What is Chuoi Chien?
Chuối chiên, or Vietnamese fried banana fritters, is one of Vietnam’s most popular street foods.
These banana fritters are typically long, golden brown with a speckled crust of black sesame seeds.
Traditionally made with short Thai bananas, known as chuối xiêm or chuối sứ in Vietnamese, the bananas are peeled, flattened, and dipped in a light rice flour batter before frying.
It’s then dipped and fried again for the ultimate crispy crust.
As they cook, the batter puffs up, creating a hollow shell around the soft, caramelized banana.
Each bite is crisp on the outside, light and airy on the inside—the perfect Vietnamese snack and a great way to use up bananas.
What You Will Need
To make Chuoi Chien or Vietnamese fried banana fritters, gather the following ingredients:
- Regular rice flour and all-purpose flour – Creates a light, crispy shell. Rice flour is the main flour to make it super crispy. A little all-purpose flour is needed to tell the rice flour to calm down.
- Baking powder – The leavening agent for a classic puffy shell.
- Granulated sugar and salt – To sweeten and season the batter.
- Roasted black sesame seeds – Adds texture and the signature look to the classic street food fried banana fritters.
- Turmeric powder (optional) – Adds a light yellow color to the batter.
- Water – The liquid needed to make the batter.
- Bananas – I’m using the long Western variety, also known as Cavendish or Chiquita bananas, which are commonly found in U.S. supermarkets. Choose bananas that are ripe but still firm so they hold their shape when flattened. You can also use short Thai bananas (chuoi xiem), but let them ripen fully until the skin is all or mostly black for best results.
- Neutral oil – I’m using vegetable oil for deep-frying.
How to Make It
Step 1: Make the Batter
In a wide shallow mixing bowl, mix together rice flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, black sesame seeds, turmeric powder, and water.
Stir until smooth and well combined. The batter should be thick enough to coat the bananas but not too heavy.
Adjust with a bit more rice flour (if too thin) or more water (if too thick) if needed.
Step 2: Heat the Oil
In a wide nonstick skillet, add about 1 1/2 inches of neutral oil and heat it to 300–310°F.
This relatively low frying temperature is key for these fried bananas. If the oil is too hot, the crust will darken too quickly while the banana inside remains uncaramelized.
Step 3: Prepare the Bananas
Peel the banana slice it in half lengthwise.
Place the banana half on the bottom edge of thick plastic, like a Ziploc bag, but not inside the bag. Fold the plastic over the banana snugly.
Use a large mallet or a flat object like a small cutting board to gently flatten the banana until thin, but not so much that it breaks apart.
Step 4: Batter & Fry
Carefully peel the flatten banana off the plastic bag and transfer it to the prepared batter. Repeat with remaining bananas.
Using a wide spatula (maybe even two for longer bananas), lift the battered bananas, let the excess batter drip off, then carefully place them into the hot oil. Repeat with remaining battered bananas.
Deep fry for about 7 minutes total, gently flipping and turning as needed to prevent sticking and ensure even browning.
Step 5: Batter & Fry Again
Remove the bananas from the oil and drain off excess oil. Dip them back into the batter for a second coating. Fry it again for about 3 minutes, which will make it puff up even more.
Remove from oil and drain on a wire rack. Allow to cool slightly as they will be pipping hot and enjoy.
FAQs
Can I make the batter ahead of time?
Yes, you can. The batter can be prepared up to a day in advance and kept in the fridge. Stir before using as the flour tends to settle at the bottom.
My batter is too thick/thin. How to fix it?
Add a little more water to the batter if it’s too thick. The extra water will thin it out.
Add a little more rice flour to the batter if it’s too thin. The extra flour will thicken it a bit more so that it clings to the banana better when dipped.
Don’t they look like fried chicken wings?
Do I Need to Flatten the Bananas?
I recently tried this recipe again by slicing the bananas in half or into three pieces if they were too thick, without flattening them. It worked.
Flattening the bananas helps distribute the filling more evenly. More importantly, flattening make them long so they are more visually appealing when fried.
If you’re short on time, simply slicing them works just fine.
Do I Need to Batter and Fry Twice?
Yes. The first fry is to seal the bananas. The second fry is when it puffs up for that awesome crust.
Pro Tips
Add Optional Sauce
Although it’s typically enjoyed plain, if you’d like to drizzle it with a sauce, try this coconut milk sauce.
Want Something Fancier?
Try this modern take on chuối chiên—banana wrapped in spring roll pastry, fried until crispy, then drizzled with caramel sauce and topped with toasted coconut.
Storage & Reheating
These are best eaten fresh or within a few hours while the crust is still crispy.
But if you have extras, you can store leftover in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat them in an air fryer or fry again quickly in oil (preferred method) to get them crispy again.
Vietnamese Fried Banana Fritters (Chuối Chiên)
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 6 fritters 1x
Description
Golden Vietnamese banana fritters with a light, crunchy batter for the perfect snack.
Ingredients
- 1 cup regular rice flour
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder (optional)
- 1 tablespoon roasted black sesame seeds
- 1 cup water
- 3 bananas (any variety; see notes)
- Neutral oil for deep frying
Instructions
- Make the batter: In a wide shallow mixing bowl, mix together rice flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, black sesame seeds, turmeric powder, and water. Stir until smooth and well combined.
- Heat oil: In a wide skillet (about 11 inches), add about 1 1/2 inches of neutral oil, such as vegetable oil, and heat to 300-310°F.
- Prepare the bananas: Peel the banana and slice it in half lengthwise. Use a Ziploc or thick plastic bag to roll up the banana half snugly. Use a large mallet or a flat object like a small cutting board to gently flatten the banana until thin but not so much that it breaks apart. Carefully peel it from the plastic bag and dip it into the batter. Repeat with the remaining bananas.
- Batter and fry bananas: Using a wide spatula, transfer the coated bananas into the hot oil. Deep fry as many as your skillet can fit without overcrowding. I was able to fit them all in an 11-inch skillet. Fry for about 7 minutes total or until golden. Flip and turn gently to prevent sticking and ensure even browning. Remove from the oil and drain on a wire rack. If necessary, clean the skillet of any fried bits before the second fry.
- Batter and fry again: Dip the fried bananas back into the batter for a second coating. Return it to the oil to fry again for 3 more minutes. Again, make sure the bananas don’t touch and flip as needed for even cooking. Transfer to a wire rack to drain excess oil and allow it cool as it will be very hot (about 15 minutes), and enjoy.
Notes
For Thai bananas, choose ones with mostly black skin — that’s when they’re ripe and sweet. Cavendish bananas should only have light speckling. If they’re fully black, they’ll be too soft to work with.
Use a nonstick skillet for best results — it helps prevent the batter from sticking to the pan.
To save time, you can also skip flattening the bananas. Simply slice in halves or thirds lengthwise.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: stove top, deep fry
- Cuisine: Asian, Vietnamese
