Drizzled with the tastiest spicy almond sauce, this bang bang chicken is juicy and crispy. Served with a zesty Asian salad with cucumber and mango. This recipe is gluten-free and paleo-friendly.
My Bang Bang Chicken
I have wanted to make a healthier, gluten-free bang bang chicken for a long time.
You might have come across the name bang bang chicken or bang bang shrimp in a hipster fusion restaurant but the name is actually Chinese (Szechuan) in origin. Also known as bon bon chicken, the traditional dish consists of cold, shredded chicken drenched in spicy sesame sauce.
The chicken is tenderised by pounding with a heavy wooden stick, and as such, it is claimed that the name refers to the sound of the chicken being pounded.
I actually thought that ‘bang bang’ referred to how good the flavours are – spicy, sweet, sour and salty – exploding in your mouth with a bang. After doing some research, it turns out that bang is also slang for “fantastic” in Mandarin, which is probably closer to what it actually means.
Anyways, this recipe is NOT for the authentic bang bang chicken you find in Chinese restaurants but rather my version of the more modern dish, in which chicken or prawns are deep-fried or crispy fried and served with a spicy-sweet (usually) peanut-based sauce. Obviously, there are lots of recipes for the sauce and for how the chicken is cooked, so this is my personal, healthy version.
My partner and my trusted recipe tester declared this one of the best chicken dishes I ever made and has requested it for our next dinner party. The word he used to describe the sauce is too rude to share here, so I’ll just say he called it ‘awesome sauce’.
How To Make Bang Bang Chicken
There are two key components to this dish that you have to get right: juicy, crispy fried chicken and the spicy sauce. My secret is to use chicken thighs, as the meat is tastier and more tender than the chicken breast, and to coat the pieces in a simple flour slurry before shallow frying them until crispy. Plus, some delicious seasoning!
Spicy Almond Sauce
The sauce is made with almond butter, aromatics such as onion, garlic and chilli, and my little secret ingredient – coconut yoghurt! Don’t worry, it will be equally delicious with coconut cream/milk but I think the yoghurt adds a little extra tang that works really well here. I also use it in my coconut yoghurt chicken.
You will benefit from having a small blender for processing the sauce into a smooth consistency, however, chopping everything finely with a knife will work just as fine and will give you a more textured sauce.
The recipe makes a little more sauce than you will use in this dish, so save it in an airtight container and enjoy it as a dipping condiment with some cut-up veggies or as a drizzle over salads or veggies. It would be a great alternative sauce for my Asian chicken salad.
Mango Salad
The final component is a simple salad, which you can make with whatever vegetables you have on hand. I love using as many colours as possible and using a little tropical fruit such as mango or pineapple.
You can also add fresh herbs like coriander (cilantro) or mint, shredded cabbage, radishes, shaved zucchini and so on. It’s dressed simply with lime juice, salt, and olive oil because the bang bang sauce and the chicken juices will serve as a dressing as well.
You can also serve the chicken over cauliflower rice, zucchini noodles or as finger food at a party. Alternatively, make my super easy everyday side salad.
Some harder to get ingredients you can get on Amazon: tapioca flour, coconut flour, coconut aminos, almond butter, white pepper.
More Asian Chicken Recipes
Full Recipe
Find the full list of ingredients, instructions, and a nutritional breakdown below. If you have questions or cook this recipe, please let me know in the comments, and make sure to rate this recipe so it’s easy for others to find.
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Ingredients
- Coconut oil for cooking
For the chicken
- 4 chicken thighs boneless, skinless
- 1 teaspoon white pepper black can also be used
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon mild curry powder
- 1.5 teaspoons onion powder
- 1.5 teaspoons garlic powder
For the slurry
- 3 tablespoons tapioca flour
- 1 tablespoon coconut flour
- 1/4 cup almond milk or coconut milk, water could also be used
For the sauce
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- 1/2 small onion diced (or 1/4 large)
- 1/2 long red chilli sliced or finely diced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 clove garlic finely diced
- 3 tablespoons almond butter
- 2 tablespoons coconut aminos or Tamari wheat-free soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons coconut yoghurt or cream
- 1/4 cup water
- Juice of 1/2 lime
For the salad
- 1 head of baby gem lettuce shredded
- 1/2 long cucumber sliced into thin strips
- 1 large carrot sliced into thin matchsticks
- 1/2 yellow pepper thinly sliced into strips
- 1 small mango sliced into thin strips or diced
- 1/4 cup diced scallions/spring onion
- Juice of 1/2 lime
- A good pinch of salt
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken.Ideally, marinate the chicken for 30 minutes to an hour before cooking. Lay the chicken pieces on a cutting board close together and sprinkle evenly with all of the spices and salt. Massage the chicken meat to make sure the spices are distributed evenly. Leave in the fridge for an hour or overnight and make sure to remove from the cold for 10-15 minutes before frying.
- Make the sauce.This can also be made ahead of time if you’re doing this as part of meal prep on the weekend. Heat a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the coconut oil, onion, chill and salt and sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring a few times, until softened. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir over heat until melted and combined (for about a minute).
- Purée the sauce.Transfer the sauce mixture to a small blender or a food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. If storing in the fridge, simply reheat before serving to thin it out (you can add a little more water if gets too thick in the fridge).
