Everything you need to know about how to make Chicken 65!
I learned a lot of fantastic chicken 65 recipes while travelling the UK, researching for my second cookbook 'The Curry Guy Easy'.
It was one of the most popular recipes in that book so I featured it in 'The Curry Guy Bible' too!
As you will see, there are a lot of ingredients in this famous dish. For this reason, I almost didn't include it in the EASY book.
So don't let all those ingredients scare you off! This recipe is super easy and delicious
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Forward preparation
Be sure to get your ingredients lined up and you can make delicious chicken 65 in no time. Getting your ingredients ready will make things a lot easier.
For best results, you should marinate the chicken overnight but I often only marinate it for an hour or so.
Once you have your chicken marinating, all you need to do is deep fry the chicken before the final cooking. This can actually be done a day or so ahead of serving as the chicken reheats in the pan.
About this chicken 65 recipe...
There are so many different recipes for chicken 65 but they are all quite similar. I like to serve it as a starter but it also makes a great snack. The spicy and crispy chicken pieces are to die for.
An optional extra is to stir in red chilli sauce to finish it all off. You could use the hot sauce of your choice and yes... shop bought is fine. I use Frank's
I have also tried chicken 65 many times in India and found the dish there to be very similar to those we get in the west. Perhaps that is why it has become so popular worldwide.
Once you've made the recipe, you will want to make in again and again.
Ever wondered why the dish is called 'chicken 65'?
I've heard so many stories about how chicken 65 got its name. One was that the original chicken 65 had sixty-fine ingredients in it.
Although I have tried, I have yet to find a recipe that calls for that many ingredients but it is a possibility.
A more believable explanation was that chicken 65 was always the 65th option on the menu at popular restaurants in India. There were a lot of different dishes on the menus.
Diners would simply look for the 65th item on the menu and know it would be amazing.
Although this recipe does include red food colouring for the meat, it is not necessary for you to do so.
The colouring adds a nice colour that many people expect in a chicken 65 but that colouring has no flavour at all.
These step by step chicken 65 recipe photos should help you get the recipe just right.
Here are more curry house curry favourites you might like to try!
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- Chicken Korma
- Chicken Madras
- Chicken Dhansak
- Lamb Rogan Josh
- Lamb Vindaloo
- Chicken Chilli Garlic
- Chicken Patia
- Lamb Bhuna
- Chicken Tikka Masala
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This chicken 65 recipe is served at all of my curry feasts!
Dig in!
Yield: 6Chicken 65
Ingredients
- 1kg (2lb 3oz) chicken breasts
- Rapeseed (canola) oil, for deep-frying 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 20 curry leaves
- 3 green chillies, sliced
- 12 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 10cm (4in) piece of ginger, peeled and julienned
- 3 spring onions (scallions), roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2–3 tbsp chilli sauce (optional)
- FOR THE SPICED BATTER
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 2 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
- 3 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
- 3 tbsp rice flour
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp chilli powder
- 11⁄2 tbsp tandoori masala
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Slice the chicken breasts into small bite-size pieces (tikka). Mix all the batter ingredients into a paste, then rub it evenly into the chicken pieces. If time permits, let this marinate for about 30 minutes or overnight, but this isn’t crucial.
- When ready to deep-fry, heat about 10cm (4in) of oil in a large wok. The oil is ready when a small piece of chicken sizzles immediately upon putting it in the oil. If using an oil thermometer, aim for 190°C (375°F).
- Fry the chicken in batches until the exterior is nice and crispy and the meat is almost cooked through. This should take 2–3 minutes per batch. Place the finished chicken pieces on a wire rack to rest while you fry the remaining batches. The frying can be done ahead of time. Store the fried chicken covered in the fridge until ready to use.
- Once cooled a bit, remove all but about 3 tablespoons of the oil from the wok. Place over a high heat and toss in the mustard seeds. When they begin to pop (after about 30 seconds), reduce the heat to medium–high, add the cumin seeds, curry leaves and green chillies and fry for a further 30 seconds. Stir in the garlic and ginger and fry until fragrant and soft – about 1 minute should do the job.
- Tip in the chicken and spring onions (scallions) and stir well to coat. Fry over a high heat until the chicken is completely cooked through. Squeeze the lemon juice over the top and add the chilli sauce (if using). Give it all one last good stir, check for seasoning, adding a little more salt if needed, and serve.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 230Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 62mgSodium: 547mgCarbohydrates: 45gFiber: 2gSugar: 33gProtein: 4g
If you like this authentic chicken 65 recipe, you've simply got to try my super spicy chicken wings! -
Lee Cooper says
I've never actually heard of this dish, but it sounds wonderful!
