The Irish Spice Bag is undeniably one of Ireland’s trendiest fusion recipes and a takeaway staple that’s been filling hungry bellies late at night since around 2006.
The Irish Spice Bag: a Chinese-Irish takeaway that’s gone viral
Legend has it that the Irish Spice Bag first showed up at Chinese takeaway restaurants in Dublin in 2006, as staff meals for the busy employees. Friends eventually asked for the “spice bag” and it then became a staple menu item, and well, the rest is history. It reminds me a lot of late night chippies in the UK, where you walk in late at night after the pub and take your pick of deep fried bits and bobs, drench it in gravy, and enjoy.
The difference with the Irish spice bag is that its powerful spice blend packs some intense flavours. You’ve still got the chips and breaded chicken, but it’s loaded with intense spice, sweetness, saltiness, and warmth.
I’ve come up with my own take on this Chinese-Irish chippy favourite that can work great if you want an indulgent flavour bomb and I’ve gone with frozen chicken and chips to make it a lot easier to throw together. Of course, you can deep fry your own chicken and chips and they’ll come out crispier, but this version is the lazy, quick and easy spice bag when you don’t want to faff about with deep frying.
What’s in the bag? Irish spices?
The star of the show – and part of the recipe’s name – is the spice blend. The rest? Pretty much what you’d get at a late night chippy. Let’s take a closer look at what’s in the bag:
- Spice Blend: the main spices traditionally used are Chinese five-spice mix, salt, pepper, and MSG. Use these if you have them. I used as many of the spices or “close enough” equivalents and kicked up the spice level to my own liking, but go easy on the chilli flakes if you want something a little more tolerable.
- Chicken: breaded strips and chunks of chicken thighs are ideal, or use chicken breast if you prefer. Frozen chicken strips are fine, or even chicken nuggets. For frozen, bake them at a lower temperature for a little longer than indicated to get them crispier.
- Chips: cut your potatoes thick and deep fry them until they’re crispy; you want them to still be crispy when served. Again, frozen chips will do just fine. I went with wedges, but a nice thick cut will also do well.
- Veggies: typically you’ll find red and green pepper slices and sometimes a fried onion. I suppose you could add something like broccoli if you like, but just pepper and onion alone give it some nice colour and variety.
- Curry sauce: apparently it’s controversial whether or not a spice bag should come with curry sauce or not; I can’t say no to a good curry sauce so I’ve included it in this recipe. If you don’t want it, just skip it. You normally pour the sauce right into the bag, or simply use it for dipping. The meal is already packed full of flavour without it, to be fair.
- Garnish: chopped bird’s eye chillies (malaguetas) are what I used for garnish. Don’t cook them, just slice them and toss into the bag or on the plate to serve.
Authentic Irish Spice Bag vs homemade versions
The wonderful thing about a homemade spice bag is that you can pretty much add or substitute many of the ingredients to your liking, but if you want to make an authentic takeaway spice bag then you’ll need to get the spice mix just right.
Chips and fried chicken strips are a given, onion and pepper are nice touch, but the spice blend is what really sets the street food versions apart – well that and the foil-lined paper bag, which you can skip at home if you like.
From what I’ve gathered, given that it’s a Chinese inspired dish, it should use a Chinese five-spice mix, Sichuan peppercorns, chilli oil for the stir frying, and a touch of MSG. The curry sauce is apparently hotly debated as to whether or not it belongs – I certainly can’t say no to a good curry sauce for what is already a spicy flavour bomb!
So I’ve had an immensely challenging time finding these particular spices and had to look up what exactly goes into a Chinese five-spice mix and make my own homemade version. The mix has: Sichuan peppercorns, fennel seed, Chinese cinnamon, cloves, and star anise.
Well, I went with cloves, ordinary cinnamon, cardamom pods, white pepper, and a piripiri mix as a “substitute” and it turned out fine. I like it spicy, so plenty of chilli flakes and a few other spices.
While it’s not the same, it came out very spicy, but also a little sweet, warm, and aromatic all the same. If you can get your hands on Chinese five-spice mix and the rest, by all means use it for a more authentic version.
✅ Pro Tip: Make a double (or triple) batch of the spice mix and keep in an airtight container. You can always use a teaspoon or two to season chips and/or chicken in the future with it.
Irish Spice Bag (Chips, Chicken & Peppers with a Chilli Spice Mix)
Description
Satisfy your pub night cravings with this easy homemade take on what is undoubtedly Ireland's most famous takeaway street food. Featuring chicken strips and chips tossed in a powerful spice blend, stir-fried to infuse the flavours, and traditionally served in a foil-lined paper bag. Enjoy this simple homemade curry sauce for even more flavour.
Ingredients
Spice mix
Curry sauce
Instructions
Curry sauce
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Dissolve chicken bouillon in about 0.5L warm water and set aside. In a small roasting tin, melt 2 tbsp butter, then add 1 tbsp curry powder over medium heat. Add 2 tbsp flour and whisk over medium heat.
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Slowly add in chicken stock, whisking continuously until incorporated. Bring to a simmer for about 5-10 minutes, whisking occasionally, until reduced to a thick enough consistency to coat the back of a spoon. Reduce heat to low.
Cooking chicken & chips
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Place a greaseproof sheet on a baking tray and spread out the chips evenly. Bake according to instructions.
Or bake at a lower temperature, e.g. 150°C (300°F) for longer, until crispy. -
About 5 minutes into baking chips, remove from oven then add all chicken strips to the tray, spreading evenly. Return to oven.
Baking time for chicken strips should roughly coincide with remaining baking time for nuggets. -
When golden and crispy, remove chicken and chips from oven. Place half the batch in a large pot with a lid and add 1 tbsp sesame oil and 1-2 tsp of spice mix. Shake vigorously. Place in a bowl and do the next batch.
Stir frying the Irish spice bag
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In a wok or large frying pan, add 1 tbsp sesame oil and bring to high heat. Add half the sliced onions and sauté for 1 minute. Add half of the red and green peppers and sauté for 1 minute. Add half the chicken and chips and 1 tsp spice mix and toss well then set aside. Repeat this step for the second batch.
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Remove from heat and serve in a foil-lined paper bag or plate/bowl. Garnish with chopped chillies. Serve curry sauce on the side or pour directly on top, as desired.
Note
- Storage: eat fresh whilst the chips and chicken remain crispy. Can be refrigerated for 2-3 days in an airtight container but it will lose its texture.
- Spice Level: reduce chilli flakes, cayenne, and omit bird's eye chillies altogether to keep spice tolerable.
- Deep Frying: deep-fried, battered and breaded chicken strips and chips will give a much firmer and crispier texture than oven-baked. If deep frying, toss in some of the spice blend immediately after deep frying.
- Pairings: this recipe is meant to be takeaway street food, so naturally you can pair it with whatever you like. A nice beer or fizzy drink goes well and helps cope with the spice level.
