Chongqing Chicken (or chongqing la zi ji –重庆辣子鸡) is a dish that has everything going for it. It’s legendary. It’s dramatic. It’s mouthwatering (to me, anyway). And despite its deadly spicy look, it’s actually really good. For those of you who don’t know, Chongqing is located in the Sichuan province of China and has over 30 million people living there. Imagine how much Chongqing chicken and other spicy hot food is being consumed there!
If you’ve seen a picture of it on a menu at a Chinese restaurant, you might not have dared touch it for fear of burning a hole through your mouth. All those chili peppers can be intimidating, but I love it! When I order Chongqing Chicken in a restaurant, my only complaint is usually that there are always more peppers than chicken. Which is why I decided it was time to make it at home.
Before I start, I want to clue you in on a couple of facts about this dish that I DID NOT follow, and why. First of all, the dish is usually made with chicken on the bone, chopped into small pieces. I myself am a big fan of this, as are most Chinese people (for some reason, whether it’s meat or fish, we really don’t mind navigating tiny bones), but for your easy enjoyment (and at Sarah’s request), I chose to use boneless chicken thighs instead.
Secondly, the chicken is usually marinated and then deep-fried. In my opinion, it’s not necessary. A good wok-searing job can make the chicken taste just as good without all that oil.
Lastly, as I mentioned, there are almost ALWAYS more chilies in this Chongqing chicken La Zi Ji dish than chicken. Usually, the dried red chili peppers just about cover the chicken when it’s presented at the table, and diners have to pick through and search for the meat. I wasn’t a fan of this. It just seemed like a waste of chilies. I’ve made adjustments accordingly to my recipe, while still (hopefully) achieving the dramatic look this dish deserves.
For the chicken/marinade:
- 3 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
For the rest of the dish:
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 2 tablespoons Sichuan peppercorns
- 2 slices ginger, julienned
- 5 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 cup whole dried red chilies (see note!)
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing cooking wine
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 scallion, chopped
Note:
You can use fewer dried chilies if you like. This dish won’t actually be that spicy, unless you break open some of the dry hot peppers. If you do like the dish spicy, don’t break open more than six peppers. It will be hot enough, trust me.
Okay, let’s start.
Rinse the chicken and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Add the chicken to a bowl and toss with the marinade ingredients. Set aside for 30 minutes.
Prepare the rest of the ingredients. When you’re ready to cook, heat 3 tablespoons oil in a wok over high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer, and let it sear (DO NOT STIR at this point). Once you’ve got a good, crisp crust on the bottom of the chicken, stir and continue to sear the chicken until it’s browned and crisp on all sides.
You really need a hot wok to achieve this. Turn off the heat and remove the chicken to a plate with a slotted spoon.
There should be about 1 tablespoon of oil left in the wok at this point. Add more if you need to. Heat the wok over medium low heat, and add the Sichuan peppercorns. Let them toast for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Add the ginger and garlic, and cook for 1 minute.
Add the whole dried chilies, and stir for another minute. Monitor the heat levels to avoid burning.
Turn up the heat to high, and add the chicken, Shaoxing wine, sugar, and scallion.
Continue to stir-fry, until any liquid in the wok has evaporated.
Serve your Chongqing chicken (la zi ji) with lots of steamed jasmine rice and a veggie on the side! We’d recommend simple garlicky broccoli or bok choy.
Chongqing Chicken (Sichuan La Zi Ji)
Ingredients
For the chicken/marinade:
- 3 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
For the rest of the dish:
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 2 tablespoons Sichuan peppercorns
- 2 slices ginger (julienned)
- 5 cloves garlic (sliced)
- 1 cup whole dried red chilies (see note!)
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 scallion (chopped)
Instructions
- Note: You can use fewer dried chilies if you like. This dish won’t actually be that spicy, unless you break open some of the dry hot peppers. If you do like the dish spicy, don’t break open more than six peppers. It will be hot enough, trust me.
- Start by rinsing the chicken and cutting it into bite-sized pieces. Add the chicken to a bowl and toss with the marinade ingredients. Set aside for 30 minutes.
- Prepare the rest of the ingredients. When you’re ready to cook, heat 3 tablespoons oil in a wok over high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer, and let it sear (DO NOT STIR at this point). Once you’ve got a good, crisp crust on the bottom of the chicken, stir and continue to sear the chicken until it’s browned and crisp on all sides. You really need a hot wok to achieve this. Turn off the heat and remove the chicken to a plate with a slotted spoon.
- There should be about 1 tablespoon of oil left in the wok at this point. Add more if you need to. Heat the wok over medium low heat, and add the Sichuan peppercorns. Let them toast for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Add the ginger and garlic, and cook for 1 minute. Add the whole dried chilies, and stir for another minute. Monitor the heat levels to avoid burning.
