Crispy Homemade Chicken Pakora (Air Fryer Option)

Crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, chicken pakora (chicken pakoda) are hot & spicy chicken fritters made by deep frying gram flour (besan) coated chicken.

The deep-frying process imparts a gorgeous golden color on the outside, creating a contrast with the tender and flavorful chicken inside. Serve this irrestible indian chicken appetizer as a party starter with accompaniments, such as green chutney, sweet & spicy mango chutney, tamarind chutney, or a yogurt dip. Or you could serve as a side dish to main meal. Either way, these chicken pakora vanish in no time!

You could also air fry chicken pakoras- I am including the instructions.

There are different ways of making chicken pakoras in the indian subcontinent. Like most of my indian chicken recipes, my rendition is north indian style, I prepare this crispy pakora recipe using a spiced besan (gram flour) batter. For an extra crispiness, I also incorporate a touch of rice flour.

Pakoras, or pakoda are basically indian fritters. Indian pakoras are delightful bites of heaven. These spicy and crispy morsels encompass a range of favorites, including baingan pakoras, corn pakoda, egg pakora and, of course, paneer pakora.

Who can resist deep-fried chicken? With an irresistible combination of crispy texture and zesty flavors, both chicken 65 and crunchy chicken pakoras are a huge treat to the taste buds. Honestly, I hardly saw chicken pakoras made at home, it was a street side treat growing up. I started making them in my kitchen just a few years back.

About Chicken Pakora

Indian pakoras are deep fried fritters made of vegetables, eggs,chicken or seafood (amritsari fried fish). Pakoras are made in homes, sold by street vendors and served in restaurants. A cup of masala chai takes the pakora experice to next level.

Chicken pakora is bite size, deep fried chicken snack or appetizer from Indian cuisine. This crispy chicken is a popular street food and you would find it on menus of most indian restaurants here in United States as well.

Chicken pakoras can be seasoned with a variety of spices and herbs. These pakoras a best enjoyed with chutneys, sprinkle of chaat masala (a hot & tangy spice blend), onions and squeeze of lemon juice.

I typically marinate pieces of chicken (boneless chicken thighs) with yogurt, fresh herbs, spices, lemon juice and ground spices. You can deep fry the chicken right away, however I am obsessed with marination process and I do make a point to leave the chicken alone for 2-3 hours. For this reason, most times I plan ahead.

Once the chicken is marinated, coat it in besan (gram flour) and rice flour. No need to add water, the moisture from yogurt, chicken and lemon juices would be enough for the flour to stick. Deep fry in hot oil and serve immediately.

Chicken pakoras are quite addictive. They will be gone in minutes!

Difference between Chicken 65 & Chicken Pakora

Both chicken 65 and crispy chicken pakora the dishes have small boneless chicken pieces deep-fried to golden perfection.

In chicken pakora, gram flour is added along with rice flour, in chicken 65 cornstrach & rice flour is use for crisping the coating on chicken.

Deep fried chicken pakora is served rightaway with chutneys, however in chicken 65, deep fried chicken is tossed in a quick tempering of mustard seeds, garlic, curry leaves and red chilli sauce (similar to sriracha). Chicken 65 is much spicier.

Chicken Pakora Ingredients

• Chicken - I use boneless chicken thighs. They stay moist and due to dark meat, the taste is great. You could use chicken breast if you want. Cut chicken into 1-1.5 inch pieces.
• Fresh Herbs- I use scallions, fresh curry leaves(skip if not available), cilantro leaves.
• Ground Spices - Red chilli powder, Garam Masala powder, Turmeric powder, black pepper powder
• Yogurt- Tenderizes the chicken and adds tang to the marinade.
• Besan- Gram flour adds a wonderful nutty taste. You could use chickpea flour instead. 
• Rice Flour - Makes chicken pakora crispy. Rice flour ddd amazing crispy texture to these pakoras. Use cornstarch (cornflour) if you don't have rice flour at hand.
• Other Ingredients - Garlic paste, baking soda, fresh ginger, green chilies, lemon juice, Oil for deep frying.

