Crispy Fried Butter Quail (Chim Cut Chien Bo)
This post contains affiliate links which we are compensated for if a purchase is made. Using links costs you nothing and helps to support the ongoing creation of content. • Jump to Recipe
Crispy Fried Butter Quail (Chim Cút Chiên Bơ)
Deep-fried quails are often found as street food in Vietnam. Street vendors would pre-fry the quails and stack them on the small window of their push carts for display. The vendor would fry the quails again to order until golden brown and serve them with a side of pickled or fresh vegetables, and a peppery lemon dipping sauce. They are cheap, quick, and delicious.
Here in the States, quails are mainly served in fancy restaurants for special occasions such as weddings or big family-style dinners. Fresh ones are not readily available but I can easily find them frozen in small packages of 6.
The quails are tiny so they have very little meat. Whatever meat is there, however, is really tasty. You can eat them with pickled daikons and carrots, fresh slices of cucumbers, or Vietnamese coriander (rau răm).
To eat the quail, tear off a hindleg or any piece, dip it in the sauce then enjoy. Chase it with your preferred vegetables. The only criterion is don't eat fried quails with a fork and knife, even when served in a fancy restaurant. Not only is it impractical, but we can never be friends.
Recipe below. Happy cooking.
Vietnamese Fried Butter Quail (Chim Cút Chiên Bơ)
Crispy Fried Butter Quail (Chim Cut Chien Bo)
Ingredients
Instructions
- Prep the quails by remove innards, if any, then cut in half along the backside. Marinate the quails for at least 15 minutes with oyster sauce, sugar, honey, Chinese five spice powder, cooking wine, ground black pepper, garlic, and shallots. For best results, marinate overnight in the fridge.
- Add about 1 inch of oil to a skillet and heat on medium-high or 350°F. Pan-fry for about 4 minutes per side until golden brown. Transfer to a serving platter and brush on melted butter.
- Make the dipping sauce by combining lime juice, salt, ground black pepper, chili peppers (optional) in a small bowl. Serve fried quails with dipping sauce and Vietnamese coriander (Rau Răm) and/or pickled daikon and carrots (Đồ Chua).
Nutrition Facts
Calories
55Fat
4 gSat. Fat
2 gCarbs
5 gFiber
0 gNet carbs
4 gSugar
3 gProtein
0 gSodium
277 mgCholesterol
10 mgThe values provided should be considered estimates. Factors such as brands purchased, natural variations in fresh ingredients, etc. will change the nutritional information in any recipe. To obtain accurate nutritional information for a recipe, use your preferred nutrition calculator to determine nutritional information with the actual ingredients and quantities used.
