Learn how to make crispy, hot, and numbing Chongqing-style dry-fried mala chicken with dried chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorn. It has a very distinctive local name – Laziji, meaning hot pepper chicken. It is acceptable hot and full of strong aroma bought by the peppers and aromatics. One of the best choices for a beer party.

mala chicken, Laziji|chinasichuanfood.com

Where it comes from

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

Rule No.1 – Don’t eat the peppers

There is a lovely description of the dish saying that you need to find chicken among chili peppers, which shows 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 number of chili peppers so that we do not need to work so hard to find the meat. It gets another lovely name in my family called “mangrove forest”. In general, this dish is a dry fried dish. Dry-frying is a unique cooking method from Sichuan cuisine. Higher oil temperature helps to remove the extra water content inside the chicken, which further allows the mala flavor to permeate better. This is a very popular Sichuan-style cooking method and there are a group of dishes that share the same theory including dry-fried beef shreds and dry-fried green beans with minced pork.

mala chicken - laziji|chinasichuanfood.com

How to prepare the chicken

We usually use chicken thighs for this dish because of the higher muscle content. Chicken breast is not recommended. In China, we usually cut the whole chicken into small chunks and cook it 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 scissors 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 them over a slow fire for a short time can greatly reduce the natural spiciness, improve the aroma, and of course avoid burning them in the following steps.
mala chicken, Laziji|chinasichuanfood.com

Can I use less chili pepper?

You may wonder whether you can reduce the number of chili peppers when seeing this dish from the picture. Absolutely yes! I am reproducing the authentic Chongqing-style mala chicken, so a large number of peppers are needed. You can reduce the hot peppers and use only 15 to 20 dried peppers.  Reducing the number of chili peppers will not influence the taste very much, but it can save lots of money if dried peppers are quite expensive. So sounds like a good idea definitely. But as a good blogger, I am trying to introduce the authentic version and this is the real version.

laziji, mala chicken|chinasichuanfood.com

Ingredients

Chicken thighs – you can also use a whole chicken, and cut it into small bites.
Cooking oil for shallow frying- I love to use the shallow frying method instead of pan-frying in home cooking because it saves more oil. But you need to cook the meat by batches.
Dried chili peppers – you can use your familiar type. Just make sure this type is aromatic enough.
Sichuan peppercorns – whole Sichuan peppercorns are used to create this lovely “ma” numbing feeling for your tongue.
Garlic, ginger, and scallion – this three are always popular in Sichuan dishes.
Sugar and salt – the foundation of a savory dish.
Rice wine – for marinating the chicken
White pepper powder – for marinating the chicken
Sesame seeds – enhance the flavor by providing extra aroma.
Light soy sauce – for marinating the chicken
Cornstarch– not for coating, only for tenderizing the chicken.

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 burning the peppers. This is a very traditional method used and I have imported this to my chili oil– using the power of water.

Remove the bone of the chicken thighs and then cut them 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.

laziji, mala chicken|chinasichuanfood.com

Heat up oil in a 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 frying the chicken in 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 adding the chicken cubes, let it stay for a short time (possibly about 40 seconds to 1 minute) until one side is browned, and then slightly stir the chicken and fry the other side.

laziji, mala chicken|chinasichuanfood.com
laziji, 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 the slowest fire until most of them become dark red. Add Sichuan peppercorn and continue frying for another 1 minute over the slowest fire.

