5 Ways To Make Asian Fried Chicken For Dinner

Say what you will about Southern fried chicken — tonight we're heading east for some of the best crispy bird on the planet. Whether you're craving some KFC (Korean fried chicken, that is), Japanese boneless bites or the golden-hued turmeric chicken sold all over Malaysia, we've got an Asian fried chicken recipe here for you. Watch out for that General Tso's, though — it's a firecracker.

Joon Ou, the executive chef at Japan's Baird Brewing, notes that this Japanese fried chicken dish is Chinese-influenced, although the use of lager does make it a little unusual.

Authentic Malaysian ayam goreng, or fried chicken, eaten at least once a week at our home, is typically made with a simple combination of turmeric, ground chilies, salt, and pepper. The turmeric also enhances that appealing golden-brown color you want in perfect fried chicken. I usually start with a whole chicken and cut it into 12 pieces, since small pieces are more flavorful than large because they get coated with more spice.

What's the only thing better than a cookbook by an awesome chef? A notebook by an awesome chef like Harold Dieterle. The Top Chef season 1 winner and chef-owner of popular NYC restaurants Kin Shop, the Marrow and Perilla just launched Harold Dieterle's Kitchen Notebook, a collection of recipes influenced by Italian, Thai and German cuisine, and we've never been more excited to see all three cultures in one delicious place. Fried chicken is a universally loved food, so get universal about it and learn to fry it Thai-style.

"The inspiration ​for the dish​ is pretty much at the center of most things we do: It's the American/Chinese crossover which lends itself to so many things that just taste so damn good," says chef Andres Valbuena. "I'm glad to say that the chicken ​is very, very popular. Our number-one entrée by far."

Traditionally referred to as tong dak, the recipe typically calls for a whole chicken, and you are served half a fried chicken along with pancakes, pickled daikon, and various dipping sauces. When developing this recipe for my food truck, I wanted to make it a little easier to consume on the streets, so I stuck to chicken drumsticks, which are more in line with the American concept of fried chicken.