Beer Battered ‘Chicken’ Bites

Blueberry Swirl

These beer-battered chick’n bites are light, crispy and unfairly moreish. They may be vegan, but we’re certain they will convince even the most die-hard omnivores that their favourite takeaway snack can be veganised and made better in the process.

They work perfectly when teamed up with a sweet ‘n’ sour or spicy chilli dip.

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Try Veganuary

Ingredients

1/2 cup of vegan chicken pieces

1 1/2 cup plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 x 375ml of chilled vegan beer/lager

1/2 tsp each of salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder

2 tsp dried mixed herbs

Around 400ml of oil for frying but the exact amount depends on the size of your fryer

They work perfectly when teamed up with a sweet ‘n’ sour or spicy chilli dip.

Preparation

You’ll need to pre-heat the oil in your deep fryer.
If your chicken-style pieces are frozen then begin by defrosting them ready for use.

Method

1. Add together all of the dry ingredients – flour, baking powder and dried seasonings – and combine well.

2. Make a well in the centre of the dried ingredients and add the bottle of chilled beer. Stir well to combine until a smooth batter has formed.

3. You can drop a small amount of batter into the frying oil if you need to check to see if it is hot enough. The oil will sizzle and the batter begin to puff up if the oil is indeed hot enough.

4. Dip the chicken-style pieces into the batter and, once fully coated, drop carefully into the oil. You may need to do this in several batches if you have only a small fryer so be patient and be sure not to overcrowd the fryer because the batter needs enough room to properly cook.

5. Fry for 5 minutes or so, until crispy and golden in appearance, and then transfer to a paper towel in order to remove the oily residue.

6. Serve up as a side dish to any Chinese meal, with chips and ketchup or even as a snack on its own with sweet chilli sauce.