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Chongqing Mala Chicken

October 25, 2017 82 Comments

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Learn how to make crispy, hot and numbing chongqing style dry-fried chicken with dried chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorn.

mala chicken, Chongqing chicken

First of all: Do not eat the peppers. 

Chongqing Mala Chicken usually refers to Chongqing chicken with chili peppers  the spicy taste) and Sichuan peppercorns (numb feeling ). In Chinese, we call the dish La-zi-ji, which mainly mean dried chili pepper chicken. Some restaurants may call it Chongqing Chicken since it is thought to be quite popular in Geleshan (歌乐山) area in the city of Chongqing. Although this one is less famous outside Sichuan, it is considered even better than Kung Pao chicken for many Szechuan people.

There is a lovely description of the dish saying that you need to find chicken among chili peppers, which show people’s love toward those savory chicken cubes and also how many chili peppers will be used in this dish. That’s 100% true in restaurant versions. For homemade mala chicken, I adjust the amount of the chili peppers so that we do not need to work so hard to finding the meat. It gets another lovely name in my family called “mangrove forest”.
In general, this dish is a dry fried dish. Higher oil temperature helps to remove the extra water content inside the chicken, which further allow the mala flavor permeating better. This is a very popular Sichuan style cooking method and there are a group of dishes share the same theory including dry-fried beef shreds and dry-fried green beans with minced pork.

mala chicken, Chongqing chicken

 About the ingredient: chicken

We usually use chicken thigh for this dish because of the higher muscle content. Chicken breast is not recommended. We cook this with bones. So it is ok to cut the thighs into small bites directly. But it is also quite caring to remove the bones for your guest.

How to remove the bones of a chicken thigh:

  1. Prepare a kitchen scissor, find the loose side of the chicken thigh, and cut it apart.
  2. Then cut all the other connections on the bottom of the chicken thigh.
  3. Hold the thigh with one hand and then push all the meat down. And then use scissor to cut the left meat on the bone.

Some tips for controlling the spicy taste:

  1. Cut only part of the dried peppers into sections and keep the remaining as whole ones. Or you can use milder peppers directly
    Remove the seeds after cutting the dried peppers apart
  2. Soak the peppers with water and then fry over slow fire for a short time can greatly reduce the raw spiciness and improve the aroma.

Can I reduce the amount of dried chili peppers used?

Absolutely yes! I am reproducing the authentic Chongqing style mala chicken, so a large amount of peppers are needed. You can reduce the hot peppers and use only 15 to 20 dried peppers.  Reducing the amount of chili peppers will not influence the taste very much, but can save lots of money if dried peppers are quite expensive.

mala chicken, Chongqing chickenIngredients

  • 4 chicken thighs
  • cook oil for frying
  • 1 and 1/2 cup of chili peppers
  • 1 and 1/2 tbsp. Sichuan peppercorn
  • 1 root ginger, sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 scallions, white part and green part separated andcut into small sections
  • 1 tsp. sugar
  • 1 tbsp. sesame seeds, or as needed
  • pinch of salt
Marinating
  • 1 tbsp. soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp. rice wine
  • ¼ tsp. white pepper powder
  • 2 tsp. cornstarch (optional)
  • small pinch of salt

Steps

Cut the dried chili peppers and then soak the peppers in water for 15 minutes. We are doing this so we can fry the peppers later and prevent burn the peppers.

Mala chicken |chinasichuanfood.com

Remove the bone of the chicken thighs and then cut into small cubes. In a large bowl, marinade the chicken cubes with all the marinating sauce. Mix well and set aside for around 10 minutes.

Mala chicken |chinasichuanfood.com

Heat up oil in wok or pan for deep-frying. Heat until really hot (you can see bubbles when you put a chopstick in). Add the chicken cubes in and fry until golden brown.  Transfer out. I recommend using a pan and fry the chicken by batches. On one side, it uses less oil and on the other side, the chicken is widely touched with the bottom of the pan, which can speed up the process greatly. After add the chicken cubes, let it stay for a short time (possible about 40 seconds to 1 minute) until one side is browed and then slightly stir the chicken and fry the other side.