Instructions

Preparation

1. On a cutting board, using a sharp knife, finely chop the fresh cilantro leaves, curry leaves, scallions and green chillies(if using).
2. On another cutting board, using a sharp knife, cut chicken thighs into 1 to 1.5 inch pieces. Place in a large mixing bowl.

Marinate The Chicken

3. Add the spice powders, chopped herbs, lemon juice, yogurt and salt to the chicken. Add chopped green chillies (if using).

4. Using hands, mix the chicken very well until its fully coated in the marinade.

Tip - I recommend wear gloves while mixing the chicken with marinade, helps in protecting hands against turmeric stains and also wont make hands smell of spices.

5. You could just keep the chicken aside for 10-15 minutes and then make pakoras. I usually leave it to marinate (refrigerated) for good 3-5 hours.

Deep Fry The Chicken Pakora

6. Take the marinated chicken out of the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to frying.
7. Add besan, baking soda and rice flour to the chicken. Using hands mix again to coat the chicken. No need to add water, it is okay if the flour appears a bit dry- will make for a crispier pakora.

8. Heat 2-3 inch oil in a kadai (indian wok) or dutch oven on medium high heat.

Tip - Don't add too much oil for frying. You wont be able to re use the oil in which pakoras are fried. Add more oil if needed during frying process.

9. To check the temperature of oil, add a piece of chicken in it. It should sizzle for a little bit and rise to the top (but not too quickly). 
10. Add the chicken one piece at a time in hot oil. After adding the chicken, don't touch for next 2-3 minutes. Don't overcrowd the pan and also make sure that the heat is constant else the pakoras will start becoming soggy.

11. Fry the chicken for 3-4 minutes or until the coating appears golden brown crispy and chicken is cooked through. To give you an idea, I had 1.1 lb of chicken and I fried it in 4 small batches in a 8 inch cast iron skillet. Took me about 20 minutes.
12. Once fried to golden brown, pick up the pakoras using a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. Immediately sprinkle with chaat masala. If you don't have kids running away with chicken pakoras off the plate, keep the previous batches warm in a low oven.
13. Once all the chicken is fried, serve with green chutney, sliced onion, lemon wedges.

Air Fry Chicken Pakora

Preheat your air fryer to 360F for 2-3 minutes. Place the chicken pakoras in a single layer in the basket. Spray some oil on top. Cook for 8 minutes. Open the basket, using tongs, flip the chicken. Bump the temperature to 375F. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Done!

Recipe Tips

• Chicken Prep : Cut chicken into small, bite-sized pieces for uniform frying.
• Marinate the chicken longer for better flavor and tender texture.
• You could add kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves) or mint leaves if you prefer the flavor instead of curry leaves.
• Check the Seasoning - Once your oil is hot, fully fry a single pakora and taste it to make sure that the salt is right. Else adjust the salt as needed and then go on to fry the rest of the pakoras.
• Think texture - I like to add texture by including finely chopped herbs and finely chopped ginger. Use chopped green chillies, do not add pastes of everything.
• If you don't have rice flour, you could use cornstach. Do add the baking soda for the perfect crispy texture.
• If you prefer using thermometer while frying. Heat the oil to around 350-375°F (175-190°C). This oil temperature ensures that the pakoras cook evenly and turn out crispy.

Tip for Make Ahead Chicken Pakora

There are two ways you could plan ahead this chicken pakora recipe

1. Marinate the chicken ahead of time. In this case, cut the chicken pieces around 2 inch. Marinate overnight and when its time to make pakoras, simply coat in besan and rice flour and deep fry.
2. Fry the entire batch of chicken pakoras. Keep the previous batches warm in a low oven (200F) for 20-30 minutes. Any more longer, and the pakoras start drying up.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve with tomato chutney, green chutney or any yogurt dip. Ranch tastes great too.
• Add as a side dish to rice pilaf dishes like egg pulao or mushroom pulao. Don't forget a bowl of raita to complete the meal.
• These pakoras are a good protein side to simple dal-chawal meal.
• You could tuck them inside parathas, top with kachumber salad and add a drizzle of green chutney & sweet tamarind chutney to make a sweet spicy crispy wrap.

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