20 Best Prawn Paste Chicken in Singapore You Have to Try

A popular tze char spot with its roots as a cai png stall, its har cheong gai is known to be some of the best in Singapore. It is a flavour bomb perfectly fried to a golden crisp and boasts a satisfying, shatteringly crisp exterior. The secret apparently lies in a prawn paste made with 85% pure shrimp extract that covers every inch of the chicken! 

Address: 122 Casuarina Rd, Singapore 579510
Opening Hours: 4:30–10:30 PM Mon, 11:30 AM–2 PM, 4:30–10:30 PM Tues to Sun

Ah Tan Wings is started by a young hawker who surprisingly has no prior experience and is driven purely by his love for fried chicken. He and his brother spent over a year trying over 800 variations before nailing the recipe! The chicken wings are marinated for two days, then double-fried with two different batters to achieve that ultra-crisp crust. You can get the wings itself, or make it a set meal with rice, egg, and a tangy chilli.

Address: 51 Yishun Ave 11, #01-40, Singapore 768867
Opening Hours: 11 AM–9 PM Sun & Mon, Wed to Fri, 10:30 AM–9 PM Sat. Closed on Tues

At Bee Kia you’ll smell the savoury aroma of the har cheong gai before you see it. They are known for its generously battered, sinfully crispy textured har cheong gai, which comes with a tasty golden-brown exterior covering the flavourful and tender chicken. What’s also different about them is that unlike the usual wings you’ll get at most spots, Bee Kia makes use of different parts of the chicken to make its har cheong gai!

Address: 1 Thomson Rd, #01-326, Singapore 300001
Opening Hours: 12–10:30 PM daily

Whampoa Keng might have made a name for itself thanks to its fish head steamboat that’s still cooked the traditional way over charcoal – but the Prawn Paste Chicken Wings are well worth the trip too. These wings are marinated for up to eight hours and coated in four different types of flour, creating a golden-brown crust that packs a serious crunch.

Address: 556 Balestier Rd, Singapore 329872
Opening Hours: 11 AM–11:30 PM daily

The har cheong gai at 21 Seafood is succulent and fried to crispy perfection. It is aromatic and well-marinated, and the audible crunch is simply ASMR-worthy. Packed with prawn paste notes,  the chicken is not too oily!

Address: 212 Hougang St 21, Singapore 530212
Opening Hours: 12 PM–1 AM daily

While you’re here for Seng Kee’s famous mee sua, make sure to also try their har cheong gai. This well-loved supper spot fries up a solid Deep Fried Prawn Paste Chicken that is delectably crunchy yet juicy. We also like the accompanying chilli that is tangy and citrusy and helps to cut through any grease.

Address: 475 Changi Rd, Singapore 419892
Opening Hours: 11:30 AM–2 AM daily

Ka-Soh is a family-owned restaurant with a rich history dating back to the 1930s. One of the pioneers in the local tze char business, part of their heritage includes being a roadside hawker stall in the 1950s along Chin Chew Street. It counts its Ka-Soh Prawn Paste Chicken as one of its highlight dishes, which is deep-fried to a golden brown with an obvious prawn-paste flavour and aroma.

Address: 22 Greenwood Ave, Singapore 289218
Opening Hours: 11:30 AM–2 PM, 5:30–9 PM Tues to Sun

For somewhere a little different, head to No.5 Emerald Hill for your har cheong gai fix. It is one of its most popular bar snacks at this cocktail bar in Orchard Road, marinated with shrimp sauce and Chinese wine to create its umami profile. They crackle with every bite without being too greasy, and it’s also too easy to polish off the entire basket,

Address: 5 Emerald Hill Rd, Singapore 229289
Opening Hours: 12 PM–3 AM daily

Now well settled into its new location at Dover, Holland Village XO Fish Head Bee Hoon continues to deliver the yummy fish soup that it gained popularity for while at Holland Drive. If you ask us, their har cheong gai with delicately crispy skin, fragrant prawn paste notes and a juicy interior is also worthy of a visit!

Address: 19A Dover Cres, Singapore 131019
Opening Hours: 11:30 AM–2 PM, 5–11 PM daily

Run by Hainanese owners, you might know Pow Sing Restaurant for their top-notch Hainanese chicken rice, but their other chicken dishes are very much worth a try too. Their Prawn Paste Fried Chicken Wings boast a well-balanced flavour that is extremely aromatic along with tender and juicy flesh. 