Mala chicken |chinasichuanfood.com

Mala chicken |chinasichuanfood.com

Get a clean wok and add only 1/2 tablespoon of oil and then fry the peppers for 1-2 minutes over slowest fire until most of them becomes dark red. Add Sichuan peppercorn in and continue frying for another 1 minute over slowest fire.

Mala chicken |chinasichuanfood.com

Push the spices to one side and add 1/2 tablespoon of oil in wok and fry ginger, scallion white and garlic until aromatic.

Mala chicken |chinasichuanfood.com

Return the chicken cubes, add roasted white sesame seeds, sugar, salt and scallion green sections. Mix well and serve immediately.

Mala chicken |chinasichuanfood.com

Other yummy Chinese chicken recipes

  • Kung pao chicken
  • Mouthwatering chicken— a famous spicy chicken in spicy broth
  • Cantonese roasted chicken–marinated with soy sauce and produce paper-thin skins.
  • Chinese braised chicken with soy sauce — this is a very popular way to cook chicken among Chinese. And I add the baking step to improve the flavor and aroma to the next level.
5 from 17 votes
Print
Mala Chicken
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
17 mins
Total Time
37 mins
 
Authentic Szechuan Chicken recipe—Mala Chicken
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Sichuan cuisine
Keyword: chicken
Servings: 2
Calories: 499 kcal
Author: Elaine
Ingredients
  • 4 chicken thighs
  • cook oil for frying
  • 1.5 cup chili peppers
  • 1.5 tbsp. Sichuan peppercorn
  • 1 root ginger ,sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 scallions ,white part and green part separated andcut into small sections
  • 1 tsp. sugar
  • 1 tbsp. sesame seeds ,or as needed
  • pinch of salt
Marinating
  • 1 tbsp. soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp. rice wine
  • ¼ tsp. white pepper powder
  • 2 tsp. cornstarch ,optional
  • small pinch of salt
Instructions
  1. Cut the dried chili peppers, discard the seeds and then soak the peppers in water for 15 minutes. We are doing this so we can fry the peppers later and prevent burn the peppers.
  2. Remove the bone of the chicken thighs and then cut into small cubes. In a large bowl, marinade the chicken cubes with all the marinating sauce. Mix well and set aside for around 10 minutes.
  3. Heat up oil in wok or pan for deep-frying. Heat until really hot (you can see bubbles when you put a chopstick in). Add the chicken cubes in and fry until golden brown. Transfer out. I recommend using a pan and fry the chicken by batches. On one side, it uses less oil and on the other side, the chicken is widely touched with the bottom of the pan, which can speed up the process greatly. After add the chicken cubes, let it stay for a short time (possible about 40 seconds to 1 minute) until one side is browed and then slightly stir the chicken and fry the other side.
  4. Get a clean wok and add only 1/2 tablespoon of oil and then fry the peppers for 1-2 minutes over slowest fire until most of them becomes dark red. Add Sichuan peppercorn in and continue frying for another 1 minute over slowest fire.
  5. Push the spices to one side and add 1/2 tablespoon of oil in wok and fry ginger, scallion white and garlic until aromatic.
  6. Return the chicken cubes, add roasted white sesame seeds, sugar, salt and scallion green sections. Mix well and serve immediately.
Recipe Notes

The cornstarch used to marinade chicken can separate water and oil. So the chicken meat will be tender and simultaneously it can reduce the oil absorbed by chicken during deep-frying process.

Recipe is firstly published in 2013 and updated with new details and pictures in 2017

Nutrition Facts
Mala Chicken
Amount Per Serving
Calories 499 Calories from Fat 261
% Daily Value*
Fat 29g45%
Saturated Fat 5g31%
Cholesterol 98mg33%
Sodium 520mg23%
Potassium 926mg26%
Carbohydrates 38g13%
Fiber 11g46%
Sugar 14g16%
Protein 22g44%
Vitamin A 7540IU151%
Vitamin C 10.9mg13%
Calcium 149mg15%
Iron 4.7mg26%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

mala chicken|chinasichuanfood.com

Filed Under: chicken and poultry, Featured, Sichuan Food

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  1. Dori says

    April 15, 2020 at 11:52 pm

    5 stars
    Dear Elaine!
    Thank you for your recipies!
    Finally I can prepare authentic chinese dishes at home! This one is my all time favourite…
    Cant wait to try more!
    Greetings from Austria!

