories out there, and maybe they’ll even fill the whole page up so let’s not go there (they’re so much fun to read though!).

The most popular theory is that this dish was introduced by a hotel called Hotel Buhari in Chennai (a city in India) in the year 1965. And that’s how the dish got its name- Chicken 65!

I’ll leave it to you to decide which theory sounds the most believable to you. Sounds like a pretty mysterious chicken dish, right? (!)

How awesome is it to cook an old recipe like this one with so many stories around it? It’s like you’re eating a piece of history!

It’s amazing!!!

So yes…

Remember how I told you guys that the recipe for Chicken 65 changes literally from restaurant to restaurant and even family to family? It’s made in so many different ways!

One common thing though is that this dish is almost always a fiery red color, no matter where it’s cooked.

Artificial color is used alongside Kashmiri red chili powder to get that deep red color.

We’re using only Kashmiri red chili powder in this recipe. This chili powder is not very spicy at all, so don’t fear! It lends a gorgeous deep red color and a delicious flavor to the dish, and that’s exactly what we want.

Coming back to the different ways this dish is made, some restaurants temper some curry leaves and chilies in some oil and then add their crispy fried chicken to it.

Some restaurants also make a chili sauce and soy sauce gravy and then add their crispy chicken to it…

Us? We’re following the Hyderabad-i (another city in India) way of making Chicken 65.

We’re adding our crispy fried chicken to a lightly spiced yogurt sauce. This is such a delicious Indian chicken recipe with yogurt involved ❤.

This is my most favorite version of Chicken 65.

Maybe I’m biased because I grew up eating it? I don’t know, but hey, I’ve tried almost every single other way and I love it like this the most.

I recently asked my mom where she got this recipe from. She told me how a family friend owned a restaurant back in the day and gave her this recipe about 28 years ago when she was learning to cook.

It’s incredible how recipes are shared and handed down… I probably wouldn’t have ever made all these memories with this recipe if that family friend wouldn’t have shared that recipe with my mom (shudder!)…

And so, here you go! One of my most favorite recipes in the whole world.

I hope you create absolutely amazing memories with this recipe like I have made (and keep making even today!).

And I hope you fall in love with it too.

❤

INGREDIENTS & SUBSTITUTIONS FOR EASY CRISPY FRIED INDIAN CHICKEN MIXED WITH TANGY SAUCE

For exact ingredient measurements, please scroll down to the Recipe Card.

For the marinade:

• Chicken– I’ve used boneless chicken breasts here. The chicken needs to be cut into smallish medium-sized cubes. You can use boneless chicken thighs too. You can use bone-in chicken as well. Just make sure you fry them for a longer time.
• Ginger garlic paste– A classic ingredient used in Indian dishes. It is a fantastic ingredient used in Indian chicken marinades and adds that delish gingery-garlicky taste! You can buy this paste from any Indian grocery store near you or make it at home (like I do!). Make this paste in a blender or food processor by adding in about 5 to 6 medium-sized peeled garlic cloves and 2 inches of peeled ginger with about 1/4th teaspoon of water. Always make sure there is more garlic used to make the paste than ginger. Blend until it’s nice and pasty. A few small bits and pieces of garlic and ginger in the paste are okay and add more flavor. It doesn’t have to be completely smooth.
• Kashmiri red chili powder– Ooh THIS is an absolute essential in our dish. It gives our crispy fried Indian chicken that gorgeous reddish-brown color as well as an amazing rich spice flavor! I’ve used a brand called Everest here, and the name of the product is Everest Kashmirilal. There may be other brands selling this spice, and you can use any of them too. Please try and use this spice ONLY but if you really can’t find it, a substitute may either be smoked or regular paprika. You can add in just a little cayenne pepper to the paprika for a little spice. You won’t get the same flavor or color you’ll get from Kashmiri red chili powder though.
• Lemon- Squeeze some lemon juice into the marinade for a wonderful slight tang to the chicken. It also makes our pieces of chicken tender, juicy and extra flavorful. You can substitute with lime juice here.
• Salt- An absolutely essential seasoning!

Now, for the batter and frying:

• Eggs- We need eggs here to turn our cornstarch into a thick-ish liquidy batter. Eggs also help the batter stick better to our chicken. Not just this but they also keep our chicken tender and flavorful after frying giving it a just right, crisp crust.
• Cornstarch- Cornstarch leads to a light crust with a delicious crisp and crunch! It’s amazing!
• A pinch of salt- Once again, an absolutely essential seasoning.
• Cooking oil- The best oil to use here would be a neutral cooking oil.

For the tangy yogurt sauce:

• Oil- Just a little cooking oil is used here to temper our curry leaves and green chili peppers in before adding the yogurt.
• Curry leaves- Curry leaves are one of the most important ingredients here! They lend such a unique taste to our tangy yogurt sauce, and all of that mixed in with the crispy fried chicken gives the most amazing flavor ever!
• Green chili peppers- Green chili peppers are used a lot in Indian food. They give the right amount of flavor to a dish. I’m not into spice at all, so I slice the green chili peppers lengthwise in half and remove their seeds. Doing this gives us that slight chili flavor without too much spice. If you have kids, you can skip out on this ingredient or remove the green chili peppers before serving the chicken to them.
• Plain yogurt- The hero of the sauce! Plain yogurt gives that awesome tang and a very slight creaminess to the sauce… I just can’t describe the flavor and texture. It’s amazing and you need to try it for yourself 😍! You can substitute with Greek yogurt here too. Greek yogurt doesn’t give much tanginess though. Squeeze just a little lemon juice over your finished crispy fried chicken dish after it’s tossed in the tangy yogurt sauce once you’re done to fix this!
• Kashmiri red chili powder- For some added color and taste. This spice is literally the best!

