Sichuan Fragrant Spicy Chicken Bites

Chuanwei Xiangla Jikuai (川味香辣鸡块)

Tangy, marinated chicken pieces are battered and deep fried until crispy, and then stir-fried with crimson chilies and fragrant Sichuan seasonings until spicy and fragrant.

Sichuan Fragrant Spicy Chicken Bites is entirely my own creation. It’s not something you’ll find on a restaurant menu in China, but the flavors are common to Sichuan cuisine. In fact, my original goal when developing this recipe was to create a simplified version of Spicy Chili Chicken (辣子鸡). However, I was completely sidetracked in this goal by two strong driving forces: American-style Fried Chicken and the Sichuan Flavor Chicken Bites (川味鸡块) from Dairy Queen in China.

American-style Fried Chicken often marinates the chicken in buttermilk or a combination of milk and pickle juice to create ultra-tender, juicy bites of fried chicken with a subtle tanginess. Buttermilk is quite difficult to obtain in China, but milk is readily available. Though it may seem odd, using milk in the following marinade will prevent the white meat from becoming dry or bland. I was also partially inspired by Nashville Hot Chicken in which spicy oil is drizzled over fried chicken immediately after it’s cooked. Instead of adding hot chili oil to these Sichuan Chicken Bites, I decided it would be better to stir-fry the Chicken Bites with Chilies, Sichuan Peppercorns, Garlic, and Ginger similar to Spicy Chili Chicken and other Dry-Fried Chicken Dishes.

For anyone who’s eaten at Dairy Queen in China, it’s obvious the menu is quite different from that of the US. It’s a small menu with limited options, but a few unique items stand out – and the Chicken Bites are exceptional. While the flavor of these Chicken Bites is excellent, the quality is a bit substandard. They’re actually just frozen nuggets cooked in a microwave. So, one of my goals was to recreate the incredible Sichuan flavors, but with actual cooking techniques and better ingredients.

Prep Time: 35 min

Cook Time: 10 min

Total Time: 45 min

Serving: 4 people

Ingredients

2 boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts

Marinade
1 cup of Whole Milk
2 Tbsp. Shaoxing Rice Wine
1 Tbsp Light Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp. Chinkiang Vinegar
1/2 Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
1 tsp. Red Chili Powder
1 tsp. Ground Sichuan Pepper
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp. MSG
1/2 tsp. Chicken Bouillon Powder
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Ginger Powder
1/2 tsp Ground White Pepper

Breading
1 cup All-Purpose Flour
1/2 cup Corn Starch

Chilies
1 cup of 1/2-inch-pieces of Dried Red Chilies (About 20 grams; Customize by using different types of Red Chilies)
2 Tbsp. Sichuan Peppercorns

Aromatics
2 cloves of Garlic
2-inch block of Ginger

Garnishes
1 bunch of Cilantro
2 Tbsp. unsalted Peanuts
1 Tbsp. Sesame Seeds

Seasonings
1 Tbsp. Red Chili Powder
2 tsp. White Sugar
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. MSG
1/4 tsp. Chicken Bouillon

Peanut Oil (For Deep-Frying)

Brightening Oil
1 tsp. Scallion Oil (OR 1 tsp. Sichuan Pepper Oil)

Directions

1.) Wash the Chicken Breasts thoroughly and pat them dry with paper towels. Cut the Chicken as evenly as possible into 1/2-inch or 1-inch cubes. The pieces can be quite small like the size of popcorn chicken or quite large like the size of nuggets, depending on preference.

(Be aware that smaller pieces will cook faster; just be sure to cut all the pieces the same size).

2.) Place the Chicken and the Marinade ingredients (Milk, Rice Wine, Light Soy Sauce, Vinegar, Dark Soy Sauce, Chili Powder, Sichuan Pepper, Salt, MSG, Chicken Bouillon, Garlic, Ginger, and White Pepper) into a bowl. Mix thoroughly and let rest for at least 30 minutes, but preferably overnight. Meanwhile, prepare the other ingredients.

3.) On a rimmed baking sheet, mix together the Flour and Corn Starch to make the Breading.

4.) Cut the Chilies into half-inch or one-inch pieces to match the size of the Chicken. Remove most of the seeds and set them aside in a large bowl. Add the Sichuan Peppercorns making this the bowl for Chilies.

5.) Peel and slice the Garlic and Ginger, setting them aside in a bowl Aromatics.

6.) Prepare the Garnishes, setting them on separate areas of a plate:

• Roughly chop the Cilantro.
• Lightly toast the Peanuts in a dry wok or in an oven on low heat.
• Lightly toast the Sesame Seeds in a dry wok or in an oven on low heat.

7.) In a small bowl, mix together the Spices (Chili Powder, White Sugar, Salt, MSG, and Chicken Bouillon).

8.) To bread the Chicken, pour about a tablespoon of the marinade into the Breading and mix to create little, crumbly bits. Then, toss the Chicken in the Breading, firmly pressing the Flour onto the Chicken pieces and ensuring every piece is coated in a thick layer with plenty of craggily bits.

9.) Fill a wok about 1/2 full with Peanut Oil and heat on medium-high until hot but not smoking. Fry the Chicken Bites for about 2 – 4 minutes until golden and crispy.

(Do not overcrowd the wok and fry in 2 to 3 batches as necessary. Set each batch on wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet after frying).

10.) Remove the Chicken Bites with a wire strainer and set aside on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Remove the Oil from the wok as well, but leave about 1/4 cup of the Oil in the wok and heat the Oil on high until nearly smoking.

11.) Remove the wok from heat, stir in the Chilies, and cook just a second until fragrant. Add the Aromatics, stir-frying again just a few seconds until fragrant.

12.) Add the Chicken Bites, return the wok to heat, and toss to coat the Chicken Bites in the Fragrant Spicy Chili Oil.

13.) Sprinkle the Seasonings over the Chicken Bites and stir-fry for a few more seconds until thoroughly mixed.

14.) Toss in the Garnishes and stir-fry quickly to combine everything well. Turn off the heat, splash in the Brightening Oil (Scallion Oil or Sichuan Pepper Oil), give a final stir, and then plate the delicious Sichuan Fragrant Spicy Chicken Bites.

 

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