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I crave kwek-kwek every time I leave the Philippines! There’s just something so special about dunking it in spiced vinegar, and eating the skewer in the middle of the street before heading out for the day. This homemade version recreates that classic: coating the quail eggs in a thin orange batter, then frying it to crispy perfection.
Ingredients
*The Recipe Card below includes all the full measurements for these ingredients!
Quail eggs: The classic choice for kwek-kwek. Look for the small, speckled eggs at Asian supermarkets. Regular chicken eggs can also be used, although that version is called tokneneng!
Flour, cornstarch, baking powder: Flour forms the base of the batter, with cornstarch helping to create a light, crispy coating. Baking powder gives a little lift to avoid an overly dense batter.
Annatto powder: Gives the batter its signature orange color. A few drops of orange food coloring can also work, or you can omit the coloring entirely without significantly changing the taste.
Instructions
*The Recipe Card below includes all the full detailed instructions!
Boil the quail eggs until hard boiled. Cool in an ice bath and peel off the shells.
Prepare the batter by combining the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, annatto powder, salt, pepper, and water. Mix well to form a pancake-like batter texture.
Lightly coat the quail eggs with flour to help with sticking.
Coat the quail eggs with the wet batter and fry until crispy.
Pierce onto skewers and serve warm. Enjoy!
Cooking Tips
Keep the batter thick enough to coat the eggs: It should resemble thick pancake batter, able to coat the back of a spoon without immediately running off. If it’s too thin, the coating can slide off the eggs during frying.
Dry and dredge the eggs before battering: An extra step my dad likes to do with his kwek-kwek is to pat the eggs dry and lightly coat them with flour. This gives the wet batter something to cling to, helping prevent bare spots.
Fry in batches and serve immediately: Overcrowding can lower the oil temperature and leave the coating greasy. Let the finished eggs drain on a wire rack and enjoy once it’s had a chance to cool off. These are best served fresh to take advantage of their crisp.
Looking for more delicious Asian street foods? Here’s some more classics:
- Tteokbokki (Korean Spicy Rice Cakes)
- Turon (Filipino Crispy Banana Springrolls)
- Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken
- Okonomiyaki (Japanese Savory Pancake)
Kwek Kwek Recipe (Crispy Filipino Quail Eggs)
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minutesI crave kwek-kwek every time I leave the Philippines! There’s just something so special about dunking it in spiced vinegar, and eating the skewer in the middle of the street before heading out for the day. This homemade version recreates that classic: coating the quail eggs in a thin orange batter, then frying it to crispy perfection.
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Ingredients
24 quail eggs
1/4 cup all-purpose flour, for coating the eggs
Neutral oil, for frying
- Wet batter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons annatto powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3/4 to 1 cup cold water, more as needed
- Dipping Sauces
Spiced vinegar (store-bought or homemade)
Fishball sauce (store-bought or homemade)
Directions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Gently lower the quail eggs and boil for 5 to 7 minutes until hard boiled. Remove, and place the eggs into a bowl of ice water to cool briefly. Once cool to touch, peel off the egg shells and set aside.
- To prepare the wet batter, whisk together the 1 cup of flour, cornstarch, annatto powder, baking powder, salt, and black pepper. Gradually pour in the cold water, starting with 3/4 cup, and whisking well until you have a smooth batter resembling thick pancake batter. Add more water as needed to thin the mixture.
- Transfer the peeled eggs to a medium bowl along with the remaining 1/4 cup flour. Using your hands or a spoon, gently toss the eggs in the flour until coated (this will help the wet batter in sticking).
- Heat enough oil to 350°F in a deep pot to fully submerge the eggs. Dip the flour-coated eggs into the batter, and carefully lower them, one at a time, into the hot oil. Fry in batches for about 1 to 2 minutes, or until the coating is crisp and bright orange. Drain on a wire rack.
- Pierce the kwek-kwek onto skewers (I like to do about 3 to 4 eggs per skewer). Let cool slightly before serving with spiced vinegar dip or fishball sauce.
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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