Hibachi Sweet Coconut Chicken
[FYI: I’ve already written about Hibachi Coconut Chicken back in 2017 but unfortunately I lost it during the recent move to a different host. But, fret not because here it is again with new photos to boot as well.]
Aside from the sesame chicken which is a staple in every Chinese or Hibachi Buffet restaurants, another favorite is the coconut chicken. It is sweet and creamy and crunchy at the same time. It’s really good but it seems like I never try to go for more because there are other dishes to try, you know what I mean? But, there’s always a solution to every problem. Well, food problems at least. Learn to make the dish of course. I did and it was oh-so-good!
The basic technique is cooking the battered chicken first through frying. Much like how you cook the sesame chicken but with a different sauce obviously. So, let’s do that now.
Hibachi Coconut Chicken
Ingredients
- 3-4 pcs boneless chicken breasts, sliced in chunks (pounded then sliced in chunks)
- oil for deep-frying
- sprinkle of salt and pepper
BATTER
- 1 1/2 cup flour
- 1 egg beaten
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 2 tbsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 cups water (+ more if batter is too thick)
SAUCE
- 1 can coconut milk
- 1/2 cup condensed milk
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Slice the boneless chicken breasts in thick strips. Pound each then cut in small chunks. Season with salt and pepper.
- Heat up oil in a small pot or fryer. Whisk together a beaten egg, cornstarch, flour, baking powder, salt and pepper. Dip the chicken chunks into the batter. Do this in batches.
- Fry the battered chunks of chicken into the hot oil. Do this in batches as well. Drain excess oil of the fried chicken using a strainer with a pot or bowl underneath.
- In a wok, combine coconut milk, condense milk, honey, and mayonnaise. Whisk until bubbly.
- Transfer the fried chicken chunks into wok.
- Gently stir to incorporate the sauce into the chicken.
The trick is to wait right before serving to combine the chicken with the sauce. This process helps the chicken stay crisp ad crunchy. Trust me on this!
Serve with rice!