Extra ingredients:

• Onion- An absolute classic served with most Indian dishes. Slice your onion into rings or chop it up and serve it alongside your delicious hot easy crispy fried Indian chicken mixed with tangy sauce. I love the taste of onions alongside this dish. Take small bites of the onion in between bites of chicken. Ah… 😊
• Lemon- Squeeze some lemon juice over your crispy fried chicken tossed in tangy sauce for that extra tang! You can substitute with lime juice here. Make sure you try the dish first and only then squeeze in some lemon juice if you feel you need that extra tang.

Once again, for exact ingredient measurements, please scroll down to the Recipe Card.

We would eat crispy chicken literally every day, every hour, every minute and every second if we could 😍! If you’re like us, check out our collection of absolutely lip-smacking Chicken & Meat, Main Dish and Summer recipes.

RECIPE & DIET VARIATIONS YOU CAN TRY

I’ve mentioned how this dish has so many variations out there. Variations differing from states to cities… from restaurants to families!

Let’s explore a few of them and a few of my own personal variations. You can experiment and find one (or more) you like best!

• The crispy chicken bites are absolutely delicious enough to have on their own, like Indian chicken nuggets, without going ahead and making the yogurt sauce at all! Just squeeze some lemon juice on top and serve them along with some sliced or chopped onions. Scrumptious!
• You don’t have to deep fry the chicken. Oh yes, the chicken tastes delicious all fried and crispy with the yogurt sauce BUT you can bake or air fry it as well. It’ll taste good too. Cook it accordingly and keep an eye on the cooking time and temperature used when you’re using a different cooking method.
• This Indian dish traditionally uses boneless pieces of chicken BUT you can use bone-in chicken as well. Just make sure you cook for a longer time.
• You can use another meat instead of chicken here too! Oh, I’ve tried this dish with prawns and fish and oh my my! ✨ It’s gorgeous! If you’re feeling a little adventurous, you can try this dish with some beef as well. I tried it that way once, and it was really good!
• You can marinate some vegetables along with the chicken and fry them the same way you fry the chicken. Then mix the crispy batter fried vegetables and chicken in the tangy yogurt sauce and you’ll have a delicious meal of crispy fried chicken AND crispy fried vegetables coated in tangy yogurt sauce. YUM!
• If you like spicy food, don’t remove the seeds of the green chili peppers before adding them to the oil like I suggest you guys to do in this recipe. Keep those seeds, slice and add in those chilies for a spicier version of this easy crispy fried Indian chicken mixed with tangy sauce. You can add in a few more chilies if you prefer too! You can chop or mince your chilies for an even spicier (!!!) taste. Be careful though!
• If you don’t like spicy food much (I don’t either!), follow my instructions! Slice your chilies lengthwise in half and remove their seeds before adding them to the oil. This will add in the tiniest amount of spice to your dish, and it’ll give that amazing flavor too. If you have kids though, make sure you remove these chilies from the sauce before serving the dish. You can also skip out on adding chilies to the dish altogether if you are super sensitive to spice (this dish is not spicy at all, even with the chilies, but this tip is in case you’re super sensitive to food with a tiny bit of spice).
• You can try another version of this dish as well. Skip out on the yogurt sauce. Take a skillet or wok and pour a little oil (about a tablespoon) into it and add in the green chili peppers, curry leaves, Kashmiri red chili powder and some smashed and minced garlic. Fry them until the garlic turns golden brown. Then add in your crispy fried chicken, mix for a minute or two, and serve. Squeeze a little lemon juice on top and there you go!
• You can add in some red food color to the chicken marinade and tangy yogurt sauce to give this crispy chicken dish a bright red color that’s pretty synonymous with the fiery red Chicken 65 you’ll find in restaurants. I don’t prefer doing this and love getting that red color from the Kashmiri red chili powder we use here in this recipe instead.

Continue reading if you would like to read about vegetarian, dairy-free, gluten-free, nut-free or vegan adaptations of this recipe.

Note- If you think you have an ingredient that you feel is suitable as a substitute for a certain ingredient in this recipe, according to your dietary preference, you can use it and let us know how it works as a substitute in the comments below. I’ll then add it in as an adaptation suggestion here. This will help so many others with the same diet preference as yours.

Vegetarian Adaptation:

To make easy crispy fried Indian vegetables mixed with tangy sauce…

• This dish can be made with so many vegetables out there. You can use potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli… etc. Try this recipe with your favorite veggies (as long as they’re fry-able)!
• Cottage cheese or even boiled eggs can be used instead of chicken here. All these options taste wonderful!
• In the tangy yogurt sauce, make sure you use plain yogurt that does not contain gelatin.

