Crunchy Marmite Chicken Bites - Malaysian Dai Chao 煮炒餐馆 Favourite
- cheekychillicooks
- Sep 9
- 2 min read
Forget subtle. This dish is loud, sticky, and unapologetically addictive. Growing up in Malaysia, this was the plate I’d look forward to crispy chicken cloaked in that salty-sweet Marmite glaze.
Marmite chicken is a cult favourite at Chinese eateries known as dai chao (煮炒餐馆 in Mandarin, literally “cook and fry restaurants”) across Malaysia, or zi char in Singapore. These spots are casual, noisy, wok-fired wonderlands where chefs churn out delicious, comforting dishes at lightning speed. And trust me, once you’ve had Marmite chicken done properly, plain fried chicken just feels… unfinished.
If you’ve always sworn you “don’t do Marmite”this dish will make you eat your words.
Crunchy Marmite Chicken Bites Recipe:
Serves
2 as a main, or 4 as a side/starter
Difficulty: Medium
Time: 1 hour (plus 30 mins marinating)
Ingredients:
Chicken
4 large chicken thighs, skin on (for extra crisp), cut into bite-sized pieces
Marinade
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 egg
2 heaped tbsp potato starch
Dredge
200g potato starch
¼ tsp baking powder
Marmite Glaze
1 large garlic clove, minced
1.5 tbsp Marmite
1 tbsp cooking wine
2 tbsp honey
150ml hot water
30g cold butter, cubed
Dash of soy sauce (to finish)
To Cook & Garnish
1L sunflower oil (for frying)
Cooking thermometer
Toasted sesame seeds
2 spring onions, finely sliced (green part only)
Method:
In a bowl, mix the chicken with soy sauce, egg, and potato starch until well coated. Cover and set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.
While the chicken marinates, prepare the dredge by combining all ingredients in a bowl. For the glaze, stir together Marmite, cooking wine, honey, and 150ml hot water until smooth—set aside.
Once marinated, coat the chicken pieces in the dredge and place on a plate.
Heat oil in a pan to 180–190°C. If you don’t have a thermometer, drop in a cube of bread—if it bubbles and browns, the oil is ready. Start heating the oil while dredging the chicken, as it can take ~10 minutes to reach temperature.
Fry the chicken in batches (about 4–5 minutes each), letting the oil return to temperature between batches. Drain on a paper towel–lined plate.
Double-fry each batch for 1–2 minutes to get that extra crunch. Set aside.
In a saucepan, heat a drizzle of oil over medium. Add garlic and fry for 20 seconds until fragrant. Turn heat to medium-high, pour in the Marmite glaze, and simmer for 2–3 minutes. Stir in cold butter cubes until glossy.
Toss the fried chicken into the hot glaze, stirring to coat evenly. Add a dash of soy sauce at the end for colour and depth.
Garnish with sesame seeds and spring onions.
Tips & Tricks
Double-fry for extra crunch: The first fry cooks the chicken through, the second fry locks in that shatteringly crisp coating. Don’t skip it.
Gluten-free swaps: Use gluten-free soy sauce and replace Marmite with a gluten-free yeast extract spread. Supermarkets like Sainsbury’s, Tesco, and Aldi all have their own versions, or try Vegemite or the GF option from Meridian.
Serving idea: These bites are perfect on their own with drinks, but they’re also banging with steamed rice and stir-fried greens for a full meal.
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