Taiwanese Breaded Chicken (Ji-Pai)

Taiwanese Breaded Chicken or Ji-pai is a type of Fried Chicken Fillet where it is crispy on the outside and tender juicy on the inside. It is one of the most popular snacks in Taiwan and like in Malaysia it is sold on night markets.

I first tried this dish not in Taiwan but in Malaysia, in one of their night markets in SS2 Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Night Markets or Pasar Malam happens only once a week it’s a place where hawkers sell different things from fresh veggies, fake watches to household items. It is one of the places I always visit because it is also a paradise for foodies, especially for those who love street food as you will be presented with hundreds of choices in very affordable prices. One of the choices is this post and I discovered it when I saw people queuing up for this freshly deep fried chicken cutlet served on a brown paper bag, I got curious and bought one myself. The first time I tried it I can’t believe that this was made out of chicken breasts as they are very tender and tasty.

Taiwanese Breaded Chicken or Ji-pai is a type of Fried Chicken Fillet where it is crispy on the outside and tender juicy on the inside. It is one of the most popular snacks in Taiwan and like in Malaysia it is sold on night markets. This chicken dish is similar to fried chicken but it is only made out chicken breast which is pounded flat, marinated in spices, battered and then quickly deep-fried. Some other variations exist like the addition of cheese and fruits, some also sprinkle additional flavouring once it’s cooked cheese, sour cream and chives and barbecue.

For this version we will stick with my version of the traditional one, the simple deep fried chicken cutlet that made this popular.

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Taiwanese Breaded Chicken (Ji-Pai)

  • Author: Raymund
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 5 mins
  • Total Time: 20 mins
  • Yield: 4 1x
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Taiwanese

Description

Taiwanese Breaded Chicken or Ji-pai is a type of Fried Chicken Fillet where it is crispy on the outside and tender juicy on the inside. It is one of the most popular snacks in Taiwan and like in Malaysia it is sold on night markets.


Ingredients

Scale

Chicken

  • 2 pcs large chicken breasts
  • 2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup corn starch
  • 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
  • oil

Seasonings

  • 1/4 cup light soy sauce (or lesser, adjust to your liking)
  • 2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp five spice powder
  • 1 tsp white pepper
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced

Instructions

  1. Cut chicken breast into two then thinly slice each side into 2 pieces yielding 4 pieces for each breast. Using a meat pounder, lightly pound each piece until they are flat. Place in a container that can be covered then set aside.
  2. Mix all seasoning ingredients in a bowl then pour it into the chicken breasts. Lightly massage each chicken piece to evenly distribute the seasoning then cover the container. Place it in the refrigerator and let it marinate for at least 6 hours.
  3. Mix together flour and corn starch, place in a flat container.
  4. Place eggs in another container.
  5. Place bread crumbs in another flat container.
  6. Remove chicken from the refrigerator then lightly dip it into the flour mixture, then dip it on the beaten eggs then into the bread crumbs. Set aside and do it with the remaining chicken breast.
  7. Prepare a deep fryer or a wok with enough oil for deep frying, heat oil until hot but not smoking (ideally 180C) then deep fry each chicken piece until golden brown, this will take around 5 minutes.
  8. Once cooked place in a dripping container to remove excess oil then serve.

 

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19 Responses

  1. I always like to visit night markets. I can get varieties of food there. 😉
    Taiwanese breaded chicken is one of the nice snack!

  2. aipheng says:

    Ooo, I miss Malaysia and its street food.

  3. This sounds like something my daughter would love! I can’t wait to give this a try

  4. jersey09 says:

    I want to try this too 🙂 can i grab the recipe?

  5. Lovely dish when in need of comfort food 🙂

  6. Who doesn’t like fried chicken?! Though I don’t eat it often, the crispy texture of these would certainly lure me to indulge.

  7. Kiran says:

    I’m craving these now!!! Yummy!!

  8. Kristy says:

    I love this picture Raymund. Is that ketchup in the foreground? I love how that looks next to the chicken. You know this one would be a serious hit in our house. I will be making this one for sure. It might become a staple next to your sticky garlic chicken. 🙂

  9. Eri says:

    Looks so crispy!

  10. What a great way to make chicken fingers! Looks good!

  11. mjskit says:

    Oh yum! I could eat little fried chicken pieces like this all day!

  12. Shirley says:

    Boy I wish I had some of this now. Looks perfectly crisp and golden.

  13. Joy says:

    ketchup? NO!! just salt and pepper

  14. lediae says:

    Geee…. I used to frequent that night market as a student. I miss it so much.

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