Please always doubly make sure and read through the ingredient list of all the other ingredients in the recipe to make sure they are vegetarian.

Dairy-Free Adaptation:

To make dairy-free easy crispy fried Indian chicken mixed with tangy sauce…

Instead of using plain yogurt to make the tangy yogurt sauce, skip out on it. Follow this absolutely delish method instead:

Pour a little oil (about a tablespoon) into a skillet or wok.

Add in the green chili peppers, curry leaves, Kashmiri red chili powder and some smashed and minced garlic. Fry them until the garlic turns a golden brown.

Then add in your crispy fried chicken, toss with the tempered mixture for a minute or two and serve.

Squeeze a little lemon juice on top and there you go! This is another popular way to have this Indian crispy fried chicken dish.

Hey, if you feel plain yogurt can be substituted by another ingredient here, try it out and let us know! We’ll add it in here if it worked for you. It’ll help so many other people with the same diet preference as yours!

Please read through the ingredient list of all the other ingredients in the recipe to make sure they are dairy-free because hidden dairy may be present in some ingredients.

Gluten-Free Adaptation:

This recipe is gluten-free but there are some things you need to keep in mind.

To make gluten-free easy crispy fried Indian chicken mixed with tangy sauce…

• Kashmiri red chili powder is gluten-free, but ground spices may sometimes contain gluten. This is because they either get contaminated in the factory during production or because they have flour added to them. Please make sure the Kashmiri red chili powder you use here is gluten-free.
• Cornstarch is gluten-free, but it may not have been manufactured in a gluten-free factory, which can lead to cross-contamination. Please always make sure you buy a brand of cornstarch that comes from a gluten-free factory.
• Many dairy products in their natural form are gluten-free BUT some plain yogurts may have additives that contain gluten. Please go through the ingredient list on the food label of the plain yogurt you buy to make sure no additional ingredients that may contain gluten are added to it.
• Please also make sure the cooking oil you use to fry the chicken and cook the tangy yogurt sauce does not contain any additives that contain gluten.

Please always read through the ingredient list of all the given ingredients in the recipe to make sure they are gluten-free. This is because hidden gluten may be present in some ingredients.

Nut-Free Adaptation:

This recipe is nut-free, but there are some ingredients you need to keep a close eye on.

To make nut-free easy crispy fried Indian chicken mixed with tangy sauce…

• Some spices use nuts as a filler in their powders. Please make sure the Kashmiri red chili powder you use does not contain nuts.
• Please make sure the cornstarch you use comes from a nut-free factory.
• Please also make sure the cooking oil you use does not contain nuts or is not derived from any nuts.

As always, please make sure you thoroughly read through the ingredient list of all the ingredients that have been mentioned in this recipe. Hidden nuts may be present in some ingredients.

Vegan Adaptation:

To make vegan crispy fried Indian vegetables mixed with tangy sauce…

• You can use any of your favorite vegetables (or a mix of them) instead of chicken here and fry them, adjusting the cooking time accordingly. I love this dish with cauliflower and potato! Broccoli can be used too.
• Make sure you use lemons that haven’t been waxed. Waxed lemons are not vegan because the wax on these lemons contains shellac, which is derived from the female lac bug.
• Skip out on the egg while frying your vegetables. Instead, make a flour and water mixture. Mix equal parts of both flour and water together until smooth. A 1:1 ratio is good, but if you would like to make it crispier, add a little more water. You can use rice flour or cornstarch too. Dip your marinated vegetables in this mixture and then coat them with some breadcrumbs or panko breadcrumbs. Leave it aside for 5 to 10 minutes for the coating to set, and then go ahead and fry some delicious vegan crispy fried vegetables.
• Skip out on the tangy yogurt sauce. If you feel the yogurt can be substituted by another ingredient here, try it out and let us know! We’ll add it in here. It’ll help so many other people with the same diet preference as yours. You can follow this equally delicious method instead:

Pour a little oil (about a tablespoon) into a skillet or wok. Add in the green chili peppers, curry leaves, Kashmiri red chili powder and some smashed and minced garlic.

Sauté them until the garlic turns a golden brown.

Then add in your crispy fried vegetables, toss with the tempered mixture for a minute or two and serve. Squeeze a little lemon juice on top and there you go! This is another popular way to have this Indian crispy fried vegetables dish.

And as always, please read through the ingredient list of all the given ingredients in the recipe to make sure everything is vegan.

Disclaimer– I’ve done research to make things easier for you guys, but please make sure you do your own research too if you are allergic to something or have a specific diet preference. The suggestions given above for dietary preferences are only suggestions and NOT medical advice. These are suggestions given just after a little research on the said dietary preferences. We are NOT trained medical professionals or nutritionists. You are responsible for yourself, so please ask your physician if you have any questions and make sure you always completely read through the ingredient list of any ingredients you use.

HOW TO COOK EASY CRISPY FRIED INDIAN CHICKEN MIXED WITH TANGY SAUCE [Step-by-Step Instructions With Photos]

For exact ingredient measurements and instructions without photos, please scroll down to the Recipe Card.

Please keep in mind that I go into lots of detail in all my recipes so you get to know all the super important tips and tricks when it comes to making a particular recipe. I always want you to make the BEST of whatever you’re cooking ❤.