laziji, mala chicken|chinasichuanfood.com

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

laziji, mala chicken|chinasichuanfood.com

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

Edit Post       Switch to draft Preview Update       Image: Change block type or style   Change alignment   Chongqing Mala Chicken -Laziji Learn how to make crispy, hot, and numbing Chongqing-style dry-fried mala chicken with dried chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorn. It has a very distinctive local name - Laziji, meaning hot pepper chicken.   It is acceptable hot and full of strong aroma bought by the peppers and aromatics. One of the best choices for a beer party.   mala chicken, Laziji|chinasichuanfood.com Advanced Jump To heading 1 text text for heading 2 Where it comes from Chongqing Mala Chicken  usually refers to Chongqing chicken with chili peppers and a spicy taste) and Sichuan peppercorns (numb feeling ). In Chinese, we call the dish Laziji, which mainly means dried chili pepper chicken. Some restaurants may call it Chongqing Chicken since it is thought to be quite popular in the Geleshan (歌乐山) area in the city of Chongqing. Although this one is less famous outside of Sichuan, it is considered even better than Kung Pao chicken by many Szechuan people.  Rule No.1 - Don't eat the peppers  There is a lovely description of the dish saying that you need to find chicken among chili peppers, which shows 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 number of chili peppers so that we do not need to work so hard to find the meat. It gets another lovely name in my family called “mangrove forest”. In general, this dish is a dry fried dish. Dry-frying is a unique cooking method from Sichuan cuisine. Higher oil temperature helps to remove the extra water content inside the chicken, which further allows the mala flavor to permeate better. This is a very popular Sichuan-style cooking method and there are a group of dishes that share the same theory including dry-fried beef shreds and dry-fried green beans with minced pork.  mala chicken - laziji|chinasichuanfood.com How to prepare the chicken We usually use chicken thighs for this dish because of the higher muscle content. Chicken breast is not recommended. In China, we usually cut the whole chicken into small chunks and cook it 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: Prepare a kitchen scissor, find the loose side of the chicken thigh, and cut it apart. Then cut all the other connections on the bottom of the chicken thigh. Hold the thigh with one hand and then push all the meat down. And then use scissors to cut the left meat on the bone. Some tips for controlling the spicy taste 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 Soak the peppers with water and then fry them over a slow fire for a short time can greatly reduce the natural spiciness,  improve the aroma, and of course avoid burning them in the following steps.  Can I use less chili pepper?  You may wonder whether you can reduce the number of chili peppers when seeing this dish from the picture. Absolutely yes! I am reproducing the authentic Chongqing-style mala chicken, so a large number of peppers are needed. You can reduce the hot peppers and use only 15 to 20 dried peppers.  Reducing the number of chili peppers will not influence the taste very much, but it can save lots of money if dried peppers are quite expensive. So sounds like a good idea definitely.  But as a good blogger, I am trying to introduce the authentic version and this is the real version.   Edit Post       Switch to draft Preview Update       Image: Change block type or style   Change alignment   Chongqing Mala Chicken -Laziji Learn how to make crispy, hot, and numbing Chongqing-style dry-fried mala chicken with dried chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorn. It has a very distinctive local name - Laziji, meaning hot pepper chicken.   It is acceptable hot and full of strong aroma bought by the peppers and aromatics. One of the best choices for a beer party.   mala chicken, Laziji|chinasichuanfood.com Where it comes from Chongqing Mala Chicken  usually refers to Chongqing chicken with chili peppers and a spicy taste) and Sichuan peppercorns (numb feeling ). In Chinese, we call the dish Laziji, which mainly means dried chili pepper chicken. Some restaurants may call it Chongqing Chicken since it is thought to be quite popular in the Geleshan (歌乐山) area in the city of Chongqing. Although this one is less famous outside of Sichuan, it is considered even better than Kung Pao chicken by many Szechuan people.  Rule No.1 - Don't eat the peppers  There is a lovely description of the dish saying that you need to find chicken among chili peppers, which shows 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 number of chili peppers so that we do not need to work so hard to find the meat. It gets another lovely name in my family called “mangrove forest”. In general, this dish is a dry fried dish. Dry-frying is a unique cooking method from Sichuan cuisine. Higher oil temperature helps to remove the extra water content inside the chicken, which further allows the mala flavor to permeate better. This is a very popular Sichuan-style cooking method and there are a group of dishes that share the same theory including dry-fried beef shreds and dry-fried green beans with minced pork.  mala chicken - laziji|chinasichuanfood.com How to prepare the chicken We usually use chicken thighs for this dish because of the higher muscle content. Chicken breast is not recommended. In China, we usually cut the whole chicken into small chunks and cook it 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: Prepare a kitchen scissor, find the loose side of the chicken thigh, and cut it apart. Then cut all the other connections on the bottom of the chicken thigh. Hold the thigh with one hand and then push all the meat down. And then use scissors to cut the left meat on the bone. Some tips for controlling the spicy taste 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 Soak the peppers with water and then fry them over a slow fire for a short time can greatly reduce the natural spiciness,  improve the aroma, and of course avoid burning them in the following steps.  