Ji Pai (Taiwanese Fried Chicken Steak)

A recipe for Ji Pai (Taiwanese Fried Chicken Steak)! Large, flat pieces of chicken are marinated in a sweet and salty soy sauce mixture, coated in flour/sweet potato flour, and fried until golden and crispy.

Ji Pai (Dà jī pái, 大雞排) are huge, flat pieces of fried chicken from Taiwan. They are popular as a street food with vendors selling pieces nearly 12 inches wide. Chicken breasts are pounded until they are the size of a steak, coated in flour/egg/sweet potato flour, then deep-fried until crisp.

Before frying, the Ji Pai are marinated in a sweet and salty soy sauce mixture. It is best to let the chicken refrigerate 6 hours to overnight, but 30 minutes will work in a pinch. Right before serving, I sprinkled the Ji Pai with a seasoned salt and pepper mixture. I paired the chicken with fries, but you can also slice the pieces into thin strips and serve alongside a salad and rice.

Even though I fried the chicken twice (the second fry is only for 10 seconds to help seal in the flavor), this chicken wasn’t greasy. It has a crisp coating while the chicken inside remains tender and juicy.

I made a finishing powder with salt, black and white peppers, and five spice powder. There are a few other variations that I have come across. Some even include ground dried plums or sugar. Feel free to add a little more five spice powder if you want that flavor to shine through.

Taiwan Duck has a video on her site of how to prepare Ji Pai. She also butterflies one large chicken breast to create a huge flat piece instead of slicing it in half like I did.

Sweet potato flour (camote/kamote flour, sweet potato starch) is made by drying sweet potatoes and grinding them into a powder. The resulting flour is gluten-free and adds a slight sweetness. The color of the powder ranges from orange to beige.

You can find sweet potato flour in international markets featuring South American or Southeast Asian ingredients or in health food stores (particularly those with a gluten-free section). I haven’t attempted it yet, but you can make your own. If you are unable to locate it, substitute with cornstarch.

Looking for more fried chicken recipes?

Try

• Fried Chicken Soup Noodles
• Tali Murghi (Fried Chicken)
• Mini Fried Chicken and Waffles

Ji Pai (Taiwanese Fried Chicken Steak) Recipe

Adapted from Taiwan Duck and Ang Sarap

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5 from 1 vote

Ji Pai (Taiwanese Fried Chicken Steak)

A recipe for Ji Pai (Taiwanese Fried Chicken Steak)! Large, flat pieces of chicken are marinated in a sweet and salty soy sauce mixture, coated in flour/sweet potato flour, and fried until golden and crispy.

Course Main

Cuisine Taiwanese

Keyword chicken, fried, poultry, Taiwan, Taiwanese

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Resting Time: 6 hours hours

Total Time 6 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 3 -4 Servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice wine
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon five spice powder
• 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
• Vegetable oil for frying
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup sweet potato flour

Salt and Pepper Powder:

• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• 1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon ground white pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon five spice powder

Instructions

• Slice each chicken breast horizontally through the middle to form two thin halves. Pound each of the halves until thin and wide, about 1/4 inch thick.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, five spice powder, white pepper, baking soda, garlic, and sesame oil. Add the pounded chicken pieces, turning to coat. Cover and refrigerate 6 hours to overnight.
• Pour oil into a wide saucepan at least 2 inches deep. Place over medium heat to 350˚F. Spread the flour over one plate. In a wide bowl, beat together the eggs. On another plate, spread out the sweet potato flour. Line another plate with a towel.
• Take one of the chicken pieces out of the bowl, allowing the excess marinade to drip off. Coat both sides in the flour, then the egg. Allow the excess egg to drip off, then coat in the sweet potato flour.
• Gently transfer the chicken to the heated oil. Fry until golden, then flip and fry the other side until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a towel-lined plate and repeat with remaining chicken.
• Once the chicken pieces are fried, make sure the oil is thoroughly heated and fry each piece again for 10 seconds. Remove from oil and drain on towel.

To make the Salt and Pepper Powder:

• In a small bowl, mix together the salt, black pepper, white pepper, and five spice powder. Sprinkle over hot chicken and serve immediately.