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A plate of battered, deep-fried balls on toothpicks, coated in orange sauce, with two cut open to reveal a boiled egg filling.

Kwek Kwek

Robin Donovan

Kwek Kwek is a Filipino street food classic—quail eggs coated in a crunchy orange batter and fried until golden. The inside stays creamy, the outside is crisp, and they’re best served hot with a punchy dipping sauce like vinegar or sweet chili.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Course Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine Filipino
Servings 4
Calories 619 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 12 pieces quail eggs boiled and peeled
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup cornstarch divided
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper ground
  • ½ cup water
  • ½ teaspoon annatto powder
  • 1 cup cooking oil

Instructions
 

  •  Prepare the batter: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, half of the cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and pepper.
    In a separate cup, dissolve the annatto powder in water. Gradually add the annatto water to the flour mixture, stirring until smooth and thick.
  • Coat the quail eggs: Place the remaining cornstarch in a shallow bowl. Roll each boiled, peeled quail egg in the cornstarch so it’s lightly coated.
  • Dip in batter: Dip each cornstarch-coated egg into the batter, making sure it’s completely covered. Let any excess batter drip off.
  • Fry the kwek-kwek:
    - Heat oil in a deep pan over medium heat.
    - Gently drop the battered eggs into the hot oil a few at a time.
    - Fry for 2 to 3 minutes, turning occasionally, until they’re golden and crisp.
    - Remove from the oil and let drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
  • Serve: Serve hot with dipping sauce—spiced vinegar, sweet chili, or a mix of soy sauce and calamansi juice all work well.

Notes

  1. Annatto powder is mainly for color, but you can skip it if you don’t mind a paler batter.
  2. Substitute chicken eggs cut into quarters if you can’t find quail eggs—just be careful, they’re more fragile.
  3. Make sure the oil is hot enough before frying to avoid greasy coating.
  4. These are best eaten fresh, but leftovers can be crisped back up in the air fryer.

Nutrition

Calories: 619kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 2gFat: 57gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 16gMonounsaturated Fat: 36gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 351mgPotassium: 25mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.1gVitamin A: 18IUCalcium: 36mgIron: 1mg
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