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Zaozhuang Spicy Chicken

Name: Zaozhuang Spicy Chicken
Prep time: 18 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 48 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 1 whole chicken (freshly slaughtered young rooster); to taste Sichuan peppercorns; slightly more than a spoonful sweet bean paste (tianmianjiang); optional (add if you like) potato; to taste (more if you like it spicy) bird's eye chilies (xiaomila); 1 ladleful dark soy sauce; to taste thin-skinned green peppers; 1 ladleful light soy sauce (Weidamei brand); 1 large slice or 2 small slices angelica root (baizhi); 2 star anise; a splash around the wok edge aged vinegar (chen cu); to taste salt, chicken bouillon, MSG; to taste scallions, ginger, garlic

Other★ Easy48min

Prep 18m ·
Cook 30m ·
2 Servings

IngredientsWhat you'll need for Zaozhuang Spicy Chicken

	Ingredient	Amount	Notes
	whole chicken (freshly slaughtered young rooster)	1
	Sichuan peppercorns	to taste
	sweet bean paste (tianmianjiang)	slightly more than a spoonful
	potato	optional (add if you like)
	bird's eye chilies (xiaomila)	to taste (more if you like it spicy)
	dark soy sauce	1 ladleful
	thin-skinned green peppers	to taste
	light soy sauce (Weidamei brand)	1 ladleful
	angelica root (baizhi)	1 large slice or 2 small slices
	star anise	2
	aged vinegar (chen cu)	a splash around the wok edge
	salt, chicken bouillon, MSG	to taste
	scallions, ginger, garlic	to taste

A delicious Zaozhuang Spicy Chicken recipe.

Cooking StepsHow to cook Zaozhuang Spicy Chicken step by step

Step 1 Detail

Heat plenty of oil in a wok until hot. Add sliced ginger and stir-fry until fragrant.
Step 2 Detail

Add the chicken pieces. Do not stir immediately — let them sear and develop a crust before tossing.
Step 3 Detail

Stir-fry until the oil turns clear and the bones start crackling. Splash aged vinegar around the edge of the wok to deglaze — this removes gaminess and boosts aroma.
Step 4 Detail

Add dark soy sauce, sweet bean paste, angelica root, Sichuan peppercorns, and star anise. Stir-fry until the sauce becomes deeply fragrant.
Step 5 Detail

Pour in boiling water until the chicken is just covered. Bring to a vigorous boil over high heat and let it cook for a few minutes.
Step 6 Detail

When the sauce has reduced and thickened, add bird’s eye chilies, scallions, and garlic. Season with salt (Zaozhuang style leans salty, so be generous).
Step 7 Detail

After a minute or so, pour in the light soy sauce.
Step 8 Detail

Add the potato chunks and thin-skinned green peppers. Stir-fry until the potatoes turn translucent, then add chicken bouillon and MSG. Toss a few more times and serve immediately. (Don’t leave it in the wok too long or the potatoes will lose their crispness.)
Step 9 Detail

Plate and serve.