chilli cola chicken recipe Drizzle and Dip

I first saw this recipe for chilli cola chicken on a fabulous Australian blog – Cook Republic – which I recently discovered. Its created by the talented Sneh Roy who I have also connected on Twitter. This post had me at the cola.

I have always been intrigued by the use of coke in recipes, and last Christmas I cooked a gammon in cola which went down very well. Coke is an interesting drink that has a few layers of highly- guarded- secret – flavour. I have read that this includes cherry, vanilla, and lime. It really does work within certain dishes.

This recipe sounded so delicious, I had to try it. It’s also very easy to whip up, thus making it a truly fabulous midweek supper meal.

I wanted to get permission to publish the recipe and as luck would have it, the author of the book from where it comes was in South Africa a couple of weeks ago. He also happened to meet a friend of mine while he was here, so I was able to not only get permission but also got to see a copy of the book which has not yet been released in South Africa.

Billy Law was a contestant on the third season of Australian Masterchef, and his book ‘Have you Eaten‘ is born out of his fabulous food blog – A Table for Two The book is vibrant, full of life, and a hard copy manifestation of his blog.

Recipe for Billy’s chilli cola chicken. | serves 4

500g boneless, skinless chicken thigh cut into bite-size pieces
4 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoons cornflour (I used 2 as per Sneh’s adaptation)
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
5cm piece ginger, finely chopped
1 small red chili, finely sliced (I used 2)
a handful of toasted cashew nuts
a handful of sliced spring onions
2 tablespoons peanut (or vegetable) oil
330ml bottle of cola

Place the chicken in a plastic bag or in a bowl with 2 tablespoons of light soy sauce (I didn’t have light and dark soy, used Kikkomen for all the soy requirements) and cornflour. Mix and allow to marinate in the fridge for 10 minutes or longer if you have time.

Heat oil in a wok or nonstick frying pan and sauté the chicken for a few minutes until browned all over. Add the ginger, garlic, and chili. Sauté for another minute. Add the remaining soy sauce and cola. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes until the chicken is cooked and the sauce is slightly thick and sticky.

Top with the toasted cashew nuts and spring onions and serve with steamed Basmati or Jasmine rice.

While re-looking at my pics, I think I reduced the sauce a lot further than Sneh did, but it was lip-smackingly delicious and will become a regular feature around here. I added an extra chili because I wanted to be quite fiery. The other interesting thing, is the recipe is not as sweet as you might think, the soy really balances that out.

I look forward to connecting with you again in the future.

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17 Comments

Looks stunning! I love the idea of using cola in a recipe like this too.. I need to try it out 🙂

Hi Christine, this recipe is highly recommended. Enjoy!

Sounds delish! Will defs be givng it a try! Even better Im thinking a get together with the girls soon……..?

Hi Danz, divine! 🙂 this is very easy (and not too sweet) and the perfect “bookclub’ supper.

Sam Cola isn’t something I’ve ever been wild about using in recipes. But I love the Asian twist here. Certainly looks worth a try.

You had me at cola too. It’s my drink, though I do limit it to one can a day. I love Australian Masterchef but I’m not sure where we are in the series here in New Zealand but I have seen Billy’s season.

Ooo, looks yummy! I used cola for the first time last week when I made rum and cola ribs. 😀

Sounds delcious! I have to try it! 🙂

Hi Jess, rum and cola ribs sound awesome 🙂

Hi Suzanne, I’m going to have to try and get my hands on a copy of the 3rd season of MC oz. Now sure why we are not getting them anymore, maybe because we produce our own these days.

hey Sam! I’m sure your friend has a name. LOL!
I finally got round to making it myself, direct from the book I might add. *wink* Loved it! I added a little extra cola just to make it a bit more of the sauce and my friend loved it. Its definitely one of those easy ‘go to’ recipes, no mess no fuss.

Sorry O, wasn’t sure if I should keep it private :-). Its a fun recipe isn’t it. I will add a bit more coke next time to to get more sauce and sweetness.

Kim, you must try this recipe, its so easy and the perfect family mid week supper. Crowd pleaser, get your rice going at the same time, and you will have a meal better than any Chinese take away.