Easy Andhra Chicken Fry (Dry Roast Recipe) 

This homestyle South Indian chicken fry recipe is bold, spicy and a staple in most Andhra households. This was one of the first recipes I learned from my mom when I moved out & it’s still me go-to when I’m craving home food.

Why You’ll Love this Chicken Fry Recipe

Beginner-Friendly: Most Indian chicken recipes can feel overwhelming for beginners because of the blending and never ending list of whole spices. This one calls for simple ingredients you cna find at any local desi grocery store.

Tastes like Home: If you grew up in a Telugu household, chances are you’ve grown up on an Andhra style chicken fry recipe like this being on the dinner rotation. Needless to say, when I moved out this is one of the first recipes I learned from my mom & it’s become by go-to crutch anytime I need a quick dinner.

Bold & Spicy: When most people think of Indian chicken dishes, they think of heavier creamy dishes like butter chicken or chicken tikka masala. This one, on the other hand, it’s as heavy on the gravy and the chicken gets perfectly coated in spices & roasted until it’s perfectly caramelised and crisp.

What Ingredients You’ll Need

• Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs: You can use regular chicke 
• Whole Spices: 1 bay leaf, 1 cinnamon stick, 3 cloves
• Veggies: 1 red onions, 1 tomato, 1 green chili, 2 stems curry leaves, Ginger/Garlic Paste, cilantro & limes (or lemon juice)
• Ground Spices: Garam masala, Red chili powder, Coriander powder, Turmeric

How to Make Chicken Fry (Step by Step)

Here’s a simplified step by step on how to make this spicy South Indian chicken fry recipe at home!

First, we fry the whole spices

Heat oil and start by toasting the bay leaf, cinnamon stick and cloves in a pan under fragrant.

Then, we cook the onions & aromatics

Add 2 thinly sliced onions to the pan with some ginger & garlic paste, 2 stems of curry leaves and 1 chopped green chili. Saute that until the onions become golden brown. This can take some time but stick in there because it’s a key step to make it super flavourful.

Now, add the chicken

I use 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs that are washed, cubed and fat is trimmed off. Add in a little garam masala, salt and red chili powder with turmeric. This ensures that as the chicken cook, here’s flavor on the inside of the meat. Mix it well, cover and cook on low for 5 minutes.

Let’s make the gravy come together

At this stage, when the chicken is mostly cooked, I add in 1 chopped tomato and cook for 5 minutes. Then, add in 1 tsp garam masala, 1.5 tsp red chili powder and 1 tsp coriander powder. Mix it all well and cook everything on medium heat without a lid under the oil starts to separate.

Finally, we fry chicken

Now, I turn the heat up a bit, add in some chopped cilantro, juice of half a lime and some extra curry leaves and keep frying on medium under the chicken is dry and roasted. All the seasonings should coat the chicken while the tender chicken is still soft.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I use bone-in chicken or boneless chicken?

I make this recipe so often, that I’ve tried it with every kind of chicken there is. Bone is the more traditional way and the way my mom usually makes it, but it also takes more time & harder to tell with everything is cooked for me. On the other hand, chicken breast just gets dry way too fast with the amount of time we’re cooking it in all these spices. For those reasons, using boneless, skinless chicken thighs is the only way I make this recipe.

How spicy is this spicy chicken fry?

You can really make this AS spicy as you want to. The spice really comes from the chopped green chilies and the red chili powder, so if you want something milder just reduce the red chili powder and if you want more heat throw in an extra chopped green chili and more red chili powder.

When I make this recipe, what do I serve it with?

For me, the ultimate way to enjoy this will always by with some rasam and rice. I have a simple garlicky rasam recipe on my page that’s easy to follow and tastes just like home & made with black pepper powder. It also pairs great with roti, if you want to try this recipe and already have some at home!

Final Tips for Making this the Best Chicken Fry

• DO NOT and I repeat DO NOT skip the curry leaves. It’s the star ingredient in this style fo chicken fry, so if you don’t have it just make another chicken dish!
• Make sure you don’t cover it when it’s frying & use high heat to get it to that classic roasted texture.

Like this and want to try other Indian recipes?

I’ve got lots of other easy Indian recipes you can add to your rotation:

• Palak Paneer Recipe for Two
• Easy Dal Makhani for Two
• Spicy Masala Chicken Drumsticks
• Butter Chicken Recipe for Two

Easy Andhra Chicken Fry (Dry Roast Recipe) 

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★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

• Author: eatsbyramya
• Total Time: 30 min
• Yield: Serves 2-3 1x

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Description

This homestyle, South Indian chicken fry is made with caramelised onions, tossed in spices and makes for a delicious weeknight meal that reminds you of your mom (or mine in this case…)

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Ingredients

Scale

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• 2–3 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (washed & cubed)
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• 2 cloves
• 1 medium red onions, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 2 stems curry leaves (plus extra for garnish)
• 1 green chili, chopped
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1.5 tsp garam masala (divided)
• 2 tsp red chili powder (divided)
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• Pinch of turmeric
• 1 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
• Juice of ½ lime

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Instructions

• Fry Whole Spices: Heat oil in a pan. Add bay leaf, cinnamon stick, and cloves. Sauté until fragrant.
• Cook Onions & Aromatics: Add the onions, ginger-garlic paste, curry leaves, and green chili. Sauté until golden brown. This will take some time but don’t rush it because it’s key for building the flavor profile of the masala.
• Add Chicken & spices: Add the cubed chicken, ½ tsp garam masala, salt, ½ tsp red chili powder, and turmeric. Mix well. Cover and cook on low for 5 minutes. This will mostly cook your chicken and makes sure the flavor actually gets inside so you don’t have bland chicken.
• Add Tomato & More Spices: Stir in chopped tomato and cook for 5 minutes. Then add remaining 1 tsp garam masala, 1.5 tsp red chili powder, and 1 tsp coriander powder. Mix well. Cook on low until chicken is tender and oil separates.
• Fry Until Dry: Add cilantro, lime juice, and extra curry leaves. Fry on medium-high until chicken is dry and roasted. Enjoy it hot with rice, rasam, dal, or roti.

Notes

You absolutely cannot skip the curry leaves in this recipe! There’s no a ton of ingredients in this recipe so the ones on this list are crucial to the final flavor profile. The curry leaves in particular define this dish and make it so special.

My absolute favorite way to eat this is with rasam & rice! This is the garlic rasam I like to pair with it, it’s super beginner friendly and requires no rasaam powder or dal

• Cook Time: 30
• Cuisine: Indian