How to Make Kwek Kwek

Co-authored by Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: March 26, 2020 Tested

Kwek kwek is a popular street food enjoyed in the Philippines, but you can make your own version at home with the right ingredients and supplies. Hard boiled quail eggs are coated in an orange batter and fried until crispy, then served with a sweet-and-sour style dipping sauce.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

The Basics

1 dozen quail eggs
1 cup (250 ml) flour
Water, for boiling
Cooking oil, for frying

The Batter

1 cup (250 ml) flour
3/4 cup (185 ml) water
1 Tbsp (15 ml) annatto powder
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) baking powder

The Dipping Sauce

1/4 cup (60 ml) rice vinegar
1/4 cup (60 ml) brown sugar
1/4 cup (60 ml) ketchup
2 tsp (10 ml) soy sauce
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) black pepper

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Boil the Eggs

1
Boil the eggs. Place the eggs in a medium saucepan. Add water until the surface of the water is 1 inch (2.5 cm) higher than the tops of the eggs. Heat the saucepan over high heat until the water starts to boil. Turn off the heat, cover the pan, and let the eggs cook in the hot water for an additional 5 minutes.
- It is generally recommended to bring the water and eggs up to temperature at the same time. If you drop cold eggs into boiling water, you may end up cracking some of the shells.
- To make the eggs easier to peel and to prevent the yolks from taking on an unappealing green tint, rinse the eggs in cold water as soon as you remove them from the hot water. This stops the cooking process and creates a barrier of steam between the egg white and the shell, which is why the shell is easier to remove as a result. You can rinse the eggs in cold, running water, or you could dunk them into a bowl of ice water.
2
Cool and peel off the shells. Let the eggs sit at room temperature or in cold water until they are cool to the touch. Once they are sufficiently cool, peel off the shells using your fingers. When done, you should be left with a dozen hard-boiled quail eggs.
- To peel the shell, tap it on a hard surface, using just enough force to form a crack. Peel the shell off in pieces from this crack.
- Note that you can do this step up to two days in advance. If you do not plan on using the boiled quail eggs immediately, you should refrigerate them in a covered container until you are ready. They should not be kept for more than two days, however.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Coat and Fry the Eggs

1
Dredge the eggs in flour. Sprinkle 1 cup (250 ml) flour into a small dish with shallow sides. Roll the freshly peeled quail eggs in the flour until each one is well-coated all the way around.
- Note that you could also use corn flour when dredging the eggs instead of wheat flour. Corn flour has a lower gluten content, but otherwise, it will act the same way as the wheat flour acts and will adhere just as effectively.
2
Mix the annatto powder and warm water. Dilute the annatto powder by mixing it into 3/4 cup (185 ml) warm water. Stir with a whisk until dissolved.
- Annatto powder is mostly used as a coloring agent, and when combined correctly, it should produce a deep orange color. It does give the batter a hint of flavor, though.
- If you do not have annatto powder, you can use orange food color instead. Place a few drops of orange food coloring, or a few drops of red and yellow food colorings, into the warm water and mix until you get a deep orange color. The food coloring will not give the batter the same exact taste as the annatto powder gives it, but the color should be about the same.
3
Combine the batter ingredients. Mix another 1 cup (250 ml) flour, baking powder, and diluted annatto together in a large bowl, using a whisk. Combine thoroughly until there are no lumps.
- To improve the quality of the batter, set it off to the side for about 30 minutes before coating the eggs. Letting the batter sit allows the flour to become more thoroughly hydrated, creating a thicker, richer batter as a result. The resting time also gives the baking powder more time to activate. Be careful, though, since allowing the batter to rest for more than 30 minutes can cause some of the bubbles produced by the baking powder to escape, creating a denser, less airy batter as a result.
- Also note that the baking soda is not an absolutely essential ingredient. Some recipes leave it out completely. You could leave it out, as well, and the result will simply be a slightly denser batter.
4
Coat the eggs with batter. Toss the eggs into the batter mixture. Roll them around gently until all sides are covered in batter.
- If you do not want to get your fingers sticky, use a metal skewer or a fork to move the eggs around as you coat them. It is crucial that all sides of each egg get coated.
5
Heat oil in a deep pan. Pour 1 inch (2.5 cm) of vegetable oil into a wide pan with tall sides and a heavy bottom. Heat the oil on high over the stove until it reaches a temperature of 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).
- Check the temperature of the oil using an oil or candy thermometer.
- If you do not have a thermometer, check the temperature of the oil by dropping a small dollop of batter into it. The batter should immediately begin to sizzle and fry when the oil is ready.
6
Fry the eggs. Transfer the coated eggs into the oil, four to six at a time. Cook, stirring gently with a slotted spoon, until the batter turns golden-brown and crisp. This should only take a few minutes.
- To avoid getting batter on your fingers, you might want to use a skewer to pierce the coated eggs when transferring them to the hot oil. Use a second skewer or fork to scrape the egg off the skewer and into the hot oil.
- Work carefully to avoid splashing hot oil when you drop the eggs in.
- Understand that the temperature of the oil will fluctuate once you drop the eggs in and once you remove them. Continue watching your oil thermometer as you fry the eggs. Readjust the heat controls on your stove as necessary to maintain a temperature of about 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).
7
Drain and cool slightly. Line a plate with several layers of clean paper towel. Remove the kwek kwek from the hot oil and place the eggs on the paper towels. Let the excess oil soak into the paper towels.
- A plate lined with clean paper bags will work instead of the paper towels, if desired.
- Alternatively, you could place the fried eggs in a metal strainer and drain the excess oil that way instead of using paper towels.
- It is best to enjoy the kwek kwek while it is still somewhat hot. The batter will be crispier when eaten fresh, but it can start to become soggy once it cools.
- Kwek kwek does not reheat well since the batter tends to get soggy during the refrigeration and reheating process.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Make the Sauce

1
Combine the ingredients in a saucepan. In a small saucepan, mix together the rice vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, and black pepper. Stir until evenly combined.
- If you want a spicier sauce, chop up one hot chili and mix it into the other ingredients.^{[1]
  X
  Research source} If you still prefer a smoother sauce, though, you could accomplish the same level of heat by adding 1 tsp to 1 Tbsp (5 to 15 ml) chili sauce.
- Make this sauce as the eggs drain and cool. By the time the sauce is done, enough of the oil should have been drained and the eggs should be cool enough to bite into. You do not want to let the eggs cool down completely, though, since the batter will get soggy once that happens.
- Note that you could even make the sauce in advance. Store it in an airtight container and refrigerated it until ready to use. Microwave it for 30 to 60 seconds or heat it gently on the stove to warm it up slightly.
2
Heat through. Simmer the mixture at medium heat on the stove until the sugar completely dissolves. Stir frequently as the sauce cooks.
- When done, immediately remove the dipping sauce from the heat source. Allow it to cool down until it is cool enough to touch without getting burned.
3
Serve with the eggs. Transfer the dipping sauce into a small bowl. Serve it alongside the freshly fried quail eggs, or kwek kwek.

Community Q&A

Question

Can I use canned quail eggs?

Community Answer

Yes. The consistency is different but they work just fine.
Question

Can I use white vinegar instead of rice vinegar?

Community Answer

Yes, you can. Rice vinegar gives a distinguished taste to the sauce, but white vinegar is also used.
Question

It is okay to make this without cornstarch?

Nina Patrcia Javier

Community Answer

Yes, I usually use a plain flour and it works fine. It doesn't really matter because the most important part is that the eggs are evenly coated when they are deep fried.