Do you think it may work with prawns? My wife is a non-dairy pescotarian, so prawns would be excellent.
May give it a try regardless 😉
David H says
@Lee Cooper, The usual alternative to chicken is Gobi 65 (Cauliflower)
Shaun Ashley says
Hi Dan, it's good to have you back.
Chicken 65 looks great, that's my Saturday sorted!!
Quick question....why do you cut the chicken at an angle?
I'm hoping you haven't said why in the recepe and I've just missed it !!!
Russell says
Hi Dan,
Just finished making your Chicken 65 recipe and followed it pretty much to the letter.
What can I say...an absolutely fantastic recipe and packed full of flavour, with just the right amount of spices heat.
I was reluctant to add the chilli sauce at the end, as I thought it may make it a little too hot for some. However, i tried it on a couple of pieces and how wrong I was, as it didn't add any heat, but certainly added a finishing touch of complementary flavour.
Thanks for this recipe, my family love it, as I am sure the lads down at my football club will...the boys always like it when I take a big batch for munching on with a cold beer after the match!
Kindest regards,
Russell (A Pom who loves his curry) Bunbury, Western Australia.
Dan Toombs says
Hi Russel
Great news! Thank you. I'm really glad you liked the recipe. I've got a lot more on the way.
Cheers,
Dan
Shaun Ashley says
Hi Dan, tried this a recipe a couple of weeks ago and loved it so much I'm doing it again today...absolutely delicious, it gows really well with potato curry....thank you and keep up the good work.
Dan Toombs says
Thank you very much Shaun. Really glad you liked the recipe. 🙂
Dan
Gail says
I purchased your app and have loved all the recipes I have made from it but now I can't access ithe app anymore. It just continues to say it's downloading. I left it running for 5 hours the other day and it still didn't open.
Please can you fix it so that I can continue to use it.
Especially for those of us who didn't just get the free basic app.
Dan Toombs says
Hi Gail
Sorry about that. A few people have reported problems after we added new recipes a while back. Are you still having this problem, if so, please let me know and I will put you in contact with the developer of the app who should be able to help you.
Thank you,
Dan
Jason says
Hi dan,
Really, seriously good! Do you think it would work using pigs cheeks? and if so would the frying time need to be changed?
Jay.
Dan Toombs says
Hi Jason
Thank you. Pigs cheeks are quite tender as there isn't a lot of muscle so I think they should work well. You might need to experiment some but try the recipe as it is first. Good luck.
Dan
DHARAMBIR CHAUDHARY says
great , interesting combinations!!
Dan Toombs says
Thank you Dharambir. 🙂
Dan
Nicole says
Aaah! That looks so good. Thank you for the recipe. I'll try it soon
Dan Toombs says
Thank you very much Nicole! 🙂
Dan
Catering in Den Haag says
This looks like a perfect dish! Thanks fir sharing.
Dan Toombs says
Thank you. 🙂
Dan
Ellen Taylor says
Hey Dan,
Looks yummy, delicious and spicy. And perfect dish for lunch. Going to try it soon.
Dan Toombs says
Great to hear. Thanks Ellen
Dan
Steve says
Hi Dan,
Great book by the way
At a push could any other flour be used if I have no rice flour?
Dan Toombs says
Hi Steve
Yes. Use corn starch (corn flour). It works really well.
Thanks,
Dan
susan says
do you recommend frying.. will the oven be as good ??
Dan Toombs says
Hi Susan
I do recommend frying but a healthier version could be done in the oven. As with most healthier version, they aren't quite as good as the original. 🙂
Dan
Jennifer Salvo says
Hey Dan,
Thanks for great share.
Your chicken 65 recipes Look very spicy. Instructions are so clear. I'll try this soon and hope he'll like it.
Dan Toombs says
Great to hear Jennifer. Hope you enjoy the recipe.
Dan
Kim r says
Beautiful a little spice but mm tases great
Dan Toombs says
Thanks, reduce the chillies if you want less spice.
Thanks
Dan
david c says
is the chili sauce siracha?
Dan Toombs says
You can use whatever chili sauce you have on hand or you prefer.
Thanks
Dan