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This mafa chicken is crispy fried chicken perfection! The strong marinade the chicken soaks in gives it the most amazing flavor.
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Mafa chicken is a tender chicken covered in a layer of crispy coating filled with flavor! This chicken recipe is known to be a famous Chinese recipe. It is chicken breast dipped in a batter and then deep fried.
It may surprise you to learn that the batter includes tofu! The tofu gives the batter a great texture! When the chicken is done, it slightly resembles the nuggets at Chick-fil-A. However, this recipe is much better. We love to serve it with our honey mustard dipping sauce. The flavors complement each other perfectly!
Ingredients for Mafa Chicken
You will love this mafa chicken recipe! Grab these pantry staples and combine the ingredients for a delicious flavor and crispy outside texture. This mafa chicken is crispy, tender chicken with all the flavor!
- Soy sauce – This adds a savory and salty flavor to the sauce.
- Sugar – Sweetness flavor that everyone loves!
- Garlic – Minced and added into the blender for a delicious
- Chicken – Skinless chicken breast cut into chicken nugget-size pieces. It is similar to a chicken nugget recipe!
- Eggs – The egg mixture will hold together the blender ingredients with the flour.
- Wondra flour – This is a unique flour that gives a soft and thin batter to hold onto the chicken while it is being cooked.
- Oil – You need oil for frying the chicken. You will cook the chicken in the oil until it is golden brown.
Homemade Sauce Ingredients
Combine these simple ingredients to make the best sauce for this mafa chicken recipe! Kids to adults love these homemade chicken nuggets dipped in this sauce. You will love the flavor contrast and how they combine to make your tastebuds sing!
- Honey – Add a little natural sweetness to the special sauce.
- Mayonnaise – A creamy condiment that has a savory and sweet flavor.
- Dijon Mustard – A savory mustard with a smokey flavor.
Steps for Mafa Chicken
We love to make the mafa chicken in large batches to feed our friends and family during special occasions. It is simple to blend the ingredients together and let it get cold. Then deep fry from the fridge. This is a quick and easy chicken dinner everyone loves!
- Blender – Blend the batter ingredients thoroughly in the blender until you have a smooth mixture. Cut chicken breasts into chicken nugget-size pieces and marinate in a bowl with the mixture in the fridge overnight.
- Seal – If it is cold enough, we keep the chicken in the garage. If you keep it in the fridge put a good seal over the chicken and sauce because this stuff has a strong smell!
- Deep fry – Before cooking stir two eggs into the mixture and thoroughly coat each piece of chicken in “Wondra” flour. Deep fry at about 350 degrees until pieces are brown and completely cooked.
More Dipping Sauce Options
We love dipping this mafa chicken in honey mustard sauce, but it tastes great in a variety of sauces, including:
- Sweet and Sour Sauce
- Ranch Dressing
- Hot Mustard
- BBQ Sauce
- Fry Sauce
“So flavorful and delcious! Yum! Where has this been my whole life? My new favorite!”
-Betsy
Frequently Asked Questions
We like to serve this with white rice or fried rice. Or, we serve it with other Asian-inspired dishes like chicken chow mein, mandarin chicken, or egg rolls.
Another ingredient on the list that you might not be familiar with is Wondra Flour. Wondra Flour is a brand of instant flour that became the household name for this type of flour (kind of like Kleenex and Xerox). Instant flour is finely ground wheat flour. It is pre-cooked and dried. It is perfect for making batter to fry.
You can find it in the grocery store next to the regular flour. It comes in a small blue container.
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Chicken is always a favorite protein that we love to cook for dinner! It is a leaner meat that is simple to make. Try it shredded, baked, in the instant pot, or fried. So many options!
How to Make Mafa Chicken
Mafa Chicken
Ingredients
Batter:
- 1 package tofu
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 6 garlic cloves
- 7 chicken breasts
- 2 eggs
- Wondra Flour
- oil for frying
Dipping Sauce:
- ¼ cup honey
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
Instructions
- Blend the batter ingredients thoroughly in the blender til you have a smooth mixture. Cut up chicken breasts into chicken nugget-size pieces and marinate in the above mixture in the fridge overnight.
