Chicken 65 is one of South India’s most popular snacks: spiced chicken pieces with a thin, crispy, deep-red crust and a hint of curry leaves, green chilli and garlic. The dish comes from Chennai, where it is traditionally deep-fried and served with raw red onion and lemon.
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In the air fryer you get the same crispy crust without a pot full of oil. The chicken thigh fillets are marinated in yoghurt, ginger, garlic, turmeric and garam masala, tossed in cornflour and cooked in a single layer, brushed with oil. Finally, the pieces get a quick turn in the pan with curry leaves and chilli – and that’s where the aroma really kicks in.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Table of Contents
Why I love Chicken 65 in the air fryer
I’ve always loved Chicken 65 at Indian restaurants, but deep-frying at home is a hassle: the oil has to be heated up, the whole house smells of it, and afterwards you’re left with a pot of used oil. In the air fryer you only need two tablespoons of oil to brush the chicken, and the crust still turns out crispy and a reddish golden colour. The secret is the cornflour, which binds the marinade and turns into a thin, crunchy shell.
The original gets its deep-red colour from Kashmiri chilli, which colours strongly without being particularly hot. It’s hard to get hold of, so here sweet paprika provides the colour and a little chilli powder the heat. If you have Kashmiri chilli powder, you can use 2-3 teaspoons of it instead of both. The crust is made from cornflour rather than wheat flour, so the dish itself is gluten-free.
What makes the air fryer better than a deep fryer?
The hot air circulates around every piece and dries the surface, so the cornflour turns crispy without soaking up oil, as it does in a deep fryer. The crust also holds up when the chicken is tossed in the pan afterwards. And the last minute or two in the pan isn’t just for show: this is where the curry leaves and the green chilli release their aroma into the oil, and the flavour settles straight onto the chicken.
My kitchen test of Chicken 65
I tested the recipe in my Cosori Dual Blaze, where heating elements at both the top and the bottom of the basket give the pieces colour from both sides. At 200 °C I got the crispiest crust with 7 minutes, a turn and another 6-7 minutes, and the thickest piece reached the core temperature of 75 °C that the recipe calls for. I still turn and brush the pieces halfway through, because that gives an even, reddish golden colour all the way round.
All in all, the dish takes 63 minutes, but 30 of those are marinating time in the fridge. Preparation takes 15 minutes and cooking 18. If you have the time, the chicken can happily marinate for 2-4 hours or overnight, so the flavour sinks in all the way. In a large model like the Philips XXL, you can usually fit the whole batch in a single layer.
Brush the pieces with oil on both sides – including after turning them. It’s the oil that makes the cornflour crispy and reddish golden instead of dull and floury.
Tips and tricks from the author: Morten Jensen
The typical mistakes and how to avoid them
The first mistake is stirring the cornflour into the marinade from the start. It soaks up moisture and forms a sticky mass that never turns crispy, so sprinkle it over the chicken just before it goes into the basket, and toss until there are no dry patches left. The second mistake is an overcrowded basket. If the pieces lie on top of each other, they steam in their own moisture and turn pale, so place them in a single layer with air in between, and cook in two batches instead. The third mistake happens in the pan, where the garlic easily burns and makes the whole dish bitter. Keep the heat at medium-high, and sauté only until the curry leaves crackle and the garlic is light golden. Then add the chicken straight away.
How to serve Chicken 65
Chicken 65 is classically served as a snack or starter, but it’s easy to turn into a full meal too. Here are my favourites:
- Raw red onion rings and lemon wedges – put the onions in cold water for 10 minutes, so they become crisper and milder
- Basmati rice and naan bread when the dish is meant as dinner
- A cool raita with yoghurt, cucumber and mint
- Fresh coriander sprinkled over just before serving
Storage and reheating
Leftovers can be stored covered in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat them in the air fryer at 180 °C for 3-5 minutes, until the crust is crispy again – in the microwave it turns soft. Chicken 65 can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight before you reheat it.
Chicken 65 shows that Indian street food can easily be made in an ordinary air fryer at home. Follow the recipe the first time, and then turn the chilli up or down until you’ve found your favourite level of heat.
FAQ
The origin of the name is disputed. The most widespread explanation is that the dish appeared on the menu at a restaurant in Chennai in 1965. Other stories mention 65 chillies in the marinade, or the dish being number 65 on a menu.
Yes, but breast meat dries out faster than thigh meat. Check the core temperature after just 11-12 minutes in total, and take the pieces out when the thickest one has reached 75 °C.
You can often find fresh curry leaves at Asian and Indian grocers. Otherwise, you can use dried ones, but they are less fragrant. Bay leaves are not a substitute, as they taste completely different. If you have neither, simply leave out the leaves, and sprinkle fresh coriander over at the end.
Recipe
Chicken 65 in the Air Fryer
Cooking Guide
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Cost of the dish
Prices may vary depending on where you shop.
Our estimate is based on average food prices for the current year 2026.