STEP 1: MARINATE THE CHICKEN

Cut your chicken into small to medium-sized cubes. This size is pretty good and keeps them nice and juicy even after frying.

If you prefer an even crispier chicken, you can cut your pieces into smaller cubes.

You can also cut your chicken into small and medium-sized cubes both and get a delicious mix of crispy Indian fried chicken of both sizes!

Now, move your chicken cubes to a bowl and add in all the ingredients needed for marination.

Give your chicken pieces a nice massage and go in with your hands if you can. This makes a world of difference. You can use gloves if you prefer too!

Coat that chicken nice and good with all that ginger garlicky goodness!

Wrap some cling-wrap over the bowl of chicken and leave it to marinate in the fridge.

You can marinate your chicken in an airtight container or a zip-lock bag too. I suggest you use a bowl or an airtight container for this chicken though because it’ll help in the next step!

Wait for at least 30 minutes, but the longer you wait, the better ✨.

An ideal time to wait for your chicken to marinate would be overnight. 24 hours would be the absolute best.

STEP 2: MAKE THE BATTER AND COAT THE CHICKEN

*If you are new to cooking or frying, follow all the directions given in this step and continue reading the section Recipe Instructions for Beginners below.*

Remove your chicken from the fridge.

Now, in the same bowl (if you’ve used a zip-lock bag to marinate your chicken, transfer the chicken and ALL of the marinade to a bowl), crack in the eggs, add the cornstarch and a pinch of salt.

Now go in with your hands and give the chicken a good mix (you can use gloves here too).

You need to mix everything together until the batter is slightly thick and liquidy.

The batter should be thick enough to coat and cover your chicken completely and liquidy enough to drip off slowly, but NOT runny.

The consistency is shown in the pictures above and below.

If the batter is a bit too thick, you can add a little water until you get the consistency described above.

If the batter is too thin, add in some more cornstarch to make it thicker until it reaches that nice thick liquidy consistency.

If you are a beginner cook please continue reading below 😊, or you can quickly jump to Step 3.

RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS FOR BEGINNERS:

This extra step for beginners will help your chicken not to splatter as much. It may still splatter a little, so be careful ❤.

This is not the traditional batter for this recipe (the one above is).

But hey, it still comes pretty close AND reduces the splatter that’s involved with the original batter (that rhyming though).

By this time, you’ll have your battered chicken in a bowl.

Now take another bowl and add in a good amount of cornstarch to it.

This is the time you decide on something called the “wet hand” and “dry hand”. This is so you don’t end up with clumps of cornstarch, egg and marinade on your hands.

So let’s say your left hand is the wet hand and your right hand is the dry hand.

Now, take a piece of chicken coated in liquidy batter with your wet hand and dip it in the cornstarch. Sprinkle some cornstarch all over the chicken so your dry hand doesn’t get wet.

Now, coat the piece of chicken really well with the cornstarch using the same dry hand.

Move it to another plate that has been lightly dusted with some cornstarch.

Repeat this with all the other pieces of chicken.

Once you’re done, wait for about 10 minutes so the cornstarch coating sets in well and adheres to the chicken.

If at any time you feel the cornstarch is falling off or getting absorbed by the batter on a particular piece of chicken, dip that chicken piece in the cornstarch again and lightly dust the excess off.

Now, follow all the next steps as usual! 😊

STEP 3: FRY THE CHICKEN (YAAAY!)

It’s fry time!

Always be careful when frying anything, especially this particular chicken, because its batter is prone to some splattering.

And use tongs, if you can! It makes things so much easier.

Okay, so…

Take a wok, Dutch oven, or heavy-bottomed deep skillet. Please use an appropriate utensil here because this particular batter of chicken is prone to a little splattering.

Now, pour in some oil just enough to cover half of your chicken while frying.

Heat the oil over medium-low to medium heat.

The right temperature of the oil is incredibly important. To make sure it’s hot enough, take a little batter and drop it in the oil.

If the piece of batter immediately bubbles up and rises to the top, it means the oil is hot and ready.

Now, take a piece of chicken from the liquidy batter it is in. Make sure you coat it really well in this batter with all that delicious ginger garlic and gently drop it in the oil.

Do this with the other pieces of chicken too. Leave just a little space between your pieces of chicken so they don’t stick to each other.

Please make sure you don’t overcrowd the pan ever while frying anything! Fry in batches if all your pieces of chicken don’t fit at once.

Now, once your pieces of chicken are in the pan, DON’T touch them (unless they’re stuck to each other, then try and gently break them apart using your tongs).

Not touching them is super important because when you leave your chicken alone to fry, it’ll form its crispy crust. Especially since we’re using a wet batter here.

Let the pieces of chicken fry for about 5 to 6 minutes.

Then gently turn them over and let them fry for about 4 to 5 minutes on the other side until a nice deep reddish brown crust is formed. This may take lesser time.

Turn your chicken again and fry it for a minute on one side.

Turn the chicken one more time and fry it for another minute on the other side.

Your chicken will be done by now.

Continue frying your chicken and turning it again only if you feel it hasn’t crisped up or fried enough.

The frying time will depend on the size of your chicken cubes, the number of chicken cubes you’re frying at a time, the cooking utensil you’re using and your stove, so please keep a constant check on your chicken while frying it.

