Sichuan Chicken With Chiles

By Mark Bittman

Published April 1, 2023

Sichuan Chicken With Chiles
Michael Kraus for The New York Times
Total Time
40 minutes
Rating
4(445)
Comments
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This recipe unites those who would become ecstatic when they see a dish of chicken skin on a restaurant menu and those who would flee into the street. The keys to dishes that feature handfuls of dried chiles are one, don't eat the chiles. And two, don't let any of them break open while cooking; each broken one will intensify the heat exponentially. But they're sturdy devils, so this is not that difficult. The browned chiles lend the dish a nearly fiery smokiness, rather than just plain fire.

Browning the skin renders its fat, which in turn is used to cook the other ingredients. It's best to stir-fry the ingredients in batches, to brown them nicely, then combine them and build the simple sauce.

Featured in: THE MINIMALIST; A Little Skin, A Lot of Fire

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 4chicken leg quarters (legs and thighs)
  • Salt
  • 20 to 40whole dried red chiles
  • 1red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
  • 1tablespoon chopped garlic
  • 2tablespoons dry sherry
  • ½cup chicken stock
  • 2tablespoons soy sauce
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

587 calories; 41 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 17 grams monounsaturated fat; 9 grams polyunsaturated fat; 8 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 43 grams protein; 988 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Skin chicken, and cut skin into ½-inch pieces; set aside. Bone chicken, and cut meat into ½-inch pieces; set aside separately.

  2. Step 2

    Turn heat under a wok or 10-inch skillet to medium-high and add chicken skin. Cook, stirring occasionally and adjusting heat so skin browns but does not burn, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt, and remove to a bowl, using a slotted spoon.

  3. Step 3

    Add chiles and cook, stirring occasionally, until they puff and darken, 3 or 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a separate bowl. Add bell pepper and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until it browns, about 5 minutes. Remove and combine with chiles. Add as much chicken meat as will fit in one layer, and cook until browned on one side; season with salt. Stir and cook until browned; remove and repeat with remaining chicken.

  4. Step 4

    Add garlic, followed by chicken, peppers and skin. Stir to combine, then add sherry, stock and soy sauce. Cook until mixture is saucy, about 3 minutes, then serve with white rice. Chiles should not be eaten.

Ratings

4 out of 5
445 user ratings
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Comments

sundevilpeg

This recipe needs something - peanuts, larger pieces of red bell, black vinegar, ginger, black fungus, Sichuan peppercorns - something. It's just hot and incomplete as is. Way, WAY too meat-heavy, too, which is surprising, considering the source. Pass.

Bill Jones

You must use ice cream to wipe yourself.

Dean

Lazi ji when served by many establishments on China's mainland frequently becomes a hunt for the tasty bits of chicken skin and peanuts hidden in a vast pile of chiles--more chiles than chicken bits. For authenticity I also think the dish requires ample amounts of huajiao (Sichuan peppers) to balance the chiles' heat. Consider using chicken wings instead of legs, the wings have a higher skin to meat ratio.

Lars

After frying the chicken and removing most of the oil, turn down the heat to low and add cleaned szechuan peppercorns. stir and fry until fragrant, then add fresh chopped garlic and fresh julienned ginger, then add the dry red chiles, and after frying for a couple of minutes turn the heat to high and add the fried chicken. Mix all together and it's ready to serve. This makes the recipe somewhat similar to the way I make it.

Fazal

This doesn't appear to be Sichuan (Szechuan) chicken - Where's the peppercorns? And the flash frying?

Charlie

Really nice flavorful stir fry. Def needs a bit of cornstarch to thicken at the end

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