Pan-fried chicken bites coated with a rich, buttery and garlicky sauce. Serve it over rice, pasta or with flatbreads or artisan breads.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 25 minutes
  • Total time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Appetizer
  • Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 550 grams (1.2 lbs.) chicken breast ((2 medium breasts or thighs))
  • ¾ teaspoon sea salt ((adjust to taste))
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon Italian herbs
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (or corn starch for crispy chicken (¼ cup if you want to deep fry, bake or air fry))
  • 2 tablespoons oil to fry chicken
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1½ tablespoon garlic (minced/ fine chopped)
  • 2 teaspoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup (240 ml) chicken broth (/stock)
  • Salt (as required)
  • ½ to 1 tablespoon lemon juice ((optional))
  • ½ to 1 teaspoon chili flakes (/ black pepper (or both))
  • 1 tablespoon parsley (or rosemary chopped)

Method

  1. Prepare chicken: Cut the chicken to 1 inch chunks. Add lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian herbs, black pepper and salt. Coat the chicken well and add flour. Coat them lightly with the flour.
  2. Pan-fry the chicken: Heat oil in a pan and place the chicken to cook through on each side for 3 mins, until cooked through. Remove the chicken to a plate and melt butter in the same pan.
  3. Make garlic sauce: Add garlic and cook for 40 to 50 seconds. Stir in the flour to mix well with butter and cook for a minute. Reduce the heat and pour the chicken stock/broth. Cook until the sauce is thickened and coats the back of a spoon, for about 7 to 8 minutes. (Check photos in the post for consistency)
  4. Make garlic chicken: Add lemon juice, taste test and adjust salt to taste. Add the chicken and cook on a high heat until some of the sauce is absorbed, for 2 mins. If you want thicker sauce, cook it for a little longer. Add black pepper or chili flakes or both.
  5. Garnish with chopped parsley or rosemary. Serve over hot rice or flatbreads. You can also stir in cooked spaghetti or pasta.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.