The following steps are for when it’s time to remove your fried Indian crispy chicken. These steps can also be followed when you fry literally anything out there!

• Once you’re done frying your pieces of crispy fried Indian chicken and want to remove them, please don’t reduce or switch the heat off until you remove ALL the pieces of crispy fried chicken from the pan. If you reduce or switch the heat off before removing the pieces of crispy chicken, the oil will be absorbed by the pieces of chicken, making them a soggy mess :(.
• As you’re removing the pieces of crispy fried Indian chicken, make sure you first put them in a strainer (holding the strainer over the pan). Then give them a little shake. This way, the excess oil will fall back right into the pan.

• Once you’re done straining your pieces of crispy fried chicken, place them on a cooling rack. Keep some tissues or paper towels under the cooling rack. This is so much better than placing your pieces of chicken directly on tissues or paper towels because it’ll make them soggy. If you do not have a cooling rack, after straining your pieces of crispy fried chicken in a strainer over the pan, transfer them to a plate without any kitchen towels or tissues on it. Also, make sure the pieces of crispy chicken are not too close to each other or they may get soggy.

And there you have it, absolutely scrumptious and filled with so much flavor, crispy crunchy fried Indian chicken!

YOU did it, and you’re awesome! 💖

Go ahead and try one (once it’s cooled down a bit). That’s all your hard work, and it tastes amazing!

Fry the rest of the batch if you have some left the same way and set them aside on the cooling rack.

SAVE that oil for the next step!

STEP 4: DOUBLE FRY (Optional)

This is a completely optional step.

I prefer double frying my crispy fried chicken in some recipes.

This is not one of those recipes though.

That’s because, once these beautiful pieces of crispy goodness are added to the tangy yogurt sauce, their crust gets soft real quick. That’s what’s supposed to happen in this recipe. Just a little crisp remains and that fried chicken taste seeps into the sauce and everything tastes DIVINE. That’s how it’s traditionally supposed to be!

But maybe YOU will want to keep some of that crispiness even after the chicken is added to the yogurt sauce.

Double frying may help a little with that.

So here we go.

If you have any bits and pieces of batter in your oil, try and remove them as much as you can using your tongs.

Turn the heat to high.

Wait for about 2 to 3 minutes until the oil heats up completely.

Add in all your pieces of chicken gently to the hot oil. You don’t need to fry in batches now.

Be careful of any splattering.

Turn your pieces of crispy chicken over and move them around so they can get a crispier crisp.

You can fry your chicken for about 1 to 2 minutes.

Now remove your pieces of crispy fried chicken, strain them and place them back on the cooling rack.

STEP 5: MAKE THE TANGY SAUCE

It’s time to cook the delish tangy sauce!

In a skillet over low heat, pour in a tablespoon of oil.

Wash and dab your curry leaves with a tissue so they don’t crackle in the oil.

And then, add in the curry leaves and green chilies to the oil.

Gently keep stirring the curry leaves and green chilies in the oil until the curry leaves develop dark green patches, get crispy and start to wrinkle. This may take 4 to 5 minutes.

Now, pour in the whisked plain yogurt!

Once again, make sure you’re cooking over low heat as you add in your plain yogurt.

Sprinkle in half a teaspoon of Kashmiri red chili powder too.

Your yogurt may curdle because of the heat, but that’s okay. That’s absolutely normal in this dish. It doesn’t affect the taste of the sauce, so don’t worry.

Cook the yogurt for about 10 to 12 minutes on low heat. Keep stirring it. It will start to gently bubble. It needs to reduce a bit and take in the flavor of the chilies and curry leaves.

STEP 6: ADD YOUR CRISPY FRIED INDIAN CHICKEN TO THE TANGY SAUCE

Before you add in your pieces of crispy fried chicken to the yogurt sauce…

MAJOR TIP TIME: I LOVE the chicken as it is, crispy and freshly fried out of the pan.

I love how the chicken tastes once it’s tossed in the tangy yogurt sauce too.

BUT what tends to happen in this Indian chicken recipe is that once you add your crispy fried chicken to the yogurt sauce, it loses most of its crisp.

And it tastes amazing like that because that’s what’s meant to happen in this recipe!

That crispy fried chicken is supposed to soften up and take in all those amazing tangy yogurt sauce flavors. The tangy yogurt sauce is also supposed to take in all those fried chicken flavors, and it’s all meant to mix together to give us that classic Chicken 65 taste.

But I love some crisp sometimes.

So if you would like to have some extra crispiness, my suggestion to you would be to keep a few pieces of crispy fried chicken aside.

Don’t add them to the tangy yogurt sauce along with the other pieces of fried chicken.

Then, serve these crispy pieces of chicken alongside the finished chicken and yogurt sauce dish.

Have a few bites of the chicken that has already been mixed with the yogurt sauce, and along with it, have a few bites of those other crispy pieces of chicken you’ve saved too, either on their own or by dipping them just a bit in the tangy yogurt sauce.

This way, you get that amazing crispy chicken as well as that classic Chicken 65 taste too. Two birds with one stone? Heck yes!