- Turn up the heat to high, and add the chicken, Shaoxing wine, sugar, and scallion. Continue to stir-fry, until any liquid in the wok has evaporated. Serve with rice and a veggie!
Nutrition
Brin says
Hi, i enjoyed this dish a lot. My chicken thigh was not cripy, though. It was a bit too moist. How to improve this and make cripsy ones? Thank you!
Judy says
Hi Brin, please check this out post: The ONLY Technique You Need to Keep Food From Sticking to a Wok or Pan. Keep the heat high when searing the chicken and don’t stir too much, so the chicken pieces have a chance to crisp.
Brin says
Wow! Thank you very much! Will do.
Brin says
Hi, I just noticed that the chicken I bought from groceries is or frozen. So when I unfrozen it there is always more watery than yours (Sadly we can hardly get fresh chicken from farmers:) It is partly the reason that my fried chicken is too moist. I think using high heat would help. Do you have any suggestions on the water from the chicken itself?
Judy says
Hi Brin, the water getting absorbed by the meat is actually not a bad thing, since it keeps the meat moist inside. It’s the water on the surface that needs to be pat dry so it can sear better, :-)
Brin says
Thank you!
Caroline says
I used chicken tenderloins which I had on hand. The searing of meat really helped with the texture and flavor. Despite the lot of dried chilies, the taste was not overpowering at all. We actually prefer it spicier so may cut up many more of the dried chilies to add heat the next time. The flavor of this dish is mouth watering! I also think the presentation is stunning with the red peppers, browned chicken and green scallions.
Bill says
Hi Caroline, sounds like you did great with this recipe and dish – glad you enjoyed it!
susan cole says
How important is it to use a wok for this recipes and others that call for wok? I have a halogen cooktop and don’t think the wok will work well with it since it won’t have the hot flames heating up the sides of the wok. Do you guys all have gas stoves and woks when cooking dishes such as this?
Judy says
Hi Susan, we do have a gas stove and a large wok to cook Chinese dishes. But then again, I’d cook over campfire to fix my craving if I had to :-) Not ideal, but you make do with what you have. We don’t want to tell people to go out and spend money :-)
Derek Tabor says
What about something like a cast iron skillet on a gas grill?
Katherine Liu says
This was very yummy. I didn’t worry about appearance so I used many fewer peppers, a couple broken with seeds removed. It was still spicy and delicious. Now if I can figure out how to make my arms longer so I can avoid the oil splash from the wok, I will cook this frequently, thanks.
Judy says
That’s so great, Katherine. So glad you enjoyed it.
Fred says
Hi Judy,
Should I rehydrate the dried chili peppers before using? And by ‘toasting’ the peppers (as stated in the explanatory text when I click on the red link) you mean to give them a quick stir-fry?
Thanks,
Fred
Judy says
Hi Fred, there is no need to rehydrate the dried chili peppers. Even though this dish asks for a lot of dried chilies, they are actually not that spicy if you don’t break them open :-)
Derek Tabor says
I don’t understand this. Why add a chili without breaking it open? The capsaicin is on the inside. Do you just not eat them? Or do you chew them forever like pepper jerky? I personally don’t know if a whole pepper contributes to the rest of the dish if you don’t cut them open while cooking–the waxy skin should prevent any flavor from permeating. I am speaking from ignorance so feel free to educate me. Thanks for the recipe — I’ll see if my wife agrees with my sentiment (she is 1/4 Chinese).
Judy says
Hi Derek, you are absolutely right about cutting the red chilies open. I did not cut them, because this might be too spicy for Western palate. I will have to do an authentic version where you cut open the chilies :-) As for eating the chilies, can be toasty and delicious if you can take the heat. Generally though, they’re used as as a flavor agent, and most of them do not get eaten.
Habib says
Great recipe. However I added Chinese 5 spice to make it taste like my local restaurant that makes this dish. Is five spice an authentic i grediant to add?
Judy says
Hi Habib, Chongqing Chicken does not require five spice. Then again, why not if that’s how you like it :-)
Richard says
I love your website, but you guys are killing me, I drool over every recipe I’ve read so far. I worked in Sichuan for 5 years and have been away for going on 3 years now, I miss the people and food tremendously. You guys can help me with the food part. Doesnt this dish need peanuts or am I confusing that with gom bao ji ding? Also, any chance for a pork and cilantro dumpling recipe?
Judy says
Hi Richard, yes, Gong Bao Ji Ding has peanuts. Here is our Gong Bao Ji Ding recipe.
GBao says
If you get this dish in Sichuan or Chongqing (or greater China) it will have peanuts in it 99% of the time, so you’re not confusing anything. Sichuan cuisine is heavy on peanuts pairing with spicy stuff.
Sanjay kalro says
Classic chicken spicy
Judy says
Truly!