Chongqing Chicken (Là Zǐ Jī 重庆辣子鸡)

Chongqing chicken, also known as mala chicken, is loved all over China and considered a classic delicacy. Despite its lethally spicy look, it’s truly delicious. Spicy chicken dishes have a long history in the region, but là zǐ jī as we know it is usually traced to the Geleshan area of Chongqing in the 1980s – a city famous for its love of fiery food. Chongqing technically hasn’t been part of Sichuan since it became a separate municipality in 1997, but its cooking is still very similar. In restaurants, the dish is often served under a huge pile of dried chilies that sometimes hides the chicken itself. At home, you can adjust the ratio of chilies to chicken to suit your taste.

The key element of this dish is the “málà” (麻辣) flavor – numbing and spicy. To get that signature taste, you’ll need plenty of dried chilies and Sichuan peppercorns. Classic Chongqing chicken is made with three kinds of dried chilies from Sichuan, each with its own heat level and aroma. At home, you can use any good-quality, aromatic dried chilies you can find. If you’re worried about the heat, remove the seeds.

For an even more intense numbing effect, I recommend green Sichuan peppercorns, which pack more of a tingle than the usual red ones.

Chongqing chicken is usually made with bone-in chicken chopped into small pieces. This style is popular in China, where people don’t mind nibbling around small bones when eating meat or fish. At home, boneless chicken thighs work perfectly – that’s what the recipe below uses.

Preparing the Chicken

Before you start cooking, it’s important to marinate the chicken properly so it soaks up all the flavors of the seasonings. For the marinade you’ll need ginger, scallions, light soy sauce, Shaoxing rice wine, white pepper and salt. Marinate the meat for at least 15–20 minutes, or ideally overnight in the fridge.

Double-Frying

To get the right texture and look, the chicken needs to be fried twice. The first fry should be at 160 °C (320 °F). Fry the chicken pieces for about 3–4 minutes, until they form a light brown crust.

For the second fry, the oil should be hotter – 180–190 °C (355–375 °F). Fry the chicken again, this time for just 1–2 minutes, until golden and crispy. Make sure the pieces fry evenly.

Just before serving, sprinkle with sesame seeds and finely sliced scallions. Stick to the key techniques – double-frying and using good-quality dried chilies and Sichuan pepper – and you’ll enjoy Chongqing chicken exactly the way they make it in Chongqing.

Print Recipe

Chongqing Chicken (Là Zǐ Jī 重庆辣子鸡)

Chongqing chicken is loved all over China: crispy, double-fried chicken pieces tossed in a mountain of dried chilies and Sichuan pepper. It looks lethally spicy, but it tastes absolutely wonderful.

Prep Time35 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Total Time45 minutes mins

Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 4 boneless chicken thighs 450 g (about 1 lb)

Marinade

• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
• 1 thumb ginger lightly crushed
• 1 scallion lightly crushed
• 2 tsp cornstarch optional
• pinch of salt

Stir-fry

• 500 ml neutral oil about 2 cups, for frying
• 1½ cups dried red chilies
• ½ tbsp doubanjiang (chili bean paste)
• 1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns
• 2 cloves garlic sliced
• 1 thumb ginger peeled and sliced
• 2 scallions white and green parts sliced separately
• 1 tsp sugar
• ¼ tsp ground white pepper
• splash of Shaoxing rice wine for finishing
• small pinch of salt
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds optional

Instructions

• Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. Put it in a bowl with the marinade ingredients, mix well and let it marinate for at least 15 minutes (or up to overnight in the fridge).
• If your chilies are whole, cut them into 1–2 cm (½–¾-inch) pieces and shake out the seeds.
• Toast the sesame seeds gently in a dry pan until lightly golden.
• Remove and discard the ginger and scallion from the chicken. First fry: heat the oil in a wok to 160 °C (320 °F). Add the chicken, stir to separate the pieces and fry for about 4 minutes, until lightly browned. Lift out with a slotted spoon.
• Second fry: raise the oil temperature to 180–190 °C (355–375 °F). Return the chicken and fry for 1–2 minutes more, until golden and crispy. Lift out with a slotted spoon.
• Pour off the frying oil, leaving about 3½ tablespoons in the wok, and bring it back to medium heat. Add the chili bean paste and stir until the oil turns red. Add the ginger, garlic and scallion whites and fry briefly until fragrant. Add the dried chilies and Sichuan peppercorns and stir until they darken slightly and smell toasty – take care not to burn them.
• Add the chicken and toss vigorously to coat it in the fragrant oil. Add a splash of Shaoxing wine, the remaining salt, the sugar and the white pepper.
• Finally, stir in the sesame oil. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with the sesame seeds and scallion greens. Serve with vegetables and steamed white rice.

Notes

The chilies are mostly there for aroma – don’t feel you have to eat them all! Remove the seeds for a milder dish.

Look for Sichuan dried chilies (such as facing heaven or lantern chilies) and Sichuan peppercorns at Asian grocery stores or online. Green Sichuan peppercorns give an even stronger numbing tingle.