Address: 59 Serangoon Garden Way, Singapore 555961
Opening Hours: 10:30 AM–9:30 PM daily

This tze char chain is well-loved for a number of dishes, including a solid Prawn Paste Chicken. Each wing is large and meaty with a satisfying crunch – though it seems to be a little more greasy than the other contenders on this list. Still, it makes for an incredibly moreish side dish to pair with some fried rice, noodles, and claypot dishes!

Address: Multiple Outlets

Heng Hwa restaurant Ming Chung's very own Prawn Paste Chicken has a crispy thin crust and is simply flavourful, coated generously in prawn paste and fried to a perfect golden crisp. Every bite brings an audible, satisfying crunch!

Address: 67 Maude Rd, Singapore 208348
Opening Hours: 12–10 PM Tues to Sun. Closed on Mon

Many people come for Two Chefs’ Coffee Pork Ribs and Butter Pork Ribs, but if you’re having a proper feast we highly recommend you to try its classic Har Cheong Gai as well. While they looked ordinary in appearance, the chicken wings had a generous and crunchy batter. The prawn paste did not overpower he taste of the freshly fried chicken, making for a well-balanced dish!

Address: Multiple Outlets

You’ll find several Hong Kong Street Chun Kee around in Singapore, as the late Mr Loh Mun Hon had passed down his recipes and skills to his disciples, who started their own “Hong Kong Street” chains with his blessings. The har cheong gai here are marinated a day before with their secret recipe of fermented prawn paste and a mixture of spices to create flavourful, juicy and crispy chicken. However, the standard and portion may vary between outlets.

Address: Multiple Outlets

Har cheong gai gets a modern facelift at Oriole Coffee + Bar. Apart from a Har Cheong Gai that’s amped up with sambal belachan, they also have a Har Cheong Gai & Sambal Belachan Burger featuring tender, shrimp paste-marinated chicken thigh sandwiched between fluffy buns and paired with a side of sweet potato fries!

Address: 96 Somerset Rd, #01-01, Singapore 238163
Opening Hours: 11 AM–10:30 PM Mon to Thurs, 11 AM–11:30 PM Fri, 10  AM–11:30 PM Sat, 11 AM–9:30 PM Sun

With two locations in Bedok, come early if you want a taste of Sin Ho’s har cheong gai, because it’s their most popular dish and they’re often all sold out by 8pm! The chicken is well-marinated in a fragrant, mouthwatering prawn paste that is incredibly appetising, and the stall is so dedicated to getting it right that one employee is stationed just to fry this constantly, so you always fresh piping hot wings!

Address: Multiple Outlets

The signature Har Cheong Gai at Por Kee Eating House might be slightly lacking in crunch, but the skin holds its crispiness well even when left exposed for some time. It is totally compensated by the umami prawn paste flavour that is further elevated by a tangy lime-infused chilli sauce!

Address: 69 Seng Poh Ln, #01-02, Singapore 160069
Opening Hours: 11 AM–2:30 PM, 5–10:45 PM Tues to Sun

Started in the Serangoon neighbourhood, this fishhead steamboat spot now has several branches around the island. Don’t miss the har cheong gai while you’re here. They are deliciously plump and fried to perfection with a crispy exterior and juicy interior!

Address: Multiple Outlets

Make it a point to order some of their Prawn Paste Chicken at Hong Sheng Restaurant. Brimming with a subtle umami prawn aroma, this chicken dish is both crispy and succulent. It also isn’t too heavily coated in batter, so it’s all too easy to wolf down a few of these at one go!

Address: 203 Toa Payoh N, Singapore 310203
Opening Hours: 4:30–10 PM Tues to Sun. Closed on Mon

One-Michelin star chef Chef Kang’s Prawn Paste Chicken might be on the pricy side, but it is said to be one of the best in Singapore. Chef Kang explained that instead of simply coating the wings with flour, he used a more tedious process of ‘slapping’ the flour mixture onto the chicken. This is so that there would be no thick layer of batter around the chicken, and the outer layer would be both crispy and fluffy.

Address: 25 Mackenzie Rd, Singapore 228681
Opening Hours: 11:30 AM–2 PM, 5:45–10 PM Tues to Sun. Closed on Mon