Reduce the amount of chili peppers You may wonder whether you can reduce the number of chili peppers when seeing this dish from the picture. Absolutely yes! I am reproducing the authentic Chongqing-style mala chicken, so a large number of peppers are needed. You can reduce the hot peppers and use only 15 to 20 dried peppers.  Reducing the number of chili peppers will not influence the taste very much, but it can save lots of money if dried peppers are quite expensive. So sounds like a good idea definitely.    Image Upload an image file, pick one from your media library, or add one with a URL. UploadMedia Library Insert from URL Ingredients 4 chicken thighs cook oil for frying 1 and 1/2 cups of chili peppers 1 and 1/2 tbsp. Sichuan peppercorn 1 root ginger, sliced 2 cloves garlic 2 scallions, white part, and a green part separated and cut into small sections 1 tsp. sugar 1 tbsp. sesame seeds, or a needed pinch of salt <div class="ERSSectionHead">Marinating</div> 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 burning the peppers.  Mala chicken |chinasichuanfood.com Remove the bone of the chicken thighs and then cut them 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 a 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 frying the chicken in 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 adding the chicken cubes, let it stay for a short time (possibly about 40 seconds to 1 minute) until one side is browned, 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 the slowest fire until most of them become dark red. Add Sichuan peppercorn and continue frying for another 1 minute over the 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, and 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 a 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 the Chinese. And I add the baking step to improve the flavor and aroma to the next level.  Mala Chicken  Elaine Authentic Szechuan Chicken recipe—Mala Chicken 5 from 19 votes  Print Recipe PREP TIME 20 MINS COOK TIME 17 MINS TOTAL TIME 37 MINS COURSE Main Course CUISINE Sichuan cuisine SERVINGS 2 CALORIES 499 kcal INGREDIENTS    1x 2x 3x ▢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   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. 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. 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. 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. Push the spices to one side and add 1/2 tablespoon of oil in wok and fry ginger, scallion white and garlic until aromatic. Return the chicken cubes, add roasted white sesame seeds, sugar, salt and scallion green sections. Mix well and serve immediately. 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 Calories: 499kcal Carbohydrates: 38g Protein: 22g Fat: 29g Saturated Fat: 5g Cholesterol: 98mg Sodium: 520mg Potassium: 926mg Fiber: 11g Sugar: 14g Vitamin A: 7540IU Vitamin C: 10.9mg Calcium: 149mg Iron: 4.7mg KEYWORD chicken Tried this recipe? Mention @ChinaSichuanFood mala chicken|chinasichuanfood.com    Toggle panel: AdThrive Ads Disable all ads  Disable content ads  Disable auto-insert video players  Re-enable ads on  All ads on this post will be enabled on the specified date Disable Video Metadata  Disable adding metadata to video player on this post Toggle panel: Yoast SEO SEO Readability Schema Social Focus keyphraseHelp on choosing the perfect focus keyphrase(Opens in a new browser tab) Get related keyphrases(Opens in a new browser window)  Google preview Preview as: Mobile resultDesktop result Url preview:www.chinasichuanfood.com › mala-chickenSEO title preview: Chongqing Mala Chicken -Laziji - China Sichuan Food Meta description preview: Oct 25, 2017 - Please provide a meta description by editing the snippet below. If you don’t, Google will try to find a relevant part of your post to show in the search results. SEO title Insert variable Title Page Separator Site title   Slug mala-chicken Meta description Insert variable    SEO analysisEnter a focus keyphrase to calculate the SEO score  Premium SEO analysis  Add related keyphrase  Track SEO performance  Cornerstone content  Advanced  Insights Toggle panel: Scripts Toggle panel: Page Specific Custom CSS Custom CSS	  Put your custom CSS that only applies to this one page, into this box. This keeps your site-wide "Additional CSS" small and uncluttered, which helps to boost pagespeed. Use the regular "Additional CSS" screen for any site-wide styling.  Post Block  Image Insert an image to make a visual statement.  Styles   Default   Rounded Default Style  Not set  Advanced Skip to the selected block Open publish panel Post Image Notifications1 block added. Close dialog Select or Upload Media Upload filesMedia Library Filter mediaFilter by date All dates Search Media list Showing 80 of 8682 media items  Load more ATTACHMENT DETAILS  laziji-12.webp November 6, 2022 103 KB 800 by 1200 pixels Edit Image Delete permanently Alt Text Learn how to describe the purpose of the image(opens in a new tab). Leave empty if the image is purely decorative.Title laziji-12 Caption Description File URL: https://www.chinasichuanfood.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/laziji-12.webp Copy URL to clipboard Selected media actionsSelect Ingredients Chicken thighs - you can also use a whole chicken, and cut it into small bites. Cooking oil for shallow frying- I love to use the shallow frying method instead of pan-frying in home cooking because it saves more oil. But you need to cook the meat by batches.  