Now, back to the recipe…

Once you’re done cooking the tangy yogurt sauce for about 10 to 12 minutes until it reduces just a bit and absorbs all those flavors of the chilies and curry leaves, add your crispy pieces of fried chicken to the sauce.

Toss for about 2 minutes. Make sure the pieces of chicken are coated in all that yogurty goodness.

Transfer all of it to a plate or bowl.

Serve along with some chopped or sliced onions and squeeze just a little lemon juice on top if you prefer more of a tang.

Make sure you try the chicken and sauce before squeezing any lemon juice on it though 💖!

Hey you, I really hope you love this easy crispy fried Indian chicken mixed with tangy sauce recipe as much as I do!

If you do, I would appreciate a star rating SO much (you can rate this recipe right below or from the Recipe Card 💖).

Also, if you have any questions about this recipe, make sure to check out our FAQs section below to maybe find your answer there, or leave a comment and I will try to get back to you as soon as possible, I promise 😊.

TIPS TO MAKE THE BEST EASY CRISPY FRIED INDIAN CHICKEN MIXED WITH TANGY SAUCE EVERY SINGLE TIME

This dish is AWESOMESAUCE. It’s one of the easiest and best Indian chicken recipes ever. It’s difficult to get it wrong, and that’s what I love about it so much.

You still need to keep a few tips in mind though to make the BEST easy crispy fried Indian chicken mixed with tangy sauce every single time.

• I suggest you guys cut your chicken into small to medium-sized cubes. This keeps the chicken juicy and flavorful even after frying. You can cut them into smaller-sized cubes though to get them even crispier. You can even cut them into both small and medium-sized cubes to get a mix of crispy Indian fried chicken and see which size of chicken cubes you prefer best!
• If you are making your own ginger garlic paste at home then always make sure there is more garlic used in the paste than ginger.
• Marinating your chicken is one of the best things you can do here. You can fry your chicken after 30 minutes (and it’ll be ❤) too but waiting for longer, maybe even 24 hours, is just gonna give you a deeper and much better flavor!
• Frying may be a little tricky in this dish because the batter we are using to get that just right crispy fried Indian Chicken 65 texture is prone to a little splattering. Make sure you use a deep wok, Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed deep skillet to fry your crispy fried Indian chicken.
• If you’re new to frying, look into the “Recipe Instructions for Beginners” I’ve given in the instructions under Step 2 (both above in the Step-by-Step Instructions and in the Recipe Card below too). It’ll help you fry better without much splatter that the original batter involves.
• Double frying is an option here. It helps in getting an even crispier chicken. I don’t prefer doing it in this recipe because I like it when the crispy chicken absorbs all the flavors of the yogurt sauce and loses its crisp. That’s how the recipe is meant to be too!
• Please be careful when slicing your green chili peppers, guys. These chilies can make your skin and eyes burn! Also, make sure you thoroughly wash your hands after you’re done slicing them.
• To cut down on the heat from your green chili peppers, make sure you slice them lengthwise into half and deseed them as I do in this recipe. If you like spicy food though, you can skip out on doing this and keep the seeds in.
• If you are sensitive to spicy food, please follow my instructions and DON’T chop or mince your green chili peppers. Slice them lengthwise in half instead. If you chop or mince them, the dish will become incredibly spicy 🔥, and we don’t want that!
• After washing your curry leaves, please make sure you dry them really well. They may splatter in the oil otherwise. And splattering is terrifying! 😱
• If you want a saucier dish, cook your tangy yogurt sauce for 5 to 8 minutes. If you want a drier dish, cook your tangy yogurt sauce for 15 to 20 minutes. The ideal time I have mentioned is about 10 to 12 minutes, but you can cook the yogurt sauce a little less or a little more depending on your preference.
• You can add in just a tiny bit of red food coloring to your chicken marinade and tangy yogurt sauce to get that bright and fiery red color that this recipe is famous for! I don’t prefer doing this though and prefer getting that color from Kashmiri red chili powder instead.
• Please try and serve this recipe immediately if you can. The chicken starts to lose its crisp super fast once it’s tossed in the tangy sauce. The best part though is that that’s how this dish is supposed to be in the traditional Hyderabadi Indian way and it tastes AMAZING.
• If you’re really into crispiness though, I suggest you save some pieces of crispy fried Indian chicken on the side and serve them alongside the finished chicken dish. Then, you can have the best of both worlds. You can dip this crispy fried chicken in the sauce AND have the chicken that has already been coated in the sauce and see which way you prefer more.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS FOR EASY CRISPY FRIED INDIAN CHICKEN MIXED WITH TANGY SAUCE

Here are some ways you can have this absolutely divineee Indian fried chicken. Let me know your favorite way to have it in the comments below 💖!

