Crispy Sinigang XXL Fried Chicken

Sinigang XXL Fried Chicken is generously sized chicken marinated for tenderness, coated in a crispy breading, and finished with the unmistakable zesty flavor of Filipino sinigang powder. This dish draws inspiration from Taiwanese street food while infusing it with a taste of the Philippines.

Prepare to be amazed by the simplicity of this recipe! If you love tangy and savory flavors, this fried chicken recipe is sure to impress.

New to sinigang? Read our Sinigang recipe for a comprehensive cooking guide on every Filipino’s favorite dish!

We’ve got even more easy recipes for you! Explore more snacks and appetizer recipes like Fried Enoki Mushrooms and Kare-Kare Fried Chicken Wings!

Let’s get started! Sinigangang!!

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Table of Contents

The Inspiration Behind Sinigang XXL Fried Chicken

There’s this Tiktok trend where Filipinos use sinigang powder for pretty much anything! They’ll toss it on chicken wings, fries, potato wedges, popcorn, or just dunk their food right into it. We’ve tried it all!

If you haven’t tried it, give this a go: take a tequila shot and eat some sinigang powder like you would salt. It’s so tasty!

Fried chicken is popular in both Taiwanese and Filipino cuisine. Plus, it’s my favorite food!

If you’re not familiar with XXL fried chicken, you might know its cousin: Taiwanese popcorn chicken.

XXL fried chicken is a popular Taiwanese street food prepared very similarly to popcorn chicken and often served at the same food stalls.

Instead of eating little bite-sized pieces with a toothpick, this fried chicken features a whole chicken breast or thigh, wrapped in paper, and is meant to be eaten by hand.

Filipino cuisine is no stranger to incredibly delicious fried chicken; the secret to Filipino-style fried chicken lies in marinating the meat with salty or acidic Filipino ingredients.

For this recipe, we’re using a simple combination of soy sauce, patis, and garlic.

By the way, younger Filipinos and Fil-Ams have a slang term: “Sinigangang!” It’s basically a proclamation that we’re on team Sinigang. If a sinigang dish is especially yummy, someone will likely yell this out loud during mealtime.

Today, we are making Taiwanese XXL fried chicken with a tangy, zesty sinigang flavor, a departure from its traditional five-spice seasoning!

Ingredients for Sinigang XXL Fried Chicken

• Chicken Breast – Butterflied to make it XXL and pounded to ensure even cooking. You can also use chicken thigh, pounded whole or cut into smaller pieces for popcorn chicken (more on this later.)
• Marinade – A simple combination of soy sauce, patis, and garlic. This will tenderize the chicken and add flavor.
• Egg – Not essential for this recipe, but it helps to bind the breading to the chicken.
• Starch – This is the key to that light, crisp, bubbly breading found in classic Taiwanese fried chicken. Ideally, use coarse sweet potato starch, though many excellent substitutes are available. Here are the best options for today’s recipe:
  • Sweet Potato Starch – comes in coarse or fine grain. This ingredient is used in classic Taiwanese fried chicken.
  • Katakuriko – this is a Japanese potato starch made from Hokkaido potato. It’s commonly used in the frying batter for chicken karaage. When fried, this starch expands similarly to sweet potato starch, but its appearance is sort of patchy instead of bubbly all over. This is what we will be using today.
  • Tapioca Starch – made from the cassava plant and used in many Asian cuisines and gluten-free baking. For frying batter, this makes a very light, crisp, and subtly chewy texture.
• Neutral Oil – Use a high smoke point oil such as canola, vegetable, sunflower, etc.
• Sinigang Seasoning – This comes in packets for instant Filipino tamarind stew. Find them at the Filipino grocery or most Asian markets. Read our recipe for Sinigang to learn how to make this comforting hot and sour stew!

Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Sinigang XXL Fried Chicken

• Watch the heat – Use a thermometer or the chopstick test to confirm the hot frying oil is ready. Manage the oil temperature by making small adjustments to the flame while cooking.
  • To perform a chopstick test, dip a wooden chopstick into the oil to touch the bottom of the pan. Look for a steady stream of bubbles forming around the chopstick; the bubbles should neither be too slow nor too fast.
• Lightly dust the chicken with sinigang seasoning – This store-bought seasoning can be quite salty, so it’s easier to add more later than to remove it. Start with a light dusting and adjust to your preference. In our experience, the fried chicken is tastier served with rice when it has a little more sinigang seasoning. However, with less seasoning, it’s delicious on its own and can be eaten by hand.
• Dredging Hack for using tapioca flour – To achieve a crunch similar to sweet potato starch, lightly dampen your hands and flick water onto the flour before dredging. This creates small water beads that enhance the crispiness and texture, resulting in a bubbly breading similar to that achieved with sweet potato starch.

Serving Suggestions

To eat Sinigang XXL Fried Chicken, wrap it in parchment paper for handheld eating. Alternatively, you can slice it and serve it over rice.

Fried chicken can be quite thirst-inducing, so consider pairing it with an ice-cold beer or a Frozen Calamansi Margarita. For non-alcoholic options, milk tea, iced green tea, or Melon sa Malamig are excellent choices.

Variation – Make Sinigang Popcorn Chicken

To make Sinigang Popcorn Chicken, substitute chicken thighs for chicken breast and cut them into bite-sized cubes.

Follow the rest of the recipe as written, frying the pieces for a few minutes until golden brown and an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) is reached. Serve with toothpicks and attack!

Equipment

• Our Place Knives and Wooden Cutting Board Set
• meat tenderizer
• mixing bowl(s)
• Our Place Always Pan
• thermometer
• splatter screen
• cooling rack

Recipe

Marinate the Chicken Breast

1. Butterfly cut the chicken breast, and pound to 1/4” thick.

1. Combine the soy sauce, patis, and garlic.

1. Pour the sauce over the chicken and marinate for 1 hour on the counter.

Frying the Chicken

1. Preheat the oil to 350℉ (176℃).
2. Dredge the chicken in scrambled egg and then starch. Be sure to completely cover every nook and cranny, and remove excess starch before frying.

1. Fry for about 3-4 min on each side until golden brown and the internal temperature reads 165℉ (74℃).

1. Let rest on a cooling rack for 5 min until cool enough to touch.
2. Dust with sinigang powder to taste. Serve whole or cut into slices.

Final Thoughts

Get ready for an explosion of flavor with this Sinigang XXL Fried Chicken! This large fried chicken boasts a crispy exterior, juicy interior, and perfectly captures the essences of Taiwanese fried chicken and Filipino sinigang. Each bite delivers a satisfying crunch and a zesty tamarind kick. Give this recipe a try!

Want more delicious street food inspired eats? Check out our recipes for Cambodian Grilled Street Corn and Easy Bacolod Chicken Inasal!

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References & Further Reading

Posted By: Noelle Noriesta · In: Snacks and Appetizers