Dried chili peppers - you can use your familiar type. Just make sure this type is aromatic enough.  Sichuan peppercorns - whole Sichuan peppercorns are used to create this lovely "ma" numbing feeling for your tongue.  Garlic, ginger, and scallion - this three are always popular in Sichuan dishes.  Sugar and salt - the foundation of a savory dish.  Rice wine - for marinating the chicken White pepper powder - for marinating the chicken   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 burning the peppers. This is a very traditional method used and I have imported this to my chili oil- using the power of water.   This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Mala-chicken-steps-2.webp Remove the bone of the chicken thighs and then cut them 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.  laziji, mala chicken|chinasichuanfood.com Heat up oil in a 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 frying the chicken in 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 adding the chicken cubes, let it stay for a short time (possibly about 40 seconds to 1 minute) until one side is browned, and then slightly stir the chicken and fry the other side.  laziji, mala chicken|chinasichuanfood.com laziji, 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 the slowest fire until most of them become dark red. Add Sichuan peppercorn and continue frying for another 1 minute over the slowest fire.  laziji, mala chicken|chinasichuanfood.com Push the spices to one side and add 1/2 tablespoon of oil to the wok and fry ginger, scallion white, and garlic until aromatic.  laziji, mala chicken|chinasichuanfood.com Return the chicken cubes, and add roasted white sesame seeds, sugar, salt, and scallion green sections. Mix well and serve immediately.   Image Upload an image file, pick one from your media library, or add one with a URL. UploadMedia Library Insert from URL Other yummy Chinese chicken recipes Kung pao chicken Mouthwatering chicken-- a famous spicy chicken in a 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 the Chinese. And I add the baking step to improve the flavor and aroma to the next level.  Mala Chicken  Elaine Authentic Szechuan Chicken recipe—Mala Chicken 5 from 19 votes  Print Recipe PREP TIME 20 MINS COOK TIME 17 MINS TOTAL TIME 37 MINS COURSE Main Course CUISINE Sichuan cuisine SERVINGS 2 CALORIES 499 kcal INGREDIENTS    1x 2x 3x ▢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   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. 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. 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. 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. Push the spices to one side and add 1/2 tablespoon of oil in wok and fry ginger, scallion white and garlic until aromatic. Return the chicken cubes, add roasted white sesame seeds, sugar, salt and scallion green sections. Mix well and serve immediately. 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 Calories: 499kcal Carbohydrates: 38g Protein: 22g Fat: 29g Saturated Fat: 5g Cholesterol: 98mg Sodium: 520mg Potassium: 926mg Fiber: 11g Sugar: 14g Vitamin A: 7540IU Vitamin C: 10.9mg Calcium: 149mg Iron: 4.7mg KEYWORD chicken Tried this recipe? Mention @ChinaSichuanFood mala chicken|chinasichuanfood.com    Toggle panel: AdThrive Ads Disable all ads  Disable content ads  Disable auto-insert video players  Re-enable ads on  All ads on this post will be enabled on the specified date Disable Video Metadata  Disable adding metadata to video player on this post Toggle panel: Yoast SEO SEO Readability Schema Social Focus keyphraseHelp on choosing the perfect focus keyphrase(Opens in a new browser tab) Get related keyphrases(Opens in a new browser window)  Google preview Preview as: Mobile resultDesktop result Url preview:www.chinasichuanfood.com › mala-chickenSEO title preview: Chongqing Mala Chicken -Laziji - China Sichuan Food Meta description preview: Oct 25, 2017 - Please provide a meta description by editing the snippet below. If you don’t, Google will try to find a relevant part of your post to show in the search results. SEO title Insert variable Title Page Separator Site title   Slug mala-chicken Meta description Insert variable    SEO analysisEnter a focus keyphrase to calculate the SEO score  Premium SEO analysis  Add related keyphrase  Track SEO performance  Cornerstone content  Advanced  Insights Toggle panel: Scripts Toggle panel: Page Specific Custom CSS Custom CSS	  Put your custom CSS that only applies to this one page, into this box. This keeps your site-wide "Additional CSS" small and uncluttered, which helps to boost pagespeed. Use the regular "Additional CSS" screen for any site-wide styling.  Post Block  Image Insert an image to make a visual statement.  Styles   Default   Rounded Default Style  Not set  Advanced Skip to the selected block Open publish panel Post Image Notifications1 block added. Select FilesSelect FilesSelect FilesSelect FilesSelect FilesSelect Files Close dialog Select or Upload Media Upload filesMedia Library Filter mediaFilter by date All dates Search Media list Showing 80 of 8684 media items  Load more ATTACHMENT DETAILS  laziji-2.webp November 6, 2022 64 KB 800 by 533 pixels Edit Image Delete permanently Alt Text laziji, mala chicken|chinasichuanfood.com Learn how to describe the purpose of the image(opens in a new tab). Leave empty if the image is purely decorative.Title laziji, mala chicken|chinasichuanfood.com Caption Description laziji, mala chicken|chinasichuanfood.com File URL: https://www.chinasichuanfood.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/laziji-2.webp Copy URL to clipboard Selected media actionsSelect