- If not using a blender or a food processor, dice the onions, chill and garlic very finely, so that once the sauce is combined in the pot, you can leave it unprocessed.
- Make salad.Do this before you start cooking the chicken. That way all the components are ready for service. Cut the salad ingredients and assemble them in a bowl or a large platter. Drizzle with lime juice, sprinkle with a little sea salt and drizzle with olive oil. Set aside.
- Cook the chicken.Make sure the chicken is out of the fridge so it’s not too cold. The first step is to make the flour slurry. Combine the flour with the almond or coconut milk and whisk through until smooth. Add the slurry to the chicken and mix until evenly coated.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of coconut oil (a thin layer) over medium-high heat and once hot add the chicken pieces, one by one, making sure there is a little space around them. I like to use chopsticks for this as you can delicately move the pieces around the pan. Cook for 5 minutes on each side. Use a thin spatula to slide under the chicken if it feels a little stuck before you turn it over.
- Serve the chicken over the salad platter and drizzle with a few tablespoons of the sauce. Serve extra sauce on the side. I like to also serve some extra green vegetables such as steamed broccoli or snow peas.
Oh MY the sauce on that chicken! Wow! I can’t wait to try this! Sounds amazing! I was stumped on my dinner menu end of this week and I think we’ll do this!
Now I wish my husband wasn’t out grilling the chicken thighs I just bought at the store… hmmm… Next week THIS will be on my meal plan for sure!
Mangoes are totally my jam. This looks bomb!
You don’t even need words to tell me how amazing this tastes, your gorgeous photos have me sold in just a glance – I even have everything I need to make is… so I’ve changed my weekly meal plan and added this in on the weekend!
This chicken looks amazing- crispy and brown! And that sauce sounds incredible! I can definitely see why this is a favorite!
This bang bang chicken is totally amazing !! I love it !
This chicken looks amazing!!! I cannot wait to make this for my family, I know they’re going to love it. And that mango cucumber salad! That sounds so refreshing and delicious.
That slurry though! That’s the secret to this deliciously crispy chicken! Yummmm!
Oh my! This certainly does look like the best chicken ever!
This looks dynamite! Can you easily adjust the spiciness?
Wow! This looks soooo tasty and something I’d definitely would like to try. Szechuan chicken was always a favourite dish of mine. Thanks Irena!
I’ve pinned this to make – looks fantastic! Great photos, too.
This looks absolutely amazing–such great texture! Pinning to try ASAP!
Family loved it and they “hate paleo.”
Ha! That’s what I call a successful paleo recipe 🙂 Glad they enjoyed it.
Hiya, what can I use instead of the tapioca (I live in London, U.K.), I can’t seem to find it anywhere. Many thanks
Hi Denise, I live in London. You can find tapioca in most health food stores (whole foods, plant organic) and on Amazon. Ocado also stocks it. Search for Bob’s Red Mill brand, as that’s the most common
https://www.ocado.com/webshop/product/Bobs-Red-Mill-Gluten-Free-Tapioca-Flour/213655011?
I made this last night, it was so yummy, but I did have problems with the slurry, mine was too thick, I watered it down, but when I cooked it, most of the coating stuck to the pan. Not sure if pan wasn’t hot enough/too hot or what, any suggestions.
Just made this tonight. Delicious. I used peanut butter instead of almond butter because I’m not strict paleo, but everything else was according to instructions. My family was really impressed. I even heard the word “awesome” several times.
Thanks Rachel! I also sometimes make it with peanut butter, and I think it’s even tastier that way. Glad the family liked it 🙂
This was delicious! Thank you for sharing. The chicken was excellent, and the sauce was delicious. Next time hopefully I’ll have a ripe mango, so I will make the salad. I just served the chicken over romaine lettuce with some blood orange olive oil. AMAZING!
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it.
This is the best. My husband is so excited and he never gets excited over anything remotely healthy. He said it’s the best chicken I’ve ever cooked ? thank you for the recipe!!
Thanks Emerald! I know the feeling, my partner really loves this recipe too and often requests it 🙂
This taste amazing. I had to modify somethings.first for a larger family second replace the mango ad capsicum with beetroot and Apple.
Who’s family including 3yo loved it!
Thank you!
Glad you and the family enjoyed it! It’s a bit of a favourite in our house. And you’re right, any kind of salad will go with this.
We made this recipe this evening and in the words of my husband it was Bang Bang Delicious! This is a terrific recipe and a keeper, thanks Irena!
Made this tonight forgot to take a picture but it was very nice, and will be added to my favourite recipes ?
Thank you, Sylvia.
What type of red chilles would people recommend if I want the flavor right but not too hot? The recipe description is pretty vague…
Long red chilli (jalapenos) are great for this. Some of them might be less or more spicy, so you can leave or remove the seeds.
I made this tonight and it was divine! Family absolutely loved it, thank you!
Thank you, Shell. I am so so happy to hear that 🙂 Irena
This might be nicest home-cooked meal I have ever made. I never knew paleo cooking could be this delicious. Definitely going to whip this one next time I’m entertaining friends. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you, Tim. Super happy you enjoyed it so much.
Irena