This quick chicken jalfrezi gets ready in about 30-35 minutes and is perfect for when you're craving a hot and spicy Indian dish that tastes like takeout. No marination, no grinding spices, this recipe comes together in just one pan, is packed with flavor, and works well with either boneless chicken thighs or chicken breast. Serve it with rice or naan, and you've got a satisfying meal without much fuss.
Chicken jalfrezi is a spicy, tomato-based stir fry. When you hear stir fry, you might think of indo-chinese dishes like chili chicken or chicken manchurian, but jalfrezi is different. The chicken is not deep-fried and, unlike Indo-Chinese, it is cooked with plenty of spices like coriander, turmeric, and garam masala powder.
While hearty chicken curries are slow-cooked and saucy, jalfrezi delivers the same flavors in a quicker, semi-dry style. The only asian-inspired touch is the chili-garlic sauce. Or in my recipe, a mix of sriracha and ketchup. We'll get into that shortly.
This is a classic restaurant dish propagated by british chefs, but is equally popular in India too. I rarely saw it cooked at home while growing up. We often ordered it when eating out, and honestly, every restaurant had its own version. The same is true here in Vegas. Some Indian restaurants make it really well, while others are just average.
Tomatoes & Chillies
In chicken jalfrezi, tomatoes and chillies do most of the heavy lifting. I use canned tomato sauce and a little ketchup in my recipe. The canned sauce gives a deeper, more concentrated tomato flavor that fresh tomatoes don't always deliver.
Ketchup(yes!) adds hint of sweetness and balances the spices while keeping the sauce from tasting flat. Together, they create a rich, glossy base that coats the chicken and peppers, just like the versions you find in restaurants.
I did test the recipe with puréed fresh tomatoes and wasn't satisfied with the result. The flavor didn't concentrate enough, and the tomato taste wasn't as intense. Also, since the chicken goes in early and releases its juices while stir-frying, the sauce can easily turn watery if the pan isn't wide enough or the heat isn't high enough.
For heat, I figured that a mix of dried red chillies, fresh green chillies, and sriracha works best. Yes, sounds like lot of heat but its not overwhelming. Red chillies add a smokiness right at the beginning when you add them to the hot oil. You do need sriracha for a smooth, steady kick, while the green chillies bring that sharp, fresh bite of spice that you expect in a jalfrezi.
Ingredients
See ingredient notes and substitutions in the recipe card
Tanvi's Tips
- Get everything ready before you start stir-frying. Cut the chicken, chop the vegetables, and measure out the spices and sauces in advance. This way, you can cook quickly without stopping in between, and it helps prevent the chicken and vegetables from overcooking.
- Don't skip the chillies! Chicken jalfrezi isn't meant to be mild. Heat is what makes the dish shine. You can cut back slightly if you prefer, but the real flavor comes through when it's nice and spicy.
- Cut the chicken and peppers in the same style, either both diced/cubed or both in strips. Avoid large chicken pieces. This way they all cook evenly and look uniform in the final dish. Think of it like prepping for fajitas, where the chicken, peppers, and onions are all cut the same so they blend together nicely.
Instructions
All the cooking will be on medium or medium high heat.Inadditionto
- Place a heavy-bottomed, wide skillet (12 inches or larger) over medium-high heat. Once hot, add 1½ tablespoons of oil, followed by the bell peppers and onions. Stir-fry for 2-4 minutes, until the vegetables are crisp-tender, and lightly charred in spots. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- In the same pan, add the remaining oil and heat over medium. Add the dried red chili, cumin seeds, green chilies, and ginger juliennes. Sauté for 10-15 seconds, stirring constantly, just until fragrant. Be careful not to let the spices burn.
- Next, add the chopped onions and fry them while stirring intermittently untill they are golden brown.
- Add in the garlic paste and ground spices, along with ¼ cup of water. Cook, stirring well, until the mixture is fragrant and the oil begins to separate from the masala.
5. Cook, stirring well, until the spice mixture is fragrant and the oil begins to separate from the masala.
6. Add the chicken and sprinkle salt. Mix with the masala and start stir frying the chicken. We will not add any water and cook uncovered.
7. Chicken will start to release its juices. Continue to fry until it starts browning and the juices start drying up. Takes about 6-7 minutes.
- When you see no liquid seperating from chicken, add the tomato sauce, tomato ketchup and sriracha.
- Mix with chicken and continue stirring until the oil begins to separate again. About 3-5 minutes. The chicken should be nicely saucy but there should be no gravy.