Estimated price for the whole dish:
Airfryer size
All our recipes are tested in a Philips Airfryer 2000 Series NA230/00 – 6.2 L
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Recommended equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Chefs knife
- 1 Fine grater
- 1 Garlic press
- 1 Large bowl
- 1 Small bowl
- 1 Brush
- 1 Tongs
- 1 Meat thermometer
- 1 Pan
- 1 Serving platter
Shopping list
Ingredients
- 700 g chicken thigh fillets (Skinless and boneless)
- 100 g Greek yoghurt (Or thick plain yoghurt)
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger (Finely grated)
- 3 clove garlic (Crushed)
- 2 tsp paprika (Sweet – instead of Kashmiri chilli)
- 0.5 tsp chilli powder (To taste)
- 0.5 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (From about ½ lemon)
- 3 tbsp cornflour (E.g. Maizena (cornstarch))
- 1 tsp salt
- 0.5 tsp black pepper (Freshly ground)
- 2 tbsp neutral oil (E.g. rapeseed oil – for brushing)
For the pan
- 1 tbsp neutral oil (E.g. rapeseed oil)
- 2 sprigs fresh curry leaves (About 20 leaves)
- 2 pcs green chilli (Slit lengthways)
- 2 clove garlic (Finely chopped)
To serve
- 1 pcs red onion (Cut into thin rings)
- 1 pcs lemon (Cut into wedges)
How to make it
Preparation
- Cut 700 g chicken thigh fillets into pieces of about 3 cm on a cutting board with a chef’s knife. Trim off larger lumps of fat as you go, so all the pieces turn out crispy.
- Add 100 g Greek yoghurt, 2 tsp paprika, 0.5 tsp chilli powder, 0.5 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp garam masala, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp salt and 0.5 tsp black pepper, and stir it into a thick, red marinade.
- Turn the chicken pieces in the marinade until they are coated on all sides. Cover the bowl, and leave the chicken to marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes – ideally 2-4 hours or overnight, so the flavour sinks in all the way.
- Meanwhile, cut 1 pcs red onion into thin rings and 1 pcs lemon into wedges. If you like, put the onion rings in a small bowl of cold water for 10 minutes – this makes them crisper and milder. Drain them before serving.
- Finely chop 2 clove garlic, slit 2 pcs green chilli lengthways, and pick the leaves from 2 sprigs fresh curry leaves. Set it all ready by the hob.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 200 °C fan.
- Sprinkle 3 tbsp cornflour over the marinated chicken, and toss until there are no dry patches left. The cornflour binds the marinade and turns into the crispy crust.
- Lightly brush the basket with a little of the 2 tbsp neutral oil. Place the chicken pieces in a single layer with a little air between them, and brush the tops with half of the remaining oil. If there isn’t room for all the pieces in one layer, cook them in two batches.
- Cook the chicken at 200 °C for 7 minutes.
- Turn the pieces with tongs, brush them with the rest of the oil, and continue cooking at 200 °C for 6-7 minutes, until the crust is crispy and a reddish golden colour. Check with a meat thermometer that the thickest piece has a core temperature of 75 °C.
Finishing in the pan
- Heat 1 tbsp neutral oil in a pan over medium-high heat, while the chicken gets its last few minutes in the air fryer.
- Add the crispy chicken straight from the air fryer to the pan, and toss it around in the spiced oil for 1-2 minutes, until all the pieces are glossy and covered in curry leaves and chilli. Turn off the heat.
Serving
- Arrange the chicken on a serving platter with the raw red onion rings and lemon wedges alongside, and serve straight away while the crust is crispy.
Our notes for the recipe
Chicken 65 is traditionally deep-fried, but in the air fryer a thin layer of oil gives the same crispy crust. Toss in the cornflour just before the chicken goes into the basket – that way the crust stays dry and crisp instead of turning sticky. Place the pieces in a single layer with air between them, and brush them on both sides. About the chilli:
The original uses Kashmiri chilli, which gives the deep red colour without being particularly hot. Here, sweet paprika provides the colour and the chilli powder the heat, so you can turn it up or down to taste. If you have Kashmiri chilli powder, you can use 2-3 tsp of it instead of both the paprika and the chilli powder. Variation:
Chicken breast can be used instead of thigh, but check the core temperature after just 11-12 minutes in total, so the meat doesn’t dry out. If you can’t get hold of fresh curry leaves, dried ones can be used, but they are less fragrant. Feel free to sprinkle fresh coriander over at the end. Serving:
Serve Chicken 65 as a snack or starter with raw red onion and lemon wedges, or as a main meal with basmati rice, naan bread and a cool raita. Portion size:
If your air fryer is smaller, you can make the dish in two batches.
Your notes for the recipe
Nutrition per serving (Guideline)
Important about shelf life and nutrition
Nutrition per serving (guideline): Calculations are based on data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Shelf life (guideline): Shelf life data is provided, as far as possible, by public institutions, including national food authorities. Our information is therefore only indicative, and it is your responsibility to obtain and calculate accurate information about shelf life and nutrition for all recipes on airfryerkogebogen.dk
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