Zaab Crispy Chicken (Heng Heng Copycat)
This Thai-style Zaab Crispy Chicken (Heng Heng Copycat) is inspired by the popular dish at Heng Heng Chicken Rice. It’s crispy chicken salad that is spicy, tangy, and absolutely packed with flavor!
- Prep time
- 1 hr
- Cook time
- 42 min
- Yield
- 2 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 lb boneless, skin-on chicken thighs
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp Knorr chicken bouillon
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2-3 cups neutral oil for frying (canola, vegetable, or peanut.)
- 3 garlic cloves
- 4 Thai chili peppers (adjust to your spice tolerance)
- 2 tbsp palm sugar
- 3 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper
- ½ tsp msg
- tamarind paste (optional)
- ¼ cup cilantro (chopped)
- ¼ cup green onion (chopped)
- ¼ cup red onion (thinly sliced)
- 1 tsp mint (optional) (chopped)
- 3 tbsp Thai glutinous rice
- 3 tbsp crushed roasted peanuts
- 1 persian cucumber (sliced)
Instructions
- 1
Using a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic, Thai chilies, and palm sugar into a rough paste. Then add the lime juice, fish sauce, water, crushed red pepper, msg, and tamarind paste if using (it's optional but highly recommended).
- 2
In a dry skillet, lightly toast Thai glutinous rice over medium heat until it is a light golden color. Remove from the skillet to let it cool, then blend into a coarse toasted rice powder. Set aside.
- 3
In a mixing bowl, combine cilantro, red onion, green onion, mint, crushed peanuts, and toasted rice powder. Set aside.
- 4
Combine the seasonings (salt, Knorr chicken bouillon, pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper) in a small bowl and set it aside.
- 5
Use about ½ tsp of the seasoning blend to season the flour. Set aside.
- 6
Clean the chicken thighs by trimming off any fat. Then season with the remaining seasoning blend. Make sure to get it under the skin as well.
- 7
Coat the chicken in the seasoned flour by pressing it firmly into every crevice, then shake off any excess flour.
- 8
Heat oil in a deep 10-inch pot to 375°F. Use enough oil to mostly cover the chicken, but it doesn’t need to be fully submerged. I highly recommend using a thermometer to monitor the temperature for perfectly crispy chicken.
- 9
Carefully drop the chicken into the oil, skin side down first. The temperature will drop- try to keep it between 350-375°F for the best results.
- 10
Fry for 10-12 minutes total, flipping the chicken over as needed (once or twice) to get it evenly crispy.
- 11
Remove from oil, then rest on a wire rack to cool a little.
- 12
Chop the chicken into bite sized pieces, then toss together with the salad, toppings, and dressing.
- 13
Serve with rice and sliced cucumbers.