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Sichuan · Chinese

Chongqing chilli chicken

Non-vegetarian

辣子雞 · là zǐ jī

Bite-size pieces of marinated chicken fried until crisp and tossed in a wok with a mountain of dried chillies and Sichuan pepper — you hunt for the chicken among the chillies.

Chongqing chilli chicken is a Sichuan main course from China, ready in about 45 minutes and made with chicken thigh, dried whole chillies and sichuan peppercorns. It serves 4 and is rated intermediate to cook.

Start cooking
A serving of Laziji
Representative photo. N509FZ / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-SA-4.0
Prep
25 min
Cook
20 min
Total
45 min
Serves
4
Level
Intermediate
Calories
332

Ingredients

4 servings

Marinade

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Toss the chicken with the soy sauce (opens in a new tab), wine and salt and marinate for 15 minutes, then mix in the cornstarch (opens in a new tab).

    • 17 min

    Food safety: Wash hands and boards after handling raw chicken.

    Meat coated in a spiced marinade in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Ip Photographer on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Heat the oil to 180 °C and fry the chicken in batches for 4–5 minutes until deep golden, crisp and cooked through. Drain.

    Food safety: Don't overfill the wok with oil, keep children away and never leave hot oil unattended. Chicken must reach 74 °C.

  3. Step 3

    Pour off all but 2 tbsp oil. Over medium-low heat fry the garlic (opens in a new tab), ginger, chillies and Sichuan pepper, stirring constantly, until the chillies darken slightly and smell toasty.

    • 2 min
    • medium-low heat

    Open a window — the fumes are strong.

  4. Step 4

    Return the chicken, add the sugar (opens in a new tab), spring onion (opens in a new tab) and sesame seeds (opens in a new tab) and toss over high heat for a minute. Serve on a big platter.

    • 1 min
    • high heat
    Ingredients tossed in a hot wok
    How it looks · Photo: Aesthos AR. Photography on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Chongqing, China · Well documentedMore food from China
Dish
Dinner · Main courses
Cooking method
Deep-fried, Stir-fried, Marinated / cured
Taste
spicy (chilli heat), peppery, savoury, smoky
Diet
Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · High-protein · Calorie-conscious
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Cook more with
Chicken thigh · Dried whole chillies · Sichuan peppercorns · Soy sauce · Shaoxing wine · Cornstarch
Techniques
Deep-frying · Stir-frying · Marinating · Curing

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Wheatfrom soy sauce, shaoxing wine
  • Contains, can be adapted: Glutenfrom soy sauce, shaoxing wine
  • Contains: Soyfrom soy sauce
  • Contains, can be adapted: Sesamefrom sesame seeds

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

332 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 194 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 38%
  • Carbohydrate 13%
  • Fat 49%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy332 kcal171 kcal
Protein30.6 g15.7 g
Carbohydrate10.5 g5.4 g
Net carbohydrate9.6 g4.9 g
Sugars1.3 g0.7 g
Added sugars1 g0.5 g
Fibre0.9 g0.4 g
Fat17.7 g9.1 g
Saturated fat2.5 g1.3 g
Trans fat0.1 g0 g
Cholesterol141 mg73 mg
Sodium671 mg346 mg
Salt equivalent1.7 g0.9 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
483 mg
Calcium
27 mg
Iron
1.7 mg
Magnesium
44 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
35 µg
Vitamin C
3 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0.9 µg
Folate (DFE)
13 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: sesame seeds.
  • Not counted (tiny amounts or “to taste”): sichuan peppercorns.
  • Shaoxing wine: Sake (FDC 167723) used as a stand-in for Chinese rice cooking wine.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Mild, fragrant chillies such as Facing Heaven give aroma without overwhelming heat.

Common mistakes

  • Frying the chillies over high heat so they scorch and turn bitter.

Serve with

  • Serve with rice and a plain green vegetable or soup to calm the heat.

Storage

  • Refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Reheating

  • Re-crisp in a hot oven or air fryer.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in step 1

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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