Chicken 65 is a simple and flavorful dish, made with bite-sized chicken pieces fried then slathered in a chili garlic sauce, perfect as a snack or appetizer!
It is unclear why this dish is called Chicken 65, but there are a lot of theories as to the name of this dish.
No matter what the reason for the name of this dish it is definitely a popular chicken dish in many restuarants.
It can be served as an appetizer or snack. Or with a little yogurt, this chicken 65 can also be a gravy dish.
Recipes you’ll love
If you’re looking for more easy chicken dishes, here are some of our favorites:
- Karahi Chicken: Chicken in Spicy Tomato Sauce
- Palak Chicken: Chicken and Spinach Curry
- Creamy Butter Chicken Masala
- Lahori Chargha Chicken
Ingredients
- Chicken – boneless chicken thighs are best for this flavorful dish, but chicken breast can also be used in a pinch. Make sure to cut the chicken into generous bite-sized pieces.
- Ginger-Garlic Paste – or equal parts crushed ginger and crushed garlic. This paste is a popular pantry item for Pakistani and Indian food.
- Yogurt – we only use a small amount of yogurt to help tenderize the meat and help the spices stick to the chicken for the best flavor
- Spices – Garam Masala, Kashmiri Chili, coriander powder, Black pepper – these ground spices help flavor and marinate the meat before cooking.
- Corn Starch and Rice Flour – These flours are added right before we fry the chicken and help to coat the chicken so it becomes crispy when frying.
For the sauce:
- Garlic – freshly chopped garlic will impart the best flavor to this dish, especially in the sauce
- Kashmiri chili powder – this chili powder is mild and known for its vibrant color. You can also substitute paprika for another mild option, or red chili powder for a spicier option.
- Green chili – we add this for spice since Kashmiri chili powder is quite mild, but feel free to omit if you aren’t a spice lover.
- Curry leaves – the curry leaves add an earthy flavor and aroma that are a signature for this dish
- Tomato paste – concentrated tomato paste adds the best flavor while making a dry sauce perfect to coat the chicken. For more gravy, you can use crushed tomatoes and a little yogurt.
Recipe and Method
For this recipe, there are two parts:
- Marinate and Prepare the Chicken
- Chicken 65 Masala/Gravy
Marinate and Prepare the Chicken
First, cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and add some lemon juice to it and let it sit for about 20 minutes. This will help tenderize the chicken.
Then, wash off the lemon juice and dry the chicken.
Next, add in the rest of the ingredients to marinate the chicken:
- ginger garlic paste
- yogurt
- kashmiri red chili powder
- coriander powder
- black pepper
- garam masala
Set this aside for 30 minutes to 1 hour to allow the spices to flavor the chicken.
When ready to fry the chicken, mix in the rice flour and corn flour to coat the chicken.
Preheat a pan with enough oil to shallow fry the chicken.
Once heated, add the chicken and cook until golden brown.
Set the chicken aside.
Chicken 65 Masala/Gravy
Once the chicken is fried, we will make quick chicken 65 masala to coat the fried chicken.
To a pan, add 2 tablespoons of oil and 8-10 dried curry leaves on low-medium heat.
Temper the curry leaves until they are fragrant (about 2-3 minutes), then add a few slit green chilis and saute for another 2-3 minutes. If you don’t enjoy spicy food, skip this one.
Next, add in the garlic and tomato paste, red chili powder/ Kashmiri chili powder. cook for a few minutes until it all comes together like a sauce.
If you prefer a saucier dish, you can add a little yogurt and use crushed tomatoes instead of tomato paste to the sauce to make this a Chicken 65 gravy dish.
Add the fried chicken into the sauce and mix well until coated.
How to serve Chicken 65?
Chicken 65 is a dish best served as a game-time snack, or as a substitute for a traditional appetizer like samosas or pakoras.
If you’re looking for more stir-fried style dishes or appetizers, you might also enjoy:
- White Chicken Karahi: Chicken in Cream Sauce
- Keema Aloo: Ground Beef & Potato Curry
- Keema Paratha: Pakistani Stuffed Meat Pockets
- Karahi Kabab: Seekh Kabab Curry
If you give this Chicken 65 recipe a try, we’d love to see it!
Tag us on Instagram @thespicemess
Ready to make Chicken 65?
Chicken 65
Ingredients
Marination
- 3-4 pieces boneless chicken thighs about 1 pound or 400 grams
- 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice juice of about ½ a lemon
- 2 teaspoons Kashmiri chilli powder or red chili powder
- 1 teaspoons coriander powder
- 2 tablespoons ginger and garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon yogurt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
- ¼-½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- ¼ teaspoon Salt as per taste
- Oil to shallow fry
- 2 tablespoons Corn flour or cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon Rice flour
Sauce
- 2-3 cloves Garlic
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder or red chili powder
- 8-10 Curry leaves dried
- 2-4 Green chili slit in half
- 2-3 tablespoons Tomato paste or ½ -1 cup crushed tomatoes
Instructions
Prepare and Marinate the Chicken
- Cut the chicken into smaller/bite-sized pieces. Transfer to a large bowl with 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice. Set aside for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, wash the chicken and drain the water completely. Place the chicken in a seive or colandar to dry for a few minutes.
- Once the chicken is drained add the spices and mix well. Set aside for at least 30 minutes, or longer.
- Once ready to fry add corn flour or cornstarch and rice powder. mix well. you can shallow fry and make sure it stays separated.
- Preheat a pan with enough oil to shallow fry the chicken. Once the oil has heated, add the chicken pieces, allowing them to stay separate. Fry the chicken in batches if required. Fry until golden brown in color. Remove chicken from pan, and set aside.
Chili-Garlic Sauce
- Once fried, to a pan add 2 tablespoons of oil and 8-10 dried curry leaves on low-medium heat. Once the curry leaves are fragrant (about 2-3 minutes), add slit green chilli.
- Cook for couple of minutes add the garlic and tomato paste or crushed tomatoes, red chilli powder/ Kashmiri chilli powder cook for few minutes.
- Add the fried chicken into the sauce and mix well until coated.