Lazi Diced Chicken (辣子鸡丁)

辣子鸡丁

Lazi Diced Chicken (辣子鸡丁) — a Sichuan Chinese recipe made with boneless chicken thighs, ready in about 35 minutes. Step-by-step instructions with photos.

Ingredients

• boneless chicken thighs, cut into 2 cm cubes
• dried red chilies, snipped into 1.5 cm segments (seeds shaken out)
• Sichuan peppercorns
• light soy sauce
• Shaoxing wine
• white pepper
• cornstarch
• garlic, sliced
• ginger, sliced
• scallions, cut into 2 cm segments
• toasted white sesame seeds (optional)
• neutral oil (for frying)

Instructions

1. Marinate the chicken: mix with soy, Shaoxing, white pepper, and cornstarch. Rest 15 minutes — this velvet coating is what makes the crust crisp and the meat juicy.
2. Heat 1/2 cup oil in a wok over medium-high. Fry the chicken in 2 batches until golden and crisp, about 4-5 minutes per batch. Remove with a slotted spoon.
3. Pour out all but 2 tbsp of the oil. Lower heat to medium. Add Sichuan peppercorns and stir 20 seconds until fragrant but not burnt. (Peppercorns swell slightly and perfume the oil)
4. Add dried chilies, garlic, and ginger. Stir-fry 1 minute until the chilies darken to a deep red and the kitchen smells of toasted chili.
5. Return the chicken to the wok. Toss everything together 1 minute so the crisped chicken is fully coated in chili-peppercorn oil.
6. Off heat, toss in scallions and sesame seeds. Serve hot — the classic way to eat it is to hunt for the chicken in the chilies.