What to serve with

When seeing this, you might already know that the best thing to match is beer. But the following are some of the dishes that may help to balance the flavors for your meal.

Smashed cucumber salad– the light version can make a good balance for the flavor.
Mango pudding – a sweet dessert that can comfort your tongue.
Wood ear mushroom salad – is another great dish that can match well with beer.
Amazing Chinese potato salad – my favorite way of making potatoes.

mala chicken, Laziji|chinasichuanfood.com

Mala Chicken

Authentic Szechuan Chicken recipe—Mala Chicken
5 from 23 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Sichuan cuisine
Keyword: chicken
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 17 minutes
Total Time: 37 minutes
Servings: 2
Calories: 499kcal
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

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Push the spices to one side and add 1/2 tablespoon of oil in wok and fry ginger, scallion white and garlic until aromatic.
  • Return the chicken cubes, add roasted white sesame seeds, sugar, salt and scallion green sections. Mix well and serve immediately.

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

Calories: 499kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 520mg | Potassium: 926mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 7540IU | Vitamin C: 10.9mg | Calcium: 149mg | Iron: 4.7mg
laziji, mala chicken|chinasichuanfood.com

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98 Comments

  1. 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!

  2. 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!

  3. 5 stars
    Made this tonight and it was absolutely delicious ?. The spicy mouth numbing taste is one to remember.

  4. 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.

    1. 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.

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

  6. 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

    1. 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.

  7. 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.