Gallery
Spicy Diced Chicken with Dry Chilies
Chinese dish ready in 48 min using easy-level technique. Simple enough for weeknight cooking.
- Prep
- 18m
- Cook
- 30m
- Total
- 48m
- Servings
- 2
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- 1/5
- Cuisine
- Chinese
IngredientsWhat you'll need for Spicy Diced Chicken with Dry Chilies
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| chicken drumsticks | 3 as needed |
| dried red chilies | 1 small bowl |
| egg white | 1 as needed |
| cornstarch | 5 tsp |
| scallions | 5 as needed |
| ginger | 1 small piece |
| garlic | 1 head |
| cooking wine | 2 tsp |
| salt | half tsp |
| five-spice powder | half tsp |
| light soy sauce | 1 tsp |
| oyster sauce | 1 tsp |
| fine sugar | half tsp |
| Sichuan peppercorns | 40-50 |
| toasted sesame seeds | 1 tsp |
- chicken drumsticks3 as needed
- dried red chilies1 small bowl
- egg white1 as needed
- cornstarch5 tsp
- scallions5 as needed
- ginger1 small piece
- garlic1 head
- cooking wine2 tsp
- salthalf tsp
- five-spice powderhalf tsp
- light soy sauce1 tsp
- oyster sauce1 tsp
- fine sugarhalf tsp
- Sichuan peppercorns40-50
- toasted sesame seeds1 tsp
Cooking StepsHow to cook Spicy Diced Chicken with Dry Chilies step by step
-
Step 1I’m using chicken drumstick legs, but you can also use small drumsticks, large drumsticks, or chicken breast. Chicken breast tends to be drier and less tender than drumstick meat!
-
Step 2Chop the drumsticks into small pieces. Add ginger, salt, five-spice powder, cooking wine, light soy sauce, and oyster sauce to marinate. I usually prep other ingredients while the chicken marinates — small pieces absorb flavor well, about 30 minutes is enough!
-
Step 3Chop the scallions, ginger, and garlic and set aside.
-
Step 4Cut the dried chilies into small segments — adjust the amount based on your spice tolerance. I’m using bird’s eye chilies, the spiciest kind! Adjust Sichuan peppercorns to taste as well. At this point, add one egg white to the chicken, then add cornstarch and mix well. Just a thin coating is enough — don’t overdo it!
-
Step 5Heat oil in a wok. The oil is ready when dipping chopsticks in causes bubbles to form. Add the chicken pieces — drop them in one by one with chopsticks to prevent sticking. Be patient and careful of oil splatter. Fry until golden brown, then remove and drain.
-
Step 6Double-fry at a slightly higher temperature for about 1 minute, then quickly remove. To save oil, use a smaller saucepan and fry in smaller batches — a large wok requires more oil!
-
Step 7The fried chicken is delicious on its own — my daughter sneaks pieces!
-
Step 8In a separate wok, heat oil and sauté scallions, ginger, and garlic until fragrant.
-
Step 9Add Sichuan peppercorns and dried chilies, stir-fry until fragrant.
-
Step 10Add the fried chicken pieces and a little fine sugar for flavor. Skip the sugar if you don’t like sweetness. I prefer it savory, mildly spicy, with a hint of sweetness!
-
Step 11Stir-fry until the sugar melts, then add scallion segments.
-
Step 12Before serving, sprinkle with white sesame seeds. Mine are pre-toasted — if using raw sesame seeds, toast them in the wok first!
-
Step 13Anyone who loves spicy food will fall in love with this dish!
Spicy Diced Chicken with Dry Chilies
Chinese dish ready in 48 min using easy-level technique. Simple enough for weeknight cooking.
Ingredients
- 3 as needed chicken drumsticks
- 1 small bowl dried red chilies
- 1 as needed egg white
- 5 tsp cornstarch
- 5 as needed scallions
- 1 small piece ginger
- 1 head garlic
- 2 tsp cooking wine
- half tsp salt
- half tsp five-spice powder
- 1 tsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp oyster sauce
- half tsp fine sugar
- 40-50 Sichuan peppercorns
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
-
I’m using chicken drumstick legs, but you can also use small drumsticks, large drumsticks, or chicken breast. Chicken breast tends to be drier and less tender than drumstick meat!
-
Chop the drumsticks into small pieces. Add ginger, salt, five-spice powder, cooking wine, light soy sauce, and oyster sauce to marinate. I usually prep other ingredients while the chicken marinates — small pieces absorb flavor well, about 30 minutes is enough!
-
Chop the scallions, ginger, and garlic and set aside.
-
Cut the dried chilies into small segments — adjust the amount based on your spice tolerance. I’m using bird’s eye chilies, the spiciest kind! Adjust Sichuan peppercorns to taste as well. At this point, add one egg white to the chicken, then add cornstarch and mix well. Just a thin coating is enough — don’t overdo it!
-
Heat oil in a wok. The oil is ready when dipping chopsticks in causes bubbles to form. Add the chicken pieces — drop them in one by one with chopsticks to prevent sticking. Be patient and careful of oil splatter. Fry until golden brown, then remove and drain.
-
Double-fry at a slightly higher temperature for about 1 minute, then quickly remove. To save oil, use a smaller saucepan and fry in smaller batches — a large wok requires more oil!
-
The fried chicken is delicious on its own — my daughter sneaks pieces!
-
In a separate wok, heat oil and sauté scallions, ginger, and garlic until fragrant.
-
Add Sichuan peppercorns and dried chilies, stir-fry until fragrant.
-
Add the fried chicken pieces and a little fine sugar for flavor. Skip the sugar if you don’t like sweetness. I prefer it savory, mildly spicy, with a hint of sweetness!
-
Stir-fry until the sugar melts, then add scallion segments.
-
Before serving, sprinkle with white sesame seeds. Mine are pre-toasted — if using raw sesame seeds, toast them in the wok first!
-
Anyone who loves spicy food will fall in love with this dish!
Recipe Details
Common Questions
How can I make this spicier?
Add chili oil or chili crisp to taste, or include dried red chilies during cooking. A dash of Sichuan peppercorn adds a different kind of heat.
