Chicken 65 is India's original fried chicken — and it might be the world's best. Invented at the Buhari Hotel in Chennai in 1965 (which is where the "65" comes from — the year, not an ingredient count), it's a South Indian bar snack that has become one of the most searched and most viral Indian recipes globally. While the West has KFC and Nashville hot chicken, India has Chicken 65 — and the difference is dramatic. Chicken 65 uses a yogurt-and-spice marinade instead of a flour batter, creating a thin, intensely flavoured crust that's lighter and crunchier than any Western fried chicken. The post-fry toss with curry leaves, garlic, and green chillies adds a fragrant, aromatic heat that no dipping sauce can match.
The recipe has been trending heavily on TikTok throughout 2025 and 2026, with food creators calling it "the Indian fried chicken the world has been sleeping on." The colour is electric red (from Kashmiri chilli and a touch of food colour in the restaurant version — we achieve it naturally here), the crunch is audible, and the heat builds slowly with each piece. At Pick N Save, we stock every component: yogurt for the marinade, gram flour and cornflour for the coating, Kashmiri chilli for colour, curry leaves for the finishing toss, and all the fresh produce. We also stock Shan Chicken 65 Mix for the single-sachet shortcut. The recipe couldn't be simpler — marinate, coat, fry, toss — and it's on the table in 20 minutes. Our Harrow customers have been making Chicken 65 for parties and game nights since 1999.
Cut 500g of boneless chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces — about 2.5cm cubes. Thigh meat is essential: it stays juicy during frying and has more flavour than breast. In a bowl, combine the chicken with 3 tablespoons of thick natural yogurt (Desi Natural Yogurt 1kg), 1 tablespoon of ginger garlic paste (Fudco Ginger Garlic Paste 300g), 1 tablespoon of Kashmiri chilli powder (TFS Kashmiri Mild Chilli Powder 100g — this gives the signature vivid red colour without extreme heat), 1 teaspoon of regular red chilli powder for actual heat (TFS Red Chilli Powder 100g), ½ teaspoon of turmeric (TFS Haldi Powder Rajapuri 100g), 1 teaspoon of lemon juice (Lemon Loose Yellow Big 3 pcs), ½ teaspoon of black pepper (TFS Black Pepper Whole 100g — freshly crushed), and 1 teaspoon of salt. Mix until every piece is thickly coated in the deep red marinade.
Shortcut: Replace all the individual spices with 1 sachet of Shan Chicken 65 Mix — it contains the complete spice blend. Add yogurt, ginger garlic paste, and lemon juice as above.
Marinate for a minimum of 15 minutes. 1–2 hours in the fridge produces even better results — the yogurt tenderises the chicken while the spices penetrate. Overnight works too but the yogurt will tenderise the surface more than some prefer.
Just before frying, add 2 tablespoons of cornflour and 1 tablespoon of gram flour (Fudco Gram Flour 1kg) to the marinated chicken. Mix thoroughly until every piece is evenly coated. The cornflour creates the shattering crunch; the gram flour adds a subtle nutty flavour and helps the coating stick. The mixture should be thick and clingy — not dripping wet. If it's too loose, add another tablespoon of cornflour. If too dry, add a teaspoon of water.
Add 1 tablespoon of rice flour (TFS Rice Flour 500g — optional but produces the crispiest result) for an extra-crunchy coating. This is the restaurant trick — the rice flour creates micro-bubbles during frying that produce an audibly crispy texture.
Heat sunflower oil (KTC Pure Sunflower Oil 5 Litres) in a deep pan or kadhai to 180°C — at least 5cm deep. Test with a small piece of coated chicken: it should sizzle vigorously and rise to the surface within 2 seconds.
Fry the chicken in 2–3 batches — don't overcrowd the pan. Drop pieces in one at a time, leaving 2–3cm between each piece. Fry for 5–6 minutes, turning occasionally, until deep golden-red and crispy all over. The coating should be dark red-brown with visible crispy texture. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
Double-fry for maximum crunch (restaurant method): Fry the first time at 170°C for 4 minutes (cooks the chicken through). Remove and rest for 3 minutes. Increase the oil to 190°C and fry again for 1–2 minutes (this second fry dehydrates the surface and creates the ultra-crispy crust that stays crunchy for 30+ minutes). This double-fry technique is used by every restaurant that serves truly excellent Chicken 65.
This step is what makes Chicken 65 different from every other fried chicken on Earth. In a separate pan or wok, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over high heat. Add 15–20 fresh curry leaves (Fresh Curry Leaves) — they'll crackle violently, stand back — 4 cloves of garlic thinly sliced (Fresh Garlic Medium), 2 green chillies slit lengthways (Indian Chilli 400g), and 1 dried red chilli broken in half. Fry for 30 seconds until the curry leaves are crispy and the garlic is golden.
Add all the fried chicken pieces to the pan. Toss vigorously over high heat for 30 seconds, coating every piece with the aromatic curry leaf, garlic, and chilli mixture. The residual heat from the chicken toasts the spices further. Turn off the heat.
Transfer to a serving plate immediately. Squeeze lemon juice over the hot chicken. Garnish with a few extra crispy curry leaves, sliced green chillies, and thin onion rings (Red Onion Loose 500g). Serve with:
Every single ingredient for this recipe is available at picknsave.co.uk with home delivery across London and the UK, or click and collect from our store in Harrow. Here's your shopping list:
*RI = Reference Intake. Values are approximate. Fat content depends on frying method — air fryer reduces to approximately 8g.
