Singapore Crab Fried Chicken Sandwich Recipe
- Daniel
- Aug 8
- 5 min read
Updated: Aug 10
When KFC Singapore launched their crab sauce fried chicken sandwich, I’ll admit I was curious. But the moment I tried it, I knew it wasn’t hitting the mark, it felt like it was holding back.
Black Pepper Crab...
The sauce lacked depth, the crab flavor was almost missing, and the whole sandwich just didn’t deliver on the promise in the name.
That’s when I thought, “Why not make my own? But do it properly, with real flavor, and two of my favorite sauces: chili crab and black pepper crab.”
Chili Crab...
Both chili crab and black pepper crab are legends in Singapore’s food history. Chili crab was created in the 1950s by Madam Cher Yam Tian, who stir-fried crab with bottled chili sauce and tomato ketchup, evolving into the rich, tangy, and spicy sauce we know today.
Black Pepper Crab...
Black pepper crab is a later invention, bold and aromatic with toasted peppercorns, butter, and curry leaves, a dish that packs heat in a different way. Merging these flavors into fried chicken was my way of creating something comforting yet unmistakably Singaporean.
Chili Crab...
The result is a sandwich that’s crunchy, saucy, and absolutely unapologetic. The juicy fried chicken thigh is tucked into a crisp, golden fold-over bao, then drenched in either chili crab or black pepper crab sauce and topped with a fresh, zesty slaw.
It’s messy, it’s indulgent, and it’s everything I wished the fast-food version could have been. If you love the flavors of Singapore’s iconic crab dishes but want them in a fun, handheld form, this is your sign to make it.
Ingredients:
(Make 6 Sandwiches)
Chicken:
Boneless Chicken Thigh With Skin On, 3
Buttermilk, 220g
Unbleached All Purpose Flour, 175g
Dijon Mustard, 25g
Sea Salt, Pinch
White Pepper, Pinch
Mushroom Powder, Pinch
Onion Powder, 1/2 TBSP
Garlic Powder, 1/2 TBSP
Old Bay Seasoning Homemade, 1 TSP
Rice Vinegar, 1 TBSP
Simple Slaw:
Cabbage Shredded, 1/4
Carrot Grated, 1 Large
Red Onion Finely Sliced, 1
Coriander Coarsely Chopped, A Handful
Fresh Lime Juice, 1 Lime
Fresh Lime Zest, 1 Lime
Rice Vinegar, 1 TBSP
Gula Melaka Syrup Homemade, 1 TBSP
Sea Salt, Pinch
Chili Flakes, Pinch
Sauces:
Unbleached All Purpose Flour + Butter, For Roux
Chili Crab Sauce Homemade, 1 Recipe
Chicken Stock Homemade, 120g
Black Pepper Crab Sauce Homemade, 1 Recipe
Seasoned Flour:
Unbleached All Purpose Flour, 200g
Tapioca Starch, 100g
Potato Starch, 100g
Corn Starch, 50g
Baking Soda, 1/2 TSP
Sea Salt, Pinch
White Pepper, Pinch
Mushroom Powder, Pinch
Sandwiches:
Fold Over Bao Homemade, 1 Recipe
Rapeseed / Sunflower / Canola / Peanut Oil, For Deep Frying
Equipment:
Sauce Pot
Dutch Oven / Deep Fryer / Wok
Directions:
Please visit my “How To Make Mantou / Bao / Turnover Bao" page for the recipe.
Please visit my "How To Make Gula Melaka Syrup" page for the recipe.
Please visit my "How To Make Chicken Stock" page for the recipe.
Please visit my "How To Make Old Bay Seasoning" page for the recipe.
Please visit my "Singapore Chili Crab Burger" page for the Chili Crab Sauce recipe.
Please visit my "Singapore Black Pepper Crab Recipe" page for the Black Pepper Crab Sauce recipe.
Marinate the chicken
Slice each chicken thigh in half, making sure not to tear the skin.
Place the chicken in a large mixing bowl.
Add buttermilk, Dijon mustard, salt, white pepper, mushroom powder, onion powder, garlic powder, Old Bay seasoning, and rice vinegar.
Mix everything together with clean hands until the chicken is fully coated and the marinade feels slightly sticky.
Cover the bowl with cling film and place it in the fridge overnight. This helps tenderize the meat and infuse flavor.
Make the simple slaw
In a large mixing bowl, add shredded cabbage, grated carrot, and thinly sliced red onion.
Add chopped coriander leaves for freshness.
Squeeze in the juice of one lime and add the lime zest.
Pour in rice vinegar and gula melaka syrup for sweetness.
Season with salt and chili flakes.
Toss everything together until the vegetables are well coated.
Cover and store in the fridge until ready to assemble the sandwiches.
Prepare the sauces
For the Chili Crab Sauce:
In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 30g of butter.
Add 30g of flour and whisk until a paste forms (this is your roux).
Slowly whisk in chicken stock until smooth.
Add your pre-made chili crab sauce and stir until fully combined.
Continue cooking and whisking until the sauce thickens. If it becomes too thick, add more chicken stock a little at a time until you get a pourable consistency.
For the Black Pepper Crab Sauce:
Repeat the same roux method, but use 15g of butter and 15g of flour.
Stir in your pre-made black pepper crab sauce.
Adjust thickness with chicken stock as needed.
Keep both sauces warm over very low heat or reheat before serving.
Make the bao
Divide your bao dough into 10 equal pieces and shape them into balls.
Roll each ball into an oval shape large enough to fit a chicken thigh piece.
Fold each oval in half to create the “fold-over” shape.
Place the bao on parchment squares, cover, and let them rest for 30 minutes.
Steam over high heat for 10 minutes, then turn off the heat and leave them in the steamer for another 15 minutes before removing.
Let them cool completely so they don’t collapse when frying.
Heat oil to medium in a wok, Dutch oven, or deep fryer.
Test with a wooden chopstick — if small bubbles form, the oil is ready.
Fry the bao until golden brown on both sides, flipping halfway through.
Drain on paper towels or a wire rack.
Fry the chicken
In a large bowl, mix all-purpose flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, corn starch, baking soda, salt, pepper and mushroom powder to make your seasoned flour mix.
Take the marinated chicken from the fridge.
Coat each piece in the seasoned flour mixture, shaking off any excess.
Heat oil to medium in your fryer, wok, or Dutch oven.
Fry the chicken pieces until light golden brown on both sides. Flip for even cooking.
Remove and drain on paper towels or a wire rack, then rest for 15 minutes.
Increase oil heat to high for the second fry.
Return the chicken to the hot oil and fry until deep golden brown and extra crispy.
Drain again on paper towels or a wire rack.y.
Assemble
Carefully open a fried bao without tearing it.
Spread a spoonful of either chili crab sauce or black pepper crab sauce inside.
Place a crispy fried chicken piece inside the bao.
Top with a generous spoonful of slaw.
Drizzle more sauce over the slaw.
Serve immediately while hot and crispy.
Which would you prefer?
I still prefer this black pepper crab version...
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