This sticky, saucy almond chicken beats takeout. With a straightforward marinade, light batter, and a quick double-fry, you’ll have tender fried chicken and crunchy, salty almonds on the table in under an hour.
This stir-fried chicken is coated in a cornstarch- and baking-soda-enhanced batter that fries up light and crispy. The batter gets a hint of warmth from Chinese Five Spice — an aromatic blend that typically includes cloves and Sichuan peppercorns.
Before battering, the chicken is marinated in a simple mix of white pepper, soy sauce, egg, and cornstarch. The meat is fried twice, a technique similar to Chinese velveting that helps keep the chicken extra tender and juicy.
Keep it simple, or bulk it up with vegetables, rice, or noodles for a complete meal.
Table of Contents
- Bamboo Shoots
- Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- How to Make Almond Chicken
- Recommended Tools
- Storing and Reheating
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Almond Chicken Recipe
If you prefer a spicier finish, swap in a hoisin-and-chili paste sauce used for cashew chicken — the toasted almonds hold up well to heat.
Tip From Kevin
Bamboo Shoots
This recipe uses shredded bamboo shoots, which pair well with the size of green onions and slivered almonds. You may also find bamboo shoots in wider thin strips — either works; shredded is my preference for texture balance.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
(See the recipe card below for full ingredient quantities)
- Chicken – Cut into 1–2″ bite-sized pieces for even cooking and the right batter-to-meat ratio.
- Marinade – A simple mix of egg, a little oil, light soy sauce (or regular), cornstarch, salt, and white pepper. White pepper gives a cleaner, slightly floral heat; black pepper can substitute.
- Batter – Made from all-purpose flour, water, a bit of oil, cornstarch, and baking soda. Fresh baking soda helps create a light, crispy crust. Chinese Five Spice adds warm, aromatic depth.
- Slivered Almonds – Use blanched slivered almonds for even frying, but sliced or chopped almonds work too. Use raw almonds since you’ll fry and salt them yourself.
- Green Onions – Can be swapped with chives or mild onion greens.
- Sauce – Starts with chicken stock to echo the meat’s flavor, plus bamboo shoots (or water chestnuts), dark soy (or light), and a cornstarch slurry made with cold water to thicken without clumping.
How to Make Almond Chicken
- Marinate. Whisk the marinade, add the cubed chicken, and toss to coat. Marinate 30 minutes.
- Make the sauce. Bring chicken stock, bamboo shoots, and soy sauce to a boil. Stir in a cornstarch slurry and the green onions, simmer about a minute until thickened, and season to taste.
- Toast the almonds. Heat oil to 350°F in a wok or deep pan, fry the almonds until golden, drain on paper towels, and season with salt while hot.
- Fry once. Whisk the batter until smooth, shake excess marinade off the chicken, toss the pieces in batter, and fry in batches until golden (about 2 minutes). Drain on paper towels.
- Fry twice. Raise oil to 375°F and return all chicken to the wok for a final two-minute fry for extra crispness. Drain and keep warm.
- Serve. Arrange chicken on a platter, spoon the sauce over each portion, and finish with the toasted almonds.
Recommended Tools
- Wok – Ideal for frying and tossing. A deep, heavy skillet or Dutch oven works as well.
- Digital thermometer – Helpful for maintaining oil temperature for consistent frying.
- Saucepan – For making the sauce and cornstarch slurry.
Storing and Reheating
Store leftovers in the refrigerator for three to four days. Keep any extra toasted almonds at room temperature.
Reheat in the oven or an air fryer to regain crispness. If the chicken has been sauced, wrap it in foil while reheating to prevent burning; reheat extra sauce separately and pour over the chicken when serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Any boneless cut works as long as you cut it into bite-size pieces for even cooking and the right batter-to-meat balance. Boneless, skinless breasts are easy to portion; thighs work well if you prefer darker meat.
You can marinate up to 24 hours, but beyond that the texture may degrade. For best results, stick to 30 minutes to a few hours.
Yes — celery, carrots, broccoli, bell peppers, zucchini, and mushrooms all work well. Use whatever is in season or on hand.
Almond Chicken
Print Recipe
Ingredients
US Customary – Metric
- 2 lbs boneless chicken breast
- 1/3 cup blanched slivered almonds
- 3 green onions cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil for frying
Marinade
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp light soy sauce
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
Batter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tsp vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp Chinese Five Spice
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
Sauce
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 8 oz bamboo shoots shredded, drained
- 2 tsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp water
Instructions
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Cut chicken into 1–2″ bite-sized pieces.
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Mix the marinade ingredients, add the chicken, toss to coat, and marinate 30 minutes.
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Whisk cornstarch with water to make a slurry. In a saucepan, combine chicken stock, bamboo shoots, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil, stir in the slurry and green onions, then cook over medium heat about 1 minute until the sauce thickens. Season to taste.
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Heat 1 1/2 cups oil in a wok to 350°F. Quickly fry the almonds until golden, drain, and sprinkle with salt.
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Combine the batter ingredients until smooth. Shake off excess marinade from the chicken, toss in batter, and fry in batches until golden, about 2 minutes per batch. Drain on paper towels. When all pieces are fried, raise oil to 375°F and fry all the chicken together for 2 minutes more. Drain and keep covered.
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Transfer chicken to a serving platter, spoon sauce over it, sprinkle with toasted almonds, and serve.
Nutrition
| Carbohydrates: 22g
| Protein: 56g
The nutrition information is an estimate from an online calculator and not a substitute for professional advice.
