chicken wrapped in paper and served on a pu pu plate. Although it is actually wrapped with aluminum foil, it is termed “Paper Wrapped.” This is my attempt to recreate one of the best appetizers I’ve ever had at an Asian restaurant. It complements the pu pu plate extremely well.
| Prep Time: | 30 mins |
| Cook Time: | 10 mins |
| Additional Time: | 2 hrs |
| Total Time: | 2 hrs 40 mins |
| Servings: | 6 |
| Yield: | 18 appetizers |
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 green onion, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon white wine
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon white sugar
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
- ¼ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 cup peanut oil for frying, or as needed
- 18 6×6-inch squares of aluminum foil, or as needed
Instructions
- Mix soy sauce, green onion, hoisin sauce, vegetable oil, white wine, cornstarch, sugar, ginger, garlic, five-spice powder, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl. Stir chicken cubes into the sauce to coat; marinate in refrigerator for 2 hours.
- Place 1 to 2 chicken cubes onto a square of aluminum foil and fold the foil diagonally to make a triangle. Fold the edges over tightly several times, about 1/4 inch per fold, squeezing as much air as possible out of the packet. Repeat with remaining ingredients and foil.
- Pour 1 cup peanut oil, or as needed, into a heavy skillet (such as a cast-iron pan) to a depth of 1/2 inch; heat over medium heat until oil is shimmering.
- Gently lay the chicken packets, working in batches if necessary, into the hot oil and cook until chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear (open a test packet to be sure), about 5 minutes per side. Drain packets on paper towels. Serve chicken in foil wrappers and let diners unwrap their own.
- For cooking, I used a cast iron skillet on a gas barbecue grill with the temperature set to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). You could use a deep fryer as well.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 150 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 4 g |
| Cholesterol | 39 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 g |
| Protein | 15 g |
| Saturated Fat | 1 g |
| Sodium | 376 mg |
| Sugars | 2 g |
| Fat | 8 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
I’ve made this several times and it was a big hit each time . I really wish I could find the bags like the photo as I prefer them to tinfoil . If anyone knows where to get them please message me
Don’t use chicken cubes. Use ground chicken and test one to make sure your heat is correct. 2-3 minutes each side.
A fun and tasty treat! I found the paper packets for this dish at a local mom and pop Asian market and fried half in foil packets and half in paper packets in a wok. Using either type of packet worked great. The presentation was prettier with the paper but the fun part about the foil was the mystery of not being able to see what was in the packets. One thing I would suggest, Sean, is to add one teaspoon of sesame oil to the ingredient list. Searched online for photos (my camera was out of batteries) and added a couple here so viewers know what the completed foil and paper packets look like. Next time I make these am going to try it with my Yakitori Tare marinade simply to taste the difference between them being fried versus grilled on a skewer. Thanks for sharing your recipe!