20 Asian Chicken Recipes You'll Want Over And Over Again

When you have chicken in the fridge that you need to make for dinner and you want to incorporate it into an ultra flavorful, super delicious recipe, you can't go wrong with Asian cuisine. Asian dishes are packed full of exciting flavors — whether it's the umami-rich miso from Japanese cooking or it's the array of spices, including garam masala or turmeric, from Indian cuisine. And along with Japanese and Indian cuisines, there's also Thai food, Vietnamese recipes, Filipino cuisine, Korean recipes, and Chinese food. 

With such a wide variety of cuisines — and recipes — it can be overwhelming to know where to start when choosing a chicken recipe. That's why we've pulled together 20 of the best Asian chicken recipes to choose from, all of which you'll want to eat over and over again. From chicken massaman curry to a version of everyone's favorite take-out dish, orange chicken, each of these recipes is sure to fulfill your craving for a flavorful meal.

Often considered the national dish of the Philippines, there's no better way to get acquainted with Filipino cuisine than by making chicken adobo. For anyone unfamiliar, "adobo" refers to the process of marinating the meat before cooking it. In this recipe, the chicken is marinated in a blend of soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, and brown sugar. Unlike some other marinades, you only need to let the chicken sit in this concoction for about 15 minutes. 

Recipe developer Ting Dalton of Cook Simply says, "What is so great is that you don't need to marinate the meat for too long, as the flavors have such a depth — which is why I like to add lots of garlic cloves and the distinctive aromatics of the bay leaves." After the marinating, the rest of the cooking process is simple — you'll cook the chicken in a skillet on its own, then with the rest of the marinade. The result is, according to Dalton, a "deliciously tender chicken with crispy skin and a tangy, salty sauce that is incredibly moreish."

Recipe: Filipino Chicken Adobo

For anyone unfamiliar, a bánh mì is a Vietnamese sandwich that typically includes meat and pickled veggies, as well as mayonnaise or pâté, which is a type of meat spread (or both), usually served on a baguette. Our version, which was developed by Susan Olayinka of The Flexible Fridge, consists of chicken (which has been marinated in a mixture of sesame oil, honey, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and garlic, then sautéed), carrot, cucumber, and green chili peppers. 

Noticeably, there's no pâté in this recipe — as Olayinka says, it's on the expensive side and is not to everyone's taste — but you can always add it into the mix if you're a big pâté lover. As for the condiments, we stick to mayonnaise and Maggi seasoning. Finally, the sandwich comes together in a baguette. Olayinka suggests pairing the bánh mì as you would any other sandwich: with chips, fries, or a salad on the side.

Recipe: Simple Bánh Mì Sandwich

As mentioned above, orange chicken is a lot of people's go-to take-out order — but with this easy stir-fry recipe that was developed by Susan Olayinka of The Flexible Fridge, you can save some money and make a version of the beloved dish at home. This recipe is a little different from traditional orange chicken, which is typically deep fried — instead, the sauce contains all of the orange flavor that we love, but the chicken is sautéed along with the veggies as a stir fry. 

One detail that makes this recipe so quick and easy is that it uses a ready-made mix of veggies (that you should be able to find at your local grocery store) to save you the time and energy of chopping up a variety of veggies. The sauce — which is arguably the star of the show of any stir-fry — consists of soy sauce, vinegar, and honey, as well as both orange juice and orange zest. In other words, the sauce brings in plenty of bright, orange flavor.

Recipe: Orange Chicken Stir-Fry

We all love a good Crockpot recipe — it's hands-off, and the slow cook method results in meat that is ultra tender and juicy. With all that in mind, if you're craving sesame chicken that will be delicious and flavorful without too much work, look no further than this recipe. Recipe developer Hayley MacLean says, "What I like the most about this recipe is how savory and flavorful it is. The slight sweetness from the honey and ketchup goes so well with the salty soy sauce, and the sesame oil adds such a burst of sesame flavor." 

As for your part in the cooking process, the most hands-on step in the recipe is mixing the sauce — besides that, you just let the slow cooker do all the work. MacLean suggests serving the sesame chicken over rice or noodles or, for a lower carb option, with a helping of stir-fried veggies.

