Manchuria is a country now known as Northeastern China, and Manchurian Chicken is a famous Indian-Chinese dish served at many Chinese restaurants. It was developed in Mumbai by Nelson Wang, a Chinese chef born in Calcutta, India. Of course there are many versions of this popular dish, but in versions close to the original, ketchup is used as the base, and chili sauces are added as well as soy sauce garlic, ginger, rice vinegar, and green onions. Since chicken breasts cook quickly, Air Fryer Manchurian Chicken can be cooked in less than 30 minutes for a quick, better-than-take-out version that has less fat than a deep fried version, but just as much flavor. The air fryer adds a crispness to the chicken but eliminates the hassle (and extra oil) of deep frying.

The dish is mostly chicken, and red and green peppers are sometimes added for color and crunch. You can add bell peppers, or if you prefer a fiery version, red and green hot chilies. Make sure you start the rice before cooking the chicken, so that everything will be ready at the same time. This dish is quite spicy, but you can vary the type and amount of peppers, as well as hot sauces (Sambal Oelek and Sriracha) to suit your personal taste. If you like extra sauce to soak into the rice, the sauce can be easily doubled.

4 Servings

1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon chili sauce, (the tomato-based one in the old-fashioned jars)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce
1/2 teaspoon Sambal Oelek
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely minced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 medium green onions, thinly sliced and divided

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cleaned, trimmed, and cut into 1" chunks
1/2 green bell pepper, quartered then cut into strips
1/2 red bell pepper, quartered then cut into strips

1. Mix the ketchup, chili sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, vegetable oil, Sriracha hot chili sauce, Sambal Oelek, ginger, garlic, cayenne pepper and all but 1/4 cup of the green onions (reserve the green parts for garnish) in a bullet blender or regular blender; whizz until smooth.
2. Place the chicken breast halves in a bowl and toss with the sauce.
3. Transfer the mixture to a 7" round cake pan air fryer insert, or other metal pan that fits into your particular air fryer
4. Air fry on 350 degrees for 15 minutes, stirring once during cooking.
5. Stir in the red and green bell pepper; cook for an additional five minutes.
6. Stir well, garnish with the reserved green onions, and serve over hot cooked rice.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 233 Calories from Fat 85
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 37% Protein 48% Carb. 15%

Nutrient Amount per % Daily
Serving Value
Total Fat 9 g 15%
Saturated Fat 2 g 11%
Cholesterol 76 mg 25%
Sodium 775 mg 32%
Total Carbohydrate 9 g 3%
Dietary Fiber 0 g 1%
Sugars 0 g
Protein 28 g

Vitamin A 25% Vitamin C 50% Calcium 0% Iron 8%