Fusion Fry-Up · Dublin Invention

Spice Bag

Name: Spice Bag recipe
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients: For the chips: 600 g floury potatoes (such as Maris Piper or Rooster), 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, ½ teaspoon salt; For the chicken: 2 large skinless chicken breasts (about 400 g), 1 egg white, 4 tablespoons cornflour (about 40 g), ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon white or black pepper, 3 tablespoons vegetable oil for the oven method (or about 1 litre of oil for deep-frying, see the fryer method); For the vegetables: 1 red pepper, 1 green pepper, 1 medium onion, 2 red chillies (or 1 for less heat), 2 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; For the seasoning: 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice, 1 teaspoon chilli flakes, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon sugar, ½ teaspoon white pepper; Curry sauce or sweet chilli sauce, to serve (optional; shop-bought is fine, warmed through and served in a small bowl)

Photo: Jatwa / Wikimedia Commons · CC0

Several Dublin takeaways claim to have invented it in the 2000s, and there's still no agreed answer to who made the first one.

A spice bag layers deep-fried salt-and-chili chips with shredded fried chicken, sliced peppers, chilies, and onion, tossed with a five-spice-heavy seasoning and served in a paper bag or takeaway box. It's one of the most-ordered dishes on Irish takeaway apps.

Why it's made this way: It grew out of Chinese-Irish takeaway kitchens improvising with chip-shop staples and Chinese seasoning, and it spread fast once delivery apps put it in front of a wider audience in the 2010s.

What is Spice Bag?

A spice bag is an Irish takeaway dish of crispy shredded chicken, chips, sliced peppers, onion and chilli, tossed in a salty seasoning built around Chinese five-spice and served in a paper bag or box, to be shaken and eaten with a fork or fingers. It is one of the best-known Irish takeaway orders.

Its origin is usually traced to a Chinese takeaway in Dublin, with Sunflower in Templeogue the place most often named, and other shops have made their own claims. Accounts put the invention anywhere from the mid-2000s to around 2010, and it later spread across Chinese takeaways and chip shops around Ireland. There is no agreed first spice bag.

How to make a spice bag at home

Serves 2 · prep 25 min · cook 45 min

Ingredients

For the chips: 600 g floury potatoes (such as Maris Piper or Rooster), 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, ½ teaspoon salt
For the chicken: 2 large skinless chicken breasts (about 400 g), 1 egg white, 4 tablespoons cornflour (about 40 g), ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon white or black pepper, 3 tablespoons vegetable oil for the oven method (or about 1 litre of oil for deep-frying, see the fryer method)
For the vegetables: 1 red pepper, 1 green pepper, 1 medium onion, 2 red chillies (or 1 for less heat), 2 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
For the seasoning: 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice, 1 teaspoon chilli flakes, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon sugar, ½ teaspoon white pepper
Curry sauce or sweet chilli sauce, to serve (optional; shop-bought is fine, warmed through and served in a small bowl)

Method

Heat the oven to 220 °C (200 °C fan). Cut the potatoes into chips about 1 cm thick, soak in cold water for 15 minutes, then drain and dry them thoroughly. Toss with the 2 tablespoons oil and ½ teaspoon salt and spread on a large tray in one layer.
Roast the chips for 40-45 minutes, turning once, until golden and crisp. Put the chicken tray in after the chips have been in for about 25 minutes (see below).
Slice the chicken into thin strips about 1 cm wide. Mix with the egg white, salt and pepper, then toss in the cornflour until each piece has a thin dry coating. Wash your hands and the board well after handling raw chicken and raw egg white.
Oven method: pour the 3 tablespoons oil onto a second tray and heat it in the oven for 3 minutes. Spread the strips on it in one layer and roast for 15-18 minutes, turning once, until crisp and golden. The thickest piece must reach 75 °C inside and have no pink.
Fryer method: heat oil in a deep, heavy pot no more than half full to 180 °C, checking with a thermometer. Lower the strips in gently, a handful at a time, and fry for 4-5 minutes until golden and cooked through (75 °C inside). Drain on paper towels. Never leave hot oil unattended.
Slice the peppers and onion into thin strips, slice the chillies and crush the garlic. Heat the tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan over high heat and stir-fry the vegetables for 3-4 minutes, adding the garlic for the last 30 seconds, until just tender and a little charred.
Mix the seasoning ingredients. Tip the chips, chicken and vegetables into a large bowl (or a paper bag), sprinkle over the seasoning and toss or shake until everything is coated. Eat immediately, with curry sauce on the side if you like.

Tips

Dry the chips and the chicken well before cooking; moisture is what makes both soggy.
Season at the very end, while everything is hot, so the spice sticks and the chips stay crisp.
Taste the seasoning before using it all: five-spice is strong, and salt levels vary.
Do not crowd the tray or the pan; crowded food steams instead of crisping.
Cook the chicken until a thermometer reads 75 °C in the thickest piece, even if it looks golden earlier.

Regional versions

A veg spice bag swaps the chicken for crispy tofu or extra vegetables and mushrooms.
Many shops use battered, deep-fried chicken, which is crunchier than the oven version here.
Some takeaways add a fried egg or serve it in a box with curry sauce poured over.
The seasoning also works on plain chips or roast potatoes.

Questions

What is in a spice bag?

Crispy shredded chicken, chips, sliced peppers, onion and chilli, tossed in a salt, chilli and five-spice seasoning and served in a paper bag.

Where does the spice bag come from?

It is usually traced to a Chinese takeaway in Dublin, often said to be Sunflower in Templeogue, though several shops claim it and the date is not settled.

Can I make a spice bag in an air fryer or oven?

Yes. The oven method above works well; for an air fryer, cook the chips and the coated chicken in batches at about 200 °C until golden, and check the chicken reaches 75 °C.