Recipe: Easy Crockpot Sesame Chicken

If you love teriyaki chicken and you love pineapple, then this dish is for you. It consists of chicken tenderloins, pineapple, and red bell pepper, all of which are brought together by a homemade teriyaki sauce. The tangy sauce consists of soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger paste, and honey — although recipe developer Petar Marshall says you can use a store-bought sauce to save yourself a bit of time. 

Either way, Marshall says, "The results are jam-packed with great flavor, offering excellent protein and veggies for a well-balanced meal." Everything comes together in one skillet and takes up just under 40 minutes of your time between prepping and cooking. When finished, serve it over rice or noodles.

Recipe: Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken

For a recipe that pairs pineapple and chicken in a different — and more aesthetically pleasing — way, look no further than this pineapple teriyaki chicken boat. This recipe, which was developed by Petar Marshall, uses an emptied out whole pineapple as a bowl for the teriyaki chicken and rice. You'll dice the inside of the pineapple to easily clear out the fruit pieces, then prepare the chicken as normal. 

To make this dish even more pineapple-y, you can mix the pineapple pieces into the chicken — just like in the last recipe of this list — to make it even more summery and fresh. Despite how fancy the presentation will look, this dish isn't fussy. Marshall says, "The beauty of this recipe is that it only takes 20 minutes to put together, creating a show-stopper in the process."

Recipe: Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken Boat

Another take-out fan favorite for many is General Tso's chicken, which is a staple at most Chinese restaurants — but why not try your hand at the homemade version? Just as it would be from your favorite Chinese restaurant, recipe developer Ting Dalton of Cook Simply guarantees that this dish is "tangy, sweet, and spicy, but with the extra crunch of crispy chicken."

This General Tso's chicken takes a bit more work than, say, the orange chicken stir-fry on this list, thanks to the deep frying step — but you'll still be done in about 30 minutes. Plus, the deep frying will be worth it when you bite into a dish that is nearly identical to what you would get from a take-out order (if not better). Serve it over rice and garnish with sesame seeds.

Recipe: Homemade General Tso's Chicken

Of course, very few of us have access to a tandoor — a cylindrical oven made of clay with a temperature threshold of up to 900 degrees Fahrenheit — but don't worry, you can still make this tandoori-style chicken at home. For this recipe, you'll skewer the chicken and broil it in the oven. This method is not quite the same as the tandoor oven, but, with the right spices and marinade, this dish will taste pretty close to the real thing.

Developed by Michelle McGlinn, this recipe calls for a marinade consisting of full-fat Greek yogurt, chili powder, cumin, turmeric, garam masala, coriander, grated ginger, and grated garlic. After at least 30 minutes — and up to eight hours — of sitting in the marinade, the chicken is ready to go in the oven and come out charred and crispy on the outside, but still moist on the inside.

Recipe: Tandoori-Style Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs

Alongside tandoori chicken, another staple of Indian cuisine is curry. The curry we're highlighting here, massaman curry, is a little less common than other Indian curries — which is all the more reason to learn how to make it at home. Massaman curry is known for its flavors of cinnamon and coconut, as well as having a mild heat and a creamy texture. The mild heat comes from the warm spices and curry paste, but doesn't feature chiles like some other curries.

Developed by Michelle McGlinn, this recipe can come together in less than an hour, making it the perfect choice for when you want something special on a less-busy weeknight. Along with the chicken, this dish features gold potatoes, both of which are coated together in the creamy curry sauce. Serve it over rice and garnish with cilantro or even toasted peanuts if you want to add a crunch.

Recipe: Chicken Massaman Curry

For this fusion dish, which was developed by Jennine Rye, you'll need to borrow from your liquor cabinet, as bourbon is one of the key ingredients. The liquor comes in at the end to deglaze the pan, just before the sauce is added. One of the best parts about the inclusion of bourbon is that you can use it to customize the dish based on which one you choose. 

Rather than trying to use the most expensive bourbon, focus instead on the notes of the one you pick — select a variety with notes of vanilla or caramel for a sweeter chicken, or a bourbon with notes of spice and smoke for a spicier chicken. Whatever the outcome, serve the Chinese bourbon chicken over rice or noodles and garnish it with scallions.