• In India, this dish is commonly served in restaurants as a snack or appetizer. So you can serve it the traditional way on its own with some sliced or chopped onions and some lemon juice squeezed over it (if you prefer a little more tang, try the chicken before squeezing lemon juice on top!). You can have it as a light main dish too!
• As I’ve mentioned before, this easy crispy fried Indian chicken mixed with tangy sauce loses its crispiness really fast once it’s tossed with the tangy yogurt sauce. If you’re craving loads of crisp, I suggest you save some crispy fried Indian chicken on the side. Don’t add it to the sauce with the rest of the fried chicken pieces. Then, serve the dish with some crispy fried chicken on the side. The chicken tastes amazing both ways -coated with that tangy sauce as well as on its own.
• This dish tastes wonderful with some garlic egg fried rice. The addition of some fried rice on the side instantly makes this a pretty filling main meal too. That scrumptious yogurty tanginess of the chicken and its sauce blends in beautifully with some fried rice! You just need to try it this way ✨.
• You can also have this delicious Indian chicken dish with some steamed white rice. What can be better than a delicious chicken rice bowl? The rice absorbs the sauce and all its flavors and oh my goodness, it tastes wonderful! You can add in some dal too on the side and ooh absolute awesomesauceness 🤩!
• You can serve this easy crispy fried Indian chicken mixed with tangy sauce topped over some fresh veggies too for a salad with an exotic Indian touch. Just prepare a salad with your favorite veggies (or veggies that YOU feel will go well here), top it with the chicken and tangy sauce and squeeze some lemon juice on top (if you prefer some extra tang!). It tastes great! Or…
• You can also just toss the fried Indian crispy chicken (without adding it to the tangy sauce) with your favorite veggies and squeeze some lemon juice on top too for a crispy chicken salad with an Indian twist!
• You can keep it simple and have this dish with some roti, naan (butter garlic naan!!!), phulka, chapati or rumali roti (any soft Indian flatbread will do). You can also make an Indian chicken roll by wrapping the roti around this delicious chicken and tangy sauce and have it on the go!
• You can make a Chicken 65 sandwich too! Just layer your bread with some of this delish chicken coated in tangy wonderful sauce and dig in! You can use a whole breast and follow the recipe exactly as given so it can fit well between the burger buns too. The tangy yogurt sauce works so well here with the bread! You can add some onions too and ah ❤… amazing-amazing food.
• Got a party? Go ahead and serve these tender and flavorful fried pieces of chicken coated with yogurt sauce as an Indian chicken appetizer with mini toothpicks in them to just pick out and eat! This is such a wonderful appetizer for parties and everyone LOVES it.

Can I cook easy crispy fried Indian chicken mixed with tangy sauce in advance? Can I make this dish ahead of time?

If you want to make this delicious Indian chicken recipe in advance, you can!

Go ahead and cook it and then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days.

When it’s time to eat, just heat this scrumptious chicken with all that delicious tangy yogurt sauce in a pan over the stove or in the microwave until it’s completely heated through.

I suggest frying the chicken and making the sauce fresh though, because this dish is really something else when it’s served right out of the pan, nice and warm!

Another thing you can also do here is to keep your chicken for marination and then add the cornstarch to it and make the batter. Then, keep it in an airtight box, and on the day you need to cook this dish, go ahead and fry it and make the tangy yogurt sauce too.

Can you store Chicken 65?

Yes, you can store Chicken 65 or this crispy fried Indian chicken mixed with tangy sauce pretty easily!

You can refrigerate it in the fridge for 3 days in an airtight container.

How to reheat this crispy fried Indian chicken mixed with tangy sauce?

You can reheat your easy crispy fried Indian chicken mixed with tangy sauce pretty easily.

Just heat it in a pan over the stove until it’s completely heated through when it’s time to eat! You can microwave it too.

This dish reheats pretty well and tastes wonderful!

The chicken loses its crispiness but tastes absolutely wonderful nonetheless. That’s how this dish is supposed to be too! The chicken’s crust is supposed to absorb all that tangy yogurt sauce in this famous Indian dish.

Can I make this recipe according to my diet preference?

Yes, you can make vegetarian, dairy-free, gluten-free, nut-free or vegan versions of this easy crispy fried Indian chicken mixed with tangy sauce recipe.

Explore the Variations Section above to see our suggestions and learn more!

Is Chicken 65 spicy?

In all honesty, this famous Indian chicken dish varies in spiciness.

People think it’s spicy because of that beautiful bright red color. This is a beautifully colored red Indian chicken dish, but that doesn’t mean it’s spicy all the time!

The red usually comes from artificial food color or Kashmiri red chili powder (which is not really spicy at all!).

If another type of red chili powder is used, this dish may be on the spicier side.

Different people make it in different ways.

I’ve had incredibly spicy Chicken 65 out there in restaurants, and I’m not into that at all.

There’s not much spiciness in my recipe here, and if you would like to stay on the super safe side, slice the chilies lengthwise in half and remove their seeds like I’ve asked you to in the instructions.

You can also remove the chilies before serving this dish, or if you are incredibly sensitive to spice, don’t add in the green chili peppers at all!

If you’re into spicy food, keep the seeds intact when you’re adding in the green chili peppers. You can add in more chilies too.

You can also chop or mince the green chili peppers to make this dish incredibly spicy.

What can be served with this crispy chicken fried Indian style?

There’s an entire world of ways you can serve this delicious crispy Indian fried chicken recipe. That’s how amazing it is, and trust me, every single way is scrumptious!

You can have this crispy fried chicken Indian style on its own or with some steamed white rice (with some dal on the side if possible).

You can also have it with some roti or butter naan (any soft Indian flatbread will do).

Check out our Serving Suggestions section above to know more!

What makes some Indian dishes deliciously tangy?