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      April 17, 2020 at 7:48 pm

      Thanks Dori. Happy cooking!

      Reply
  2. Danny says

    April 17, 2020 at 4:50 pm

    One of my favourite dishes! Can’t wait to try this at home. Will keep you posted on the results. Thanks for a great site!

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      April 18, 2020 at 3:44 pm

      Happy cooking, Danny. Enjoy the journey with peppers. I look forward for the feedback.

      Reply
  3. Charles Keane says

    April 22, 2020 at 5:08 pm

    5 stars
    Made this tonight and it was absolutely delicious 😋. The spicy mouth numbing taste is one to remember.

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      April 24, 2020 at 7:54 am

      Agree! This is our favorite dish in hot summer days with beers.

      Reply
  4. Chad says

    April 25, 2020 at 8:59 am

    5 stars
    Delicious! We used crushed red peppers, all we had, and it was blazing hot. Very authentic to what I’ve had in Sichuan.

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      April 26, 2020 at 7:49 am

      Thanks for the feedback, Chad! It is my top choice whenever happy or sad. One of the best ways of pulling yourself out of current position.

      Reply
  5. Ed says

    May 1, 2020 at 6:55 am

    How much ginger is used – e.g. in Tablespoons?

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      May 5, 2020 at 7:11 am

      Ed,
      There is no need to measure the ginger so exactly. Usually I use a thumb piece.

      Reply
  6. MUGHLAI KEEMA PARATHA says

    May 31, 2020 at 8:45 am

    5 stars
    Delicious and easy to make.

    Reply
  7. Jessie says

    June 3, 2020 at 6:07 am

    Thank you for the recipe! Can you substitute chicken breast if you don’t have chicken thighs?

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      June 5, 2020 at 8:36 am

      Yes, Jessie. You can use chicken breast too.

      Reply
  8. Jia says

    July 11, 2020 at 12:26 am

    Would it be possible to fry the chicken cubes using an air fryer rather than deep-frying in a wok?

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      July 11, 2020 at 7:44 am

      Yes, Jia. Air-fryer can work for this one.

      Reply
  9. Chris says

    July 17, 2020 at 11:14 am

    5 stars
    Hi Elaine,

    Thank you SO much for this recipe!

    Chongqing Chicken is one of my top-5 favorite dishes on earth – I love the delicate crispiness of the chicken, the intricate complexity of the flavors, the blast of the red pepper mingled with the ginger and garlic, and the peculiar numbing sensation that can only come from Sichaun peppercorns. It is truly an addictive dish that I find myself craving often.

    For the better part of four years I’ve been trying to tackle this dish – unsuccessfully, until I tried your genius recipe. The Chongqing chicken I made in my kitchen from your recipe was as good if not better than the Chongqing chicken I’ve had in restaurants in my home, Flushing, NY.

    Thank you again, I can’t wait to try more of your recipes – I think Youtiao will be my next venture, I’ll let you know how it turns out!

    Best regards,
    Chris

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      July 26, 2020 at 11:14 am

      Chris,
      Thanks for much for you lovely comment. I am so happy to be helpful. Not all of the dishes are easy to make at home. Some of them requires high fire and lots of preparation. I want to make them friendly to home cooking. Reading your comment makes me feel all of the efforts are paying off. Thanks again and happy cooking! I hope the Youtiao can work fine for you too.

      Reply
  10. Jack says

    December 26, 2020 at 4:19 am

    5 stars
    I made the recipe exactly as written and it was delicious! The sichuan pepper is such a nice sensation and the soaking process for the peppers worked well. It was spicy but not uncomfortable and i ate the peppers too without problems.

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      December 26, 2020 at 7:43 pm

      Haha, the peppers are the best partner for wine. Try next time.

      Reply
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