Name: Sri Lankan devilled chicken recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: sri lankan
Ingredients: 600g chicken thighs; 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 2 tsp grated fresh ginger; 20.00 ml fresh lime juice; 40.00 ml soy sauce; 1/2 tsp cornflour; 40.00 ml tomato sauce; 20.00 ml sriracha sauce; 1 tsp white sugar; 60.00 ml vegetable oil; 40.00 ml plain flour; 1 brown onion, sliced; 1 tsp curry powder; 1 green capsicum, diced; 1 red capsicum, diced; 1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes; 2 tomatoes, cut into wedges

by Greer Worsley Last updated on 01/13/2025

Ah, who doesn’t love a devilled chicken. Named after its hot and spicy flavour profile, this dish is sure to pack a punch. Perfect for a comforting dinner on a cooler night, it’s perfect served alongside some steamed rice.

How to make this Sri Lankan Devilled Chicken: key tips

We’ve followed a pretty standard devilled chicken process when it comes to this recipe: we’ve marinated our chicken in a spice mix, fried it, and then coated it in a spicy sauce. The level of spice you choose to include is, of course, up to you. If you’re anything like me, you won’t be holding back when it comes to the sriracha and chilli flakes!

If you’re looking for some other fantastic Sri Lankan recipes to add to your rotation, why not try our chicken curry, yellow dhal or spicy lamb curry?

Sri-Lankan-devilled-chicken

Key ingredients in our Sri Lankan devilled chicken recipe

Chicken thighs: flavourful and tender, chicken thighs are the perfect choice for this recipe.
Sriracha sauce: use any chilli sauce you have on hand. Adjust quantities to suit your taste.
Cornflour: used to thicken the sauce.
Red capsicum: the fully ripened version of the green variety capsicum, the red capsicum is sweeter.
Green capsicum: has a slightly bitter flavour. By using both red and green capsicums together, you’ll achieve a greater balance of flavours.

- Australia's Best Recipes Team

Ingredients

600g chicken thighs
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp cornflour
2 tbsp tomato sauce
1 tbsp sriracha sauce
1 tsp white sugar
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp plain flour
1 brown onion, sliced
1 tsp curry powder
1 green capsicum, diced
1 red capsicum, diced
1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes
2 tomatoes, cut into wedges

Method

Step 1

Cut chicken into thick strips and place in a bowl with half of the garlic, 1 tsp grated ginger, lime juice and 1 tbsp soy sauce. Combine well and set aside for 20-30 minutes to marinate.
Step 2

In a small bowl, combine cornflour with 1/4 cup water, then whisk in tomato sauce, sriracha sauce, sugar and remaining 1 tbsp soy sauce.
Step 3

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches, toss marinated chicken pieces in flour then cook until well browned on all sides. Transfer to a bowl lined with paper towel.
Step 4

Drain off oil, then wipe out wok. Heat remaining 1 tbsp oil in wok on medium-high heat. Toss onion for 1 minute until starting to soften, then add remaining 2 cloves chopped garlic, 1 tsp grated ginger and curry powder. Keep ingredients moving in the pan so they don’t burn. Add capsicums, chilli flakes and tomato, and cook for a further minute. Return chicken to pan with the tomato sauce mixture. Cook, stirring and tossing, for a further 3-4 minutes until chicken is cooked through and sauce has reduced and thickened. Season well with salt and add extra chilli flakes to taste.
Step 5

Serve with rice.

Recipe Notes

from Australia’s Best Recipes team

Why do you coat the chicken in flour before frying?

By coating in flour before frying, you are sealing in the moisture, protecting the chicken from drying out. You don’t need a lot of flour to do this: a light coating will work completely fine!