Filipino Street-Style Fried Chicken

Filipino Street-Style chicken is a crispy, umami fried chicken popular amongst street vendors in the Philippines!

Watch the Filipino Street-Style Fried Chicken Recipe Video Below!

What is Street-Style Fried Chicken?

Like the name, this is inspired by the fried chicken sold by street vendors in the Philippines.

Locals sometimes like to call it “Kanto Fried Chicken”, where Kanto literally means “street corner”, in Tagalog.

Fried chicken, in general, is beloved by most Filipinos. There’s a reason why this style of chicken has become incredibly popular with locals, commuters, and students alike. It’s crunchy, filling, and relatively cheap to not only purchase, but to also sell as a business!

What makes this different from other worldwide versions of fried chicken lies in its marinade. Using a combination of fish sauce, liquid seasoning, and calamansi juice, it utilizes the everyday pantry ingredients accessible to Filipinos to season the chicken.

How to Get the Crispiest Fried Chicken

When initially testing this recipe with the family, I told them to pay attention to the crunch first, and the flavor second, since the texture is what can ultimately make or break your fried chicken.

Heat your oil to the proper temperature: Standard frying temperatures range from anywhere between 325-350 F. Anything lower, and you risk making your fried chicken soggy . Anything higher, and you can cause the outside to brown too quickly and burn, while the inside remains raw.

Fry in batches: Again, this is all about maintaining adequate oil temperature. Overcrowding your fryer can cause the temperature of your oil to drop too quickly. It can also reduce the amount of surface area your chicken gets in contact with the oil, reducing crispiness.

Cool on a wire rack: Using paper towels may be tempting, but letting the chicken cool on a wire rack to drain the excess oil prevents the underside from getting soggy.

Double-fry: Double-frying refers to frying the chicken once to cook the inside, letting it rest for a few minutes, and then frying it for a second time on a much higher heat to brown the coating and to remove any excess moisture. This double-frying method is used by many chefs and restaurants to achieve that mouth-shattering crisp!

Ingredients (and substitutions!)

Chicken: Any cut of chicken should work for this recipe, as traditionally in the Philippines, a whole chicken is typically broken down and all the parts are fried to be sold. As preference, I do like using chicken quarters for its juiciness and tender meat.

Marinade: The marinade is mainly composed of fish sauce, liquid seasoning, calamansi juice, garlic and onion powder, sugar, and egg whites. It’s a fairly concentrated marinade, which will allow it to permeate the chicken and make it flavorful throughout.

• Substitutions: Fish sauce can be replaced with either soy sauce or salt. Liquid seasoning may also be replaced with equal parts soy sauce. Calamansi juice can be substituted with equal parts lemon or lime juice.

Cornstarch and Flour: Using a higher ratio of starch with flour gives a lighter crunch to the fried chicken.

• Substitutions: Cornstarch may be substituted with potato or tapioca starch. You could also omit the starch entirely and just replace the entire measurement with flour. Doing so won’t affect the taste that much, though the texture of the fried chicken will just be more thicker and heavier.

Baking powder: A small amount of baking powder will help to produce tiny air pockets that will make our coating light and crisp! You may choose to omit this ingredient without overly altering the overall taste/texture if you’d like.

Annatto powder: Purely for aesthetic reasons, this helps with giving the fried chicken a reddish/orange hue once fried (it typically has minimal flavor and isn’t worth the hassle if you can’t find this, I just like the color it adds to the chicken).

Instructions

Prepare your chicken by cutting shallow slits on the meat. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine together all the ingredients for the marinade. Mix well to achieve a thin, paint-like batter consistency.

Mix in your prepared chicken, and ensure each piece is coated well with the marinade. Cover, and let marinate for at least 1 hour to overnight.

In the meantime, combine all the ingredients together for the coating. Stir well to combine.

Coat the marinated chicken pieces in the coating mix, packing it well to ensure maximum coverage.

Fry the coated chicken pieces in batches until the outside is golden and cooked all the way through. Set aside to cool on a wire rack.

Let cool slightly prior to serving. Enjoy!

Cooking Tips

Try to use evenly-sized chicken: To reduce overcooking or undercooking, try to go for pieces that are relatively similar in size and weight. Another trick would be to pull some smaller pieces out early while the rest cooks, to avoid overcooking.

Note that the USDA recommends that all poultry should reach 165 F (73.9 C) internal when measured with a food thermometer in order to be safe for consumption.

Marinate for at least 1 hour, but no longer than 24 hours: To maximize flavor, it’s ideal to let your chicken marinate for at least an hour or more. Avoid letting the chicken sit in the marinade for longer than a day, however, since the calamansi and salts may break down the chicken, changing its overall texture.

Add extra spices to your marinade: If you wanted to spice things up a little, feel free to add extra spices or sauces that you see fit to the marinade. You can add anything from white pepper, paprika, chili powder, oregano, or even thyme.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

What do I serve this with?

Filipino-style fried chicken is typically served with rice on the side, along with freshly sliced vegetables, and a vinegar-based dip known as a sawsawan.

How do I store leftovers?

Leftover fried chicken should be good for up 3-4 days in the refrigerator. To reheat, I’d recommend either oven roasting or air frying at around 325-350 F to allow the inside to be warmed while keeping the skin crisp!

Looking for more tasty street food recipes? Here’s a couple that you might enjoy:

• Turon
• Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken
• Kwek-Kwek
• Tteokbokki