10. Add back the bell peppers and onions. Also add the juices at the bottom of plate.
11. Cook for another 3-4 minutes to bring the flavors together while keeping the vegetables slightly crisp.
12. Sprinkle with garam masala and fresh cilantro. Mix well and chicken jalfrezi is ready to serve.
Serve chicken jalfrezi with indian flatbreads such as naan or plain paratha. A side of kachumber really goes well. You can also pair it with jeera rice.
Quick & Easy Chicken Jalfrezi Recipe
Ingredients
- 550 g chicken thighs boneless & skinless (cut into 1.5 inch pieces)
- 5 tablespon cooking oil divided
- 180 g onion chopped (small dice)
- 3-4 indian green chillies slit, adjust to taste, I use hot indian green chillies, sub with thai chillies or serrano
- ½ inch ginger julinned
- 1 teaspoon garlic paste
- 120 g tomato sauce canned
- 1.5- 2 tablespoon tomato ketchup
- 1.5 tablespoon sriracha or use any asian style chilli garlic sauce
- 1+¼ teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- 2 tablespoon cilantro chopped
Vegetables for stir frying
- 1 cup bell peppers diced, I use mix of red and green
- 1 small onion diced, layers seperated
Whole Spices
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2-3 dry red chillies or use red chilli flakes to taste
Ground Spices
- 1.5 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1+¼ teaspoon red chili powder (hot), adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon kashmiri red chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder can go to ½ teaspoon depending on how intense your garam masala is
Instructions
- Place a wide, heavy-bottomed skillet (12 inches or larger) over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, pour in 1½ tablespoons of oil. Immediately add the diced bell peppers and onions. Stir-fry briskly for 2-4 minutes, just until the vegetables turn crisp-tender, do not change color and develop light charred spots. Transfer them to a plate and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add the remaining oil and reduce the heat slightly to medium. Add in the dried red chili, cumin seeds, fresh green chilies, and ginger cut into juliennes. Stir constantly for 10-15 seconds, just until the spices release their aroma. Take care not to burn them.
- Add the chopped onions to the pan and fry, until they turn a deep golden brown - this should take about 6-8 minutes. Stir in the garlic paste along with the ground spices, followed by ¼ cup water to prevent scorching. Mix well and cook this masala mixture for 1-2 minutes, until it turns fragrant and smells toasty, and you see oil beginning to separate around the edges of pan.
- Add the chicken pieces to the masala and season with salt. Mix well to coat the chicken with the masala. Cook uncovered on medium to medium high heat, without adding any water-the chicken will naturally release its own juices. Stir-fry, turning often, until the liquid evaporates and the chicken starts to brown. This stage takes about 6-7 minutes.
- Once the chicken is nearly dry, stir in the tomato sauce, ketchup, and sriracha. Cook while stirring continuously for 3-5 minutes, until the sauce thickens, clings to the chicken, and oil once again begins to separate. The chicken should be glossy and coated, with no runny gravy but don't dry out too much.
- Return the stir-fried bell peppers and onions (along with any juices collected on the plate) back into the pan. Toss everything together and cook for 2-3 minutes, just enough to let the flavors combine while keeping the vegetables slightly crisp.
- Sprinkle chicken jalfrezi with garam masala and freshly chopped cilantro. Give everything a final toss. You could also add a dash of kasuri methi(gives a nice umani aroma!)
- Serve chicken jalfrezi with indian flatbreads such as naan or plain paratha. A side of kachumber salad really goes well. You can also pair it with jeera rice.
Notes
- Get everything ready before you start stir-frying. Cut the chicken, chop the vegetables, and measure out the spices and sauces in advance. This way, you can cook quickly without stopping in between, and it helps prevent the chicken and vegetables from overcooking.
- Don't skip the chillies! Chicken jalfrezi isn't meant to be mild. Heat is what makes the dish shine. You can cut back slightly if you prefer, but the real flavor comes through when it's nice and spicy.
- Cut the chicken and peppers in the same style, either both diced/cubed or both in strips. Avoid large chicken pieces. This way they all cook evenly and look uniform in the final dish. Think of it like prepping for fajitas, where the chicken, peppers, and onions are all cut the same so they blend together nicely.
Angie says
This recipe is soooo good!! I followed the exact measurements and the dish turned out perfect. I appreciate the detailed recipe, which includes the time of each step. I think a beginner cook should also be able to follow this. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Tanvi Srivastava says
Thank you!! I am so happy to know that you liked the instructions. Appreciate the feedback!!