Irish Spice Bag
Overflowing Spice Bag, a combination of chips (fries), crispy chicken, onion, bell peppers, chilli peppers and a unique spice mixture. Served with Irish-style curry sauce.
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I think the most intriguing fast food or takeaway I’ve come across in Ireland must be the infamous Spice Bag — most often a combination of chips (fries), crispy chicken, onions, bell pepper, chilli pepper, and a unique mixture of spices. It’s a spicy treat, and a personal favourite of mine and countless others in Ireland. And where’d you order this dish from? The chipper, the kebab shop, or perhaps the local pub? Not any of these, actually. This dish is from the Chinese (restaurants).
There’s a lot of debate about what’s the proper way to enjoy your Irish-Chinese Spice Bag. Some people like it au naturel, while others enjoy theirs enrobed in a curry or sweet chilli sauce, and some like to add a portion of fried rice, another staple of Chinese takeaway. There are countless YouTube and TikTok influencers ranking the different options. I guess that’s the beauty of this dish; you can easily make it your own, and there are as many versions as there are Chinese restaurants in Ireland.
Making the Spice Bag
In Ireland, nowadays, you can purchase the spice mixture from pretty much any supermarket or corner store. Along with this, some stores also offer pre-made, oven-ready, frozen bags of this delight. Isn’t that convenient! But can you make this at home without any of these? Absolutely! I’ve prepared a super easy-to-follow recipe for you.
First, the spice, the heart of this dish. You can make the spice mixture beforehand and store it like any other spice — in a cool, dry place. You can check my recipe for a homemade version of the spice mixture here. It took quite a few iterations, but I think I’ve nailed it. I have to say, as a Spice Bag enthusiast, I genuinely prefer this one over any other spice mixture I’ve tried. I know, I know, I’m selling my own recipe here — you’ll just have to try it and see for yourself.
For the rest of the recipe, you need chips (fries), crispy chicken, onions, bell pepper, and chilli peppers. Chips and chicken are best prepared in an air fryer or oven, and the vegetables get stir-fried in a wok or skillet for a few minutes. All that is left is to combine all of these with the spice mixture, and voila, you have a Spice Bag. Serve as is in a bag — or a plate, who cares! Add your favourite sauces, if you wish.
If you’ve had a spice bag before, let me know what’s your favourite way of serving it. Or if you tried it for the first time, let me know what you thought about it.
Irish Spice Bag
Recreate the iconic Irish-Chinese Spice Bag at home! Chips (fries) and crispy chicken are tossed with sautéed onions, bell peppers, and chilli pepper for heat, then seasoned with a flavourful spice bag spice mix. Perfect on its own or paired with your favorite curry sauce for an irresistible takeaway-inspired dish.
Ingredients
- 2.0 portions of chips
- 2.0 portions of crispy chicken
- 0.5 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 1.0 cupred and yellow bell peppers, sliced
- 1.0 chili, de-seeded and thinly sliced (optional, for heat)
- 2.0 tspSpice Bag Spice Mix
Instructions
You can complete a step by clicking on it
- 1Prepare your chips and chicken in the air fryer or in the oven, based on the package instructions.
- 2Meanwhile, prepare the onion, bell peppers and chili, if using.
- 3Once the chips and chicken are nearly done, sauté the vegetables until slightly softened.
- 4Combine the chips, chicken and vegetables with the Spice Bag Spice Mix in a mixing bowl.
- 5Serve as is, or with your favourite curry sauce.
Nutritional Information (per serving)
Calories
589 kcal
Fat
23 g
Saturated Fat
7.5 g
Carbohydrates
65 g
Sugar
5.4 g
Protein
17.5 g
Fiber
2 g
Salt
1.7 g
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