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Classic Chi Jau Kay (Crispy Chifa Chicken)
by Giacomo Bocchio
recipe medium Peruvian-Chinese (Chifa)

Classic Chi Jau Kay (Crispy Chifa Chicken)

Chi Jau Kay is one of the most iconic dishes of Chifa — Peruvian-Chinese cuisine — featuring skin-on chicken leg fillets marinated in a 12-ingredient adobe, steam-cooked to 90% doneness, coated in cornstarch, and deep-fried until golden and crispy. Finished with a rich umami sauce from the marinade, chicken stock, oyster sauce, and sesame oil.

30m Prep
40m Cook
3h 10m Total
2 Servings
chifa peruvian-chinese chicken deep-fried crispy cantonese steamed double-cooked umami oyster-sauce

Ingredients

For frying
  • 80 g Cornstarch
  • 500 ml Neutral oil for deep frying (heated to 170-180°C)
For the chicken
  • 1000 g Chicken leg fillets with skin (deboned, fat removed, skin kept, pounded flat)
For the marinade
  • 0.5 tsp Five-spice powder
  • 1 tbsp Mensi (fermented soybean paste)
  • 2 tbsp Dark soy sauce (sillao)
  • 1 tbsp Sesame oil
  • 4 piece Kion / ginger (sliced thin)
  • 3 piece Garlic (finely chopped)
  • 2 tbsp Chinese rice wine (or pisco)
For the sauce
  • 150 ml Chicken stock (light stock)
  • 1.5 tbsp Oyster sauce

Steps

  1. 1
    Debone chicken legs, remove fat pockets, keep skin intact. Pound flat with blunt edge of knife.
    Tip: Keep the cartilage at the joint — prized in Chinese cuisine for texture.
    ~15 min
  2. 2
    Marinate with all 12 adobo ingredients (salt, sugar, MSG, five-spice, pepper, mensi, garlic, ginger, sillao, sesame oil, rice wine, green onion). Cover and marinate at least 2 hours.
    Tip: The 12-ingredient adobo is the soul of Chi Jau Kay.
    ~120 min
  3. 3
    Steam marinated fillets skin-side down at high heat for 15-20 minutes (90% doneness). Reserve all steaming liquid for sauce.
    Tip: Add chicken only after water is boiling for proper thermal shock.
    ~20 min
  4. 4
    While hot, coat fillets thoroughly in cornstarch, pressing firmly on both sides until starch is saturated.
    Tip: Use cornstarch (maicena), not potato starch — cleaner golden crust.
    ~5 min
  5. 5
    Deep fry at 170-180°C for 7-10 minutes until golden and crispy. Drain on wire rack.
    Tip: Slide fillet in from the side of the wok to avoid oil splash.
    ~10 min
  6. 6
    Make sauce: sauté garlic and ginger (2:1 ratio), add reserved adobo liquid, chicken stock, oyster sauce, sillao, sugar. Reduce. Finish off heat with sesame oil and black pepper.
    Tip: Taste before adding salt — the adobo liquid is already salty.
    ~8 min
  7. 7
    Cut fried fillets using traditional technique: 3 cuts across and 1 lengthwise for 8 pieces (lucky number in Chinese culture). Plate and pour sauce over top.
    Tip: Less is more with the sauce — drizzle to coat, not flood.
    ~2 min

Nutrition (per serving)

580
Calories
42g
Protein
22g
Carbs
35g
Fat
1g
Fiber
Cultural Context
Chi Jau Kay is a foundational dish of Chifa, born from Cantonese immigration to Peru. The name honors 'Chi Jau', the chef who invented the dish, and 'Kay' meaning chicken in Cantonese. The recipe uses Peruvian-Chinese terms like 'kion' (ginger) and 'sillao' (soy sauce) — Cantonese words fully integrated into Peruvian culinary vocabulary.
Video thumbnail
Giacomo Bocchio
TE ENSEÑAMOS A PREPARAR UNA CLASICO CHI JAU KAY | GIACOMO BOCCHIO
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