Recipe: Sticky Chinese Bourbon Chicken

This recipe provides a quicker, easier route to homemade Malaysian curry puffs, which are also known as karipap, thanks to the use of premade puff pastry and ground chicken. Developed by Tess Le Moing of Funky Foods, this dish requires just 30 minutes of prep time and another 30 minutes in the oven — in other words, you'll get to enjoy this tasty appetizer in just over one hour.

The inside of these puffs consists of chicken, onion, and potatoes that have been seasoned to perfection and coated in a tomato paste and coconut milk-based sauce. According to Le Moing, most of the depth of flavor is due to the Malaysian curry powder. Le Moing explains, "It's very different from the standard jars you'll find at the store. It's spicier and contains cardamom and fennel, which gives a very subtle licorice flavor." Serve the puffs on their own or with a dollop of plain yogurt to balance out the heat.

Recipe: Baked Malaysian-Style Curry Puff

For anyone unfamiliar, mulligatawny soup is an Indian soup seasoned with spices and curry powder and made sweet and rich by the inclusion of coconut milk. It's derived from another Indian dish, a broth called "molo tunny" (or "pepper water") and was adapted during the British colonization of India to suit the tastes of the British.

Mulligatawny soup can be made with any protein, and our recipe, developed by Jennine Rye, opts for chicken thighs. Additionally, our version of the soup contains onions, carrots, celery, apples, and basmati rice — all of which are soaked in the delicious broth and seasoned to perfection with the likes of cumin seeds, mustard seeds, ginger, garlic, curry powder, and bay leaves. Garnish with scallions and cilantro and serve it hot.

Recipe: Hearty Chicken Mulligatawny Soup

This dish, developed by Taylor Murray, is a variation of the Filipino chicken adobo from earlier in the list — so if you tried and loved that one, it's time to give this one a go. This version of the dish is cooked in the slow cooker, which means it will be less hands-on for you while still providing the vibrant flavors. Taste-wise, you can expect plenty of sweetness, tanginess, and savoriness all at once.

You can even customize those flavors to suite your taste. Murray says, "You can easily adjust the level of sweetness or tang to your liking, toss in veggies for added substance, or even sprinkle in some chili flakes for a kick." Once the dish is out of the slow cooker — and is moist and tender and ready to be enjoyed — serve it with rice, noodles, or a side of your choosing.

Recipe: Slow Cooker Adobo-Ish Soy Sauce Chicken Thighs

Move over beef and broccoli, it's time to give chicken and broccoli its time to shine. This dish, which was developed by Leah Maroney of Mini Pie Kitchen, is both sweet and savory. The chicken is guaranteed to be tender and the sauce is guaranteed to be rich thanks to two key ingredients: cornstarch and baking soda. The baking soda acts as a meat tenderizer, while the cornstarch helps to thicken the sauce.

Speaking of sauce, it consists of soy sauce, brown sugar, oyster sauce, garlic, ginger, water, and cornstarch — and is as delicious as it sounds. Once the dish is ready to eat, Maroney suggests serving it over rice, which she says will "[soak] up all the delicious sauce so not a drop is wasted."

Recipe: Velvety Soy Chicken And Broccoli

Chicken almond gai ding is an easy stir-fry that you need to know about — and a super tasty one at that. Our version, which was developed by Julianne De Witt of Julianne's Kitchen, consists of broccoli, bell peppers, shiitake mushrooms, snow peas, water chestnuts, and scallions, as well as, of course, chicken and almonds. The almonds really make this stir-fry unique by adding an essential crunch to the texture. 

All of these tasty ingredients are then coated in a delicious sauce — consisting of chicken broth, cornstarch, soy sauce, salt, pepper, and, crucially, hoisin sauce. De Witt says, "I wanted to recreate this dish at home and have it taste true to the original. The hoisin helps to achieve this by providing that umami, sweet, and spicy combination in the sauce." True to most stir-fries, this dish comes together in just one pot — specifically, a wok, if you have one — and within 30 minutes. Garnish with scallions and serve it over rice or noodles.