- If it is cold enough, we keep the chicken in the garage. If you keep it in the fridge put a good seal over the chicken and sauce because this stuff has a strong smell!!
- Before cooking stir 2 eggs into the mixture and thoroughly coat each piece of chicken in “Wondra” flour. Deep fry at about 350 degrees until pieces are brown and completely cooked.
For the dipping sauce:
- Mix mayonnaise, honey, and mustard. Chill and serve.
Notes
- Sweet and Sour Sauce
- Hot Mustard
- BBQ Sauce
- Fry Sauce
So flavorful and delcious! Yum! Where has this been my whole life? My new favorite!
Wow, I will be using this recipe more often. Crispy, breaded chicken is a favorite. You can’t tell there’s tofu, which my kids will never know!
Yummy! This look so delicious and tasty! My kids are going to love this recipe! So excited!
Are you from treasure valley? Or family from treasure valley? Just wondering because I thought this recipe came from the treasure valley my dad has been making it for years let me know 🙂
Yes! Emily and Erica live in Treasure Valley, and our parents live there as well. It’s a beautiful place!
My family used to own the East Side Cafe in the late eighties/early nineties. We still serve Mafa Chicken in our restaurant today – Far East Restaurant in Ontario, just blocks from the old East Side location. My mother learned the original recipe from the founders of the East Side.
Oh wow! What a small world! That is so awesome, thanks for sharing!
I’m confused about the 2 eggs. Do they go into the marinade before the chicken is refrigerated, or right before it’s breaded?
You stir the eggs in right before you bread them. It’s better to let it marinade without the eggs.
I have to know where your husband is from cause there is only one place I know that make mafa! Your recipe is slightly different than what I do but similar!
He is from a little town in Idaho called Weiser. 🙂
LOL I lived in Payette and Fruitland area in the 80’s and 90’s. We used to get Mafa Chicken at the Eastside Café in Ontario. Never found it since. This recipe is amazing. My family loves it.
That is crazy you have heard of Mafa! That is probably where the Original idea came from lol small world!
Idaho Native – I would get mine from Orphan Annie’s in Caldwell – sadly they closed and I am looking for a replacement. There is a restaurant in Mt. Home that does Mafa Shrimp, when I asked if they could do chicken they said no. So it must be premade or frozen. Sad. I will be trying this recipe. Thanks for sharing!
I’m from Weiser! My mom used to make the best Mafa Chicken when I was young. I recently got her recipe box from my dad….but sadly no mafa chicken recipe. I searched the web and cracked up when I saw your recipe…..it was humorous because I follow your site and have made many of your recipes. I lived in Maui and love love love your Hawaiian recipes. Thank you so much for sharing your recipes. My son and I love cooking together on these cold rainy Pacific Northwest nights. Go Wolverines!!!!
any substitute for wondar flour? i can’t find it in my country
You can use regular flour.
What is Wondra flour? I’ve never heard of it.
It’s a finer flour in a canister. Usually above the regular flour at the grocery store.
This sounds great! Do you use the silken tofu that’s on the regular shelf, not refrigerated? Or is it the refrigerated stuff in water? I think the texture could be way wrong if you don’t use the right kind of tofu. Thank you!
I have always used the refrigerated stuff in water.
I just love your web site. Reminds me back when I was growing up.
Thank you so much for this nice comment! That is totally our goal. We want to make delicious recipes that remind you of home. 🙂
Making this today for the 4th of July. I live in the little town of Weiser Idaho.
We love Weiser! Emily’s husband Beau is from Weiser. This recipe came from his family.
is it firm tofu?
yes!
Can you coat the pieces in all purpose flour or does the Wondra make a difference?
Wondra flour is what makes it so light and crispy and good! You can use all-purpose but it won’t be as tasty!
A family secret recipe and it tastes better than Chick-fil-A?! I absolutely will be trying this out this weekend. So glad they let you share!
What type of tofu? Silken or firm…