# That battered chicken in Chinese restaurants **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 23, 2009, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-battered-chicken-in-chinese-restaurants/504027 "2009-07-23T19:28:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cleophus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e57/32.png) [@Cleophus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cleophus)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-battered-chicken-in-chinese-restaurants/504027/1 "2009-07-23T19:28:18Z")
I’m been experimenting with making simple Chinese restaurant foods, like sesame chicken, where the dish is basically a flavored sauce and battered chicken stir-fried together. I have trouble replicating the batter, though. I’ve experimented with mixtures of cornstarch, egg, and soy sauce, but haven’t really gotten close. What do the restaurants use. Am I correct that they buy pre-battered chicken or a commercial mix? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-battered-chicken-in-chinese-restaurants/504027/2 "2009-07-23T19:32:22Z")
[Tempura batter?](http://www.greatpartyrecipes.com/tempurabatterrecipe.html) ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-battered-chicken-in-chinese-restaurants/504027/3 "2009-07-23T19:32:28Z")
I worked as a waiter in a Chinese restaurant, and while I don’t know if the batter was from fresh ingredients or from a mix, I can definitely tell you that the chicken was not pre-battered, but was battered and deep-fried on site. Of course I can’t say for certain that all Chinese restaurants operate that way. ---
**Author:** ![Cleophus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e57/32.png) [@Cleophus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cleophus)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-battered-chicken-in-chinese-restaurants/504027/4 "2009-07-23T19:37:21Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > [Tempura batter?](http://www.greatpartyrecipes.com/tempurabatterrecipe.html) I haven’t tried that batter recipe, but other tempura-like batters were very light and thin. Not too bad on their own, but quickly became saturated when put in the sauce ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-battered-chicken-in-chinese-restaurants/504027/5 "2009-07-23T22:04:55Z")
[This](http://www.recipezaar.com/Chinese-Restaurant-Style-Sweet-and-Sour-Chicken-144222) isn’t really a tempura batter, more of a popover batter. And it’s what I tend to think of when I think Chinese Restaurant sweet-and-sour chicken. A beer batter might also work, if you’d like to look one up on that site, you should be able to find one fairly easily. P.S. I understand that this kind of batter can have a tendency to fall off the food prematurely. Try keeping it chilled when you’re coating the chicken. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-battered-chicken-in-chinese-restaurants/504027/6 "2009-07-23T22:08:30Z")
Are you really doing a stir-fry? Most Sesame chickens I have had have been deep fried. Then removed and stir fried with the sauce. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-battered-chicken-in-chinese-restaurants/504027/7 "2009-07-24T15:49:51Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > Are you really doing a stir-fry? Most Sesame chickens I have had have been deep fried. Then removed and stir fried with the sauce. I think this might hold the key to the OPs recipe. The crispiness of the meat in the best of AmericanizedChinese food is something I have yet to re-create at home, and I think my not using the deep fryer is part of it. But the crispy BEEF I often order isn’t battered-and-deep-fried (I think?) and that texture is just sublime. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-battered-chicken-in-chinese-restaurants/504027/8 "2009-07-24T17:06:36Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > I think this might hold the key to the OPs recipe. > > The crispiness of the meat in the best of AmericanizedChinese food is something I have yet to re-create at home, and I think my not using the deep fryer is part of it. > > But the crispy BEEF I often order isn’t battered-and-deep-fried (I think?) and that texture is just sublime. Even unbattered meat is often deep-fried and then stir-fried in order to achieve that extra crispy texture. For example, watch this guy in Chicago’s Chinatown make [black pepper beef.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqVluRMSt54) ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-battered-chicken-in-chinese-restaurants/504027/9 "2009-07-24T19:13:01Z")
The only recipe I’ve seen that replicates that texture does not exactly involve batter; you just coat the chicken in egg, roll it in flour, and dip in egg again, and roll in flour again. Deep-fry (you can do this in a wok) and drain. At this point you can fry up your lemon peel, zest, vegetables, or whatever, and then add your sauce and chicken and stir-fry all together until the sauce thickens. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-battered-chicken-in-chinese-restaurants/504027/10 "2009-07-24T19:34:57Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > [Tempura batter?](http://www.greatpartyrecipes.com/tempurabatterrecipe.html) What do baking powder and baking soda do? After much experimentation, I’ve had success with a batter made from egg, a little water and cornstarch. I make the sauce separately and add it at the very last. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-battered-chicken-in-chinese-restaurants/504027/11 "2009-07-24T19:55:04Z")
I would guess the baking powder is to make the batter lighter by introducing bubbles into the mixture. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-battered-chicken-in-chinese-restaurants/504027/12 "2009-07-24T20:09:56Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > I worked as a waiter in a Chinese restaurant, and while I don’t know if the batter was from fresh ingredients or from a mix, I can definitely tell you that the chicken was not pre-battered, but was battered and deep-fried on site. > > Of course I can’t say for certain that all Chinese restaurants operate that way. In New York you can see the kitchen from most storefront Chinese places and they in my experience 100% batter it on site. ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-battered-chicken-in-chinese-restaurants/504027/13 "2009-07-24T20:33:14Z")
There’s a shelter for battered chickens somewhere in my town, but because I’m a rooster I can’t know where it is. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2009, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-battered-chicken-in-chinese-restaurants/504027/14 "2009-07-25T06:32:16Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > [Tempura batter?](http://www.greatpartyrecipes.com/tempurabatterrecipe.html) I like tempura and use it myself, but it’s not what the restaurants are using, because their batter is about 3x as thick. Every recipe I’ve tried for replicating Chinese-style Chicken Fingers has had the exact same problem. What on earth are they using to make it cling better? ---
**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2009, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-battered-chicken-in-chinese-restaurants/504027/15 "2009-07-25T08:36:38Z")
I don’t know to what extent American Chinese restaurants actually bother with it, but IME Chinese cooking usually uses potato starch (potato flour) rather than cornstarch. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Know\_Nothing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f04885/32.png) [@I\_Know\_Nothing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Know_Nothing)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2009, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-battered-chicken-in-chinese-restaurants/504027/16 "2009-07-25T09:20:18Z")
Potato starch. PF Chang’s is my side job. About half of out dishes(including our sesame chicken), are what we call starch dusted. It basically means lightly battered with potato starch, but since the end product is so much different than regularly battered stuff, I guess it required another name. Plus ‘starch dusted’ sounds so much better. Our Honey and Sweet and Sour dishes are battered, and there is a huge difference. I couldn’t tell you much about the liquid part. Its very basic and very light. I know it has egg in it. That’s about it. The main flavors of our dishes are from the sauces they are tossed in towards the end of the cooking process. Anyway, potato starch is the key. I bet you could find some mock PF Chang’s recipes online and start from there. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Know\_Nothing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f04885/32.png) [@I\_Know\_Nothing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Know_Nothing)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2009, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-battered-chicken-in-chinese-restaurants/504027/17 "2009-07-25T09:24:07Z")
[http://www.razzledazzlerecipes.com/chinese-recipes/spicy-chicken.htm](http://www.razzledazzlerecipes.com/chinese-recipes/spicy-chicken.htm) Here’s one. Notice “Diced chicken breast lightly coated with potato starch.” None of the previously mentioned information was proprietary in any way, just in case you were wondering. You can eat at a PF Chang’s and talk with it with your server or manager if you wanted.