Recipe: Chicken Almond Gai Ding

One of the most popular Indian dishes out there is easily butter chicken, a creamy curry featuring, of course, chicken. While many variations of the dish do include butter or ghee (a South Asian clarified butter) — unsurprisingly, given its name — our version, which was developed by Julianne De Witt of Julianne's Kitchen, actually omits it. De Witt explains that the curry is already plenty creamy and "velvety" thanks to the heavy cream.

Additionally, our butter chicken is another Crockpot recipe, so you can let the appliance do most of the work — and save your energy for enjoying the moist, tender, creamy curry that will be the result of the hours-long slow cook. Specifically, De Witt describes the taste as "mild but flavorful, rich, and comforting." Serve it over basmati rice and, preferably, with naan (either homemade naan, if you're feeling ambitious, or store-bought). One final detail to note is that this curry is fairly mild in the grand scheme of curries, so, if you want a bit of extra spice, De Witt suggests adding in some red chili flakes to kick up the heat.

Recipe: Crockpot Butter Chicken

Another staple of Indian cuisine is chicken korma, which is a rich and creamy curry with plenty of nuttiness thanks to the addition of almonds. Our recipe, developed by Jennine Rye, is an easy — if a little time consuming (the prep time comes in at a little over two hours) — that has all of the flavor and creaminess that you would find at an Indian restaurant. 

The chicken is marinated in yogurt, along with salt and pepper, which is a common tactic of Indian cuisine (as is evident from this list) and results in mouth-wateringly moist chicken. The spices — including cardamom, bay leaves, cloves, and a cinnamon stick — are toasted in the pan first to kick off the aromatics. The other delicious ingredients include onions, mango chutney, and for some heat, chili powder. Serve the curry over rice — and don't forget to top it with the essential almonds, as well as freshly chopped coriander.

Recipe: Creamy And Fragrant Chicken Korma

This coconut and lime chicken thighs recipe is a Thai-inspired dish developed by Jennine Rye. The tangy lime is balanced out by the sweet creaminess of the coconut milk-based sauce, all of which is brought together with the toasted coconut topping. Despite sounding fancy, this dish is quite easy and quick; it comes together using just one pot and within 30 minutes. 

It's also easily adaptable — you can add any veggies to the mix to make it even more filling and nutritious, for example. You can also adjust the level of spiciness — the recipe calls for sliced chili as a topping, which you can either omit (to keep it mild) or add more of (if you like it quite spicy). However you adapt it, serve it over rice and enjoy.

Recipe: Coconut And Lime Chicken Thighs

This recipe, developed by Michelle McGlinn, takes a classic Indian dish — chicken tikka masala — and transforms it into a comforting soup made in the slow cooker. The soup consists of tomato purée, chicken stock, and heavy whipping cream and is spiced to tasty perfection with garam masala, turmeric, paprika, chile powder, cinnamon, and more. It also features onions, ginger, and garlic for the aromatics.

Let the slow cooker do its job and this creamy, delicious soup will be ready to enjoy in just over four hours. When it comes time to serve, McGlinn recommends pairing it with a naan grilled cheese (two pieces of naan with melted cheese in the middle) since this soup is similar to tomato soup. It also pairs well with any traditional Indian sides, such as samosas, or, for a lighter option, with a salad.

Recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala Soup

Last but not least, we have this Vietnamese-inspired lemongrass chicken thigh recipe, which was developed by Ksenia Prints of At the Immigrant's Table. Prints explains that lemongrass and fish sauce are the key ingredients for this dish and its depth of flavor — lemongrass, for one, brings in a unique citrus flavor. The herb is used in the marinade, along with soy sauce, lime juice, honey, garlic, ginger, red chile, and fish sauce. 

The chicken marinates for at least two hours to give it time to soak up all of that flavor — or, for the best results, prep the day before and let it marinate overnight. After marinating, cooking the chicken is done in three steps: searing it in the skillet, baking in the oven, then broiling in the oven. Once the three cooking steps are complete, let the chicken rest for a few minutes, then garnish with cilantro leaves, sliced chiles, and lime wedges — or some combination thereof, based on your preferences.

Recipe: Vietnamese-Inspired Lemongrass Chicken Thighs