Some Indian dishes have that delicious tang! This recipe happens to be one of them too.

That amazing tang in Indian dishes is all thanks to plain yogurt and lemon juice.

There are other ingredients out there too that work together or in a certain way in Indian curries to give a nice tangy flavor, but plain yogurt and lemon juice are pretty simple to use to give that wonderful tang.

Either or both of these ingredients can be used to make your Indian curry or dish nice and tangy.

How do I get my chicken to be crispy?

Getting that amazing crispy chicken may sound daunting, but it actually isn’t.

There are a few factors that play a major role when you’re frying up some chicken.

Here are some points to keep in mind. This advice works with the recipe here as well as other recipes where you’re frying up something:

• When you’re frying up some chicken, make sure you get the batter or breading right. Some coatings just DON’T get crispy no matter what you do, they’re either too thick or too thin or… it just doesn’t work out sometimes! Make sure you follow some good fried chicken recipes out there (like this one 😉) to understand better.
• We are using a batter in this recipe, BUT if you’re ever using a breading to coat your chicken, leave it be for 5 to 10 minutes after coating it so the breading sets in and adheres to your chicken. If you fry the chicken immediately, you run the risk of the breading coming apart.
• Make sure your oil is hot enough! Check on it by dropping a tiny piece of batter in it and if it immediately bubbles and rises to the top, the oil is ready. Cold oil spells frying disaster. It will get absorbed by the breading or batter and make the chicken soggy and oily 😱.
• Don’t ever fry in incredibly hot oil (unless it’s during double frying). Follow my instructions in this recipe and heat your oil over medium-low to medium heat. If you use incredibly hot oil, only the outside of the chicken will cook super fast, and the inside will remain raw and soggy.
• Don’t ever overcrowd the pan when you’re frying anything. Ever! This drops the temperature of the oil, and remember what I said about cold oil and frying above? It’s a frying disaster, that’s what it is!
• Once you’re done frying your pieces of crispy fried Indian chicken and want to remove them, please don’t reduce or switch the heat off until you remove ALL the pieces of crispy fried chicken from the oil. If you reduce or switch the heat off before removing the pieces of crispy chicken, the oil will be absorbed by the pieces of chicken, making them soggy and oily :(.
• As you’re removing the pieces of crispy fried Indian chicken, make sure you first put them in a strainer (holding the strainer over the pan). Then give them a little shake. This way, the excess oil will fall right back into the pan.
• Once you’re done straining your pieces of crispy fried chicken, place them on a cooling rack. This is much better than placing your pieces of chicken directly on tissues or paper towels because it’ll make them soggy. If you do not have a cooling rack, after straining your pieces of crispy fried chicken, transfer them to a plate without any kitchen towels or tissues on it. Also, make sure the pieces of crispy chicken are not too close to each other or they may get soggy.
• You can also double-fry the chicken if you prefer, especially when it’s suggested to do so in a particular recipe. Some batters and breadings work well with it, and some are crispy enough without it. With time and through trial and error, you’ll understand when double frying is necessary and when it’s not. (Pssst! To make things easier, if you feel your piece of chicken is losing that “crunch” and “crisp”, just go ahead and double-fry it). To double fry, heat your oil over high heat and, once it’s hot, add in all the fried pieces of chicken. Fry the pieces of chicken for a minute or two (if you’re using bone-in chicken, fry for a longer time).
• Practice! All these tips will make more sense the more you cook and fry up things, and soon, you’ll just know what works and what doesn’t!

How to marinate chicken to make Indian-style fried chicken?

When you look into frying chicken Indian style, there are so many different Indian fried chicken recipes out there, and the marinade plays a massive role in almost each and every one of them.

The perfect Indian chicken marinade does exist. And there’s not just one, there are loads of them!

There’s usually a mix of spices added to the chicken. Sometimes only one or two spices may also be used, depending on the flavor that dish is going for.

Sometimes plain yogurt may be used to tenderize the chicken and make it nice and juicy.

Lemon juice may be used too to tenderize the chicken and add that amazing tangy flavor to it.

Plain yogurt and lemon juice are sometimes also used together in the fried chicken marinade.

And then again, in some marinades, only dry spices are added to the chicken and no plain yogurt or lemon juice is used at all. 

Ginger-garlic paste is commonly added to the marinade too. It’s also one of the most used ingredients in Indian cooking.

It’s all so diverse and there’s not ONE particular way to make Indian fried chicken.

One way to make some amazing crispy Indian fried chicken is here in our recipe though so you can go ahead, cook it and enjoy it because, trust me (humble bragging time!), this is one of the best fried chicken recipes ever ⭐!

❤❤❤

Hey you, I really hope you love this easy crispy fried Indian chicken mixed with tangy sauce recipe as much as I do!

If you do, I would appreciate a star rating SO much (you can rate this recipe right below or from the Recipe Card 💖).

You have no idea how happy it’ll make me and how much of a boost it gives us here. It’s the best feeling ever when you see someone appreciate something you’re passionate about.

Please also let me know in the comments below if you’ve tried this recipe and loved it or have any suggestions regarding it. I would love to hear all about it!

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Would you like to explore more such recipes? Check out our collection of absolutely lip-smacking Crispy Chicken, Stovetop and Chicken & Meat recipes.