Bang Bang Chicken

Bang Bang Chicken is a delicious dish made primarily from chicken. It has a fresh and spicy flavor that appeals to both the elderly and children. The recipe is simple and easy to follow, making it perfect even for beginners.

4 Reviews
5 Comments
POSTED:31/07/2024
Level:Easy
Yield:2-3 servings
Total:35 min
(includes chilling time)
Active:5 min

Bang Bang Chicken has a spicy and fragrant taste with a hint of numbing heat. It's both refreshing and appetizing, making it a favorite for many. Many people enjoy making it at home, and to create an authentic and delicious Bang Bang Chicken, here are a few key points you need to know.


1. About Bang Bang Chicken

"Bang Bang Chicken," also known as "Jiading Bang Bang Chicken" or "Leshan Bang Bang Chicken," is a classic Sichuan dish, specifically a cold appetizer in Sichuan cuisine. The main ingredient is chicken, and its unique flavor profile is described as "strange flavor," combining a rich variety of tastes: numbing, spicy, sour, sweet, savory, salty, and fragrant.

Bang Bang Chicken is renowned for breaking through the limitations of traditional snacks, adapting to modern dining trends with its unique taste, innovative product combinations, and brand-oriented operation. This dish incorporates a series of classic Sichuan cooked dishes, employing various cooking methods such as marinating, mixing, and soaking to offer multiple flavor options. These include numbing and spicy, five-spice, pickled pepper, Sichuan pepper, spicy, savory, and sauce-flavored varieties. It is a quintessential representation of Sichuan's cooked food culture, allowing people to savor the rich flavors of Sichuan cuisine.


2.Is Bang Bang Chicken Fried?

Traditionally, Bang Bang Chicken is a dish made with shredded chicken, cucumber strips, and a spicy sauce. It should not be mistaken for the countless American versions you might find online, which are essentially fried chicken paired with mayonnaise. While these variations might taste good, they are definitely not the authentic Bang Bang Chicken! The genuine dish boasts unique flavors and characteristics, providing an authentic culinary experience.

Unlike traditional fried foods, Bang Bang Chicken is boiled to capture the distinct aroma of the chicken and to provide the perfect backdrop for the spicy sauce. Similar to classic dishes like Bai Qie Ji (White Cut Chicken), this innovative cooking method offers a fresh culinary experience, allowing people to enjoy the unique pleasure of a dish that is different from traditional fried foods.


3. Ingredients and Substitutions

Chicken: I prefer using chicken thighs for their richer flavor. You can substitute with a whole chicken or chicken breasts.

Side Ingredients: Lemon and bird's eye chili. Feel free to add some of your favorite ingredients like cucumber or carrots.

Seasonings: Soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame paste, Sichuan pepper oil, cooking wine, and other common Chinese seasonings.

All these ingredients can be purchased from Amazon or Asian grocery stores.


4.Why Pound the Chicken?

In Bang Bang Chicken, "chicken" is self-explanatory, but let me explain the "bang bang" part! The term "bang" in Chinese refers to an instrument used to beat, pound, and/or crush.

Why pound the chicken? Just like choosing the right pasta shape for a sauce, this method helps the chicken absorb the sauce better. Traditionally, if the chicken is cooked whole and/or with bones, gently pounding it helps break the bones. However, for boneless chicken, pounding helps loosen the meat's texture, allowing it to perfectly absorb and cling to the delicious sauce.


5.How to Prepare the Sauce?

The sauce is the soul of Bang Bang Chicken. Whether Bang Bang Chicken tastes good largely depends on the sauce. Here is a simple recipe for the sauce, with detailed instructions provided in the recipe below.

Sauce: Mix soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame paste, Sichuan pepper oil, cooking wine, sesame oil, red chili oil, black pepper powder, salt, sugar, and bird's eye chili until well combined.


6.What to Pair it With

Bang Bang Chicken is a fantastic appetizer that pairs well with almost anything. You can enjoy it with rice, stir-fried noodles, or even Pasta Carbonara. Feel free to pair it with any of your favorite dishes.


Let's explore how to make authentic Bang Bang Chicken together! This delicious appetizer will take your taste buds on an unparalleled journey. Follow my steps, and let's experience the joy of cooking together, adding a mouthwatering dish to your table!

INGREDIENTS

MAIN INGREDIENTS

  • 4 chicken thighs

ACCESSORIES

  • 6 bird's eye chilies
  • 1 lemon

SEASONINGS

  • 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Sichuan pepper oil
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper powder
  • 1 tablespoon white sugar
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons sesame paste
  • 2 tablespoons cooking wine
  • 3 tablespoons red chili oil
  • 1 tablespoon salt

DIRECTIONS

STEP 1

Prepare the Main Ingredients:

Get 4 chicken thighs ready.

Prepare 4 chicken thighs for your recipe.

STEP 2

Blanch the Chicken Thighs:

Clean the lemon with salt and slice it into pieces using a separate cutting board for fruits.

Wash the chicken thighs and place them on a separate cutting board for raw meat. Make 2 slashes on each thigh with a knife.

In a pot, add enough water to cover the chicken thighs and lemon slices. Bring to a boil, skimming off any foam. Continue to cook for about 15 minutes.

Instructions for preparing and blanching chicken thighs with lemon slices.

STEP 3

After 15 Minutes: Remove the chicken thighs and place them in a bowl of ice water to cool down.

Tip:

You can use chilled boiled water or bottled mineral water instead of tap water. Avoid using raw tap water.

After 15 minutes, cool boiled chicken thighs in ice water. Use chilled boiled/bottled water.

STEP 4

After the chicken thighs have cooled, remove them, drain the water, and place them on a cutting board for cooked foods. Use the back of a knife to gently pound the chicken thighs to loosen the meat and separate it from the bones.

Cool and pound chicken thighs on a cutting board to separate meat from bones.

STEP 5

Remove the bones and shred the chicken meat into strips by hand. Set aside.

Shred chicken meat by hand after removing bones.

STEP 6

Prepare the seasonings.

Instructions for preparing seasonings for a dish.

STEP 7

Prepare the Sauce:

Mix 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons oyster sauce, 2 tablespoons sesame paste, 1 tablespoon Sichuan pepper oil, 2 tablespoons cooking wine, 2 tablespoons sesame oil, 3 tablespoons red chili oil, 1 tablespoon black pepper powder, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 tablespoon white sugar, and 6 diced bird's eye chilies. Stir well.

Tip:

The tablespoon size is as shown in the picture.

Clean the 6 bird's eye chilies in advance and chop them into small pieces.

Recipe for spicy Sichuan sauce: soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame paste, chili oil, spices, bird's eye chilies - picture shows tablespoon size.

STEP 8

Evenly pour the sauce over the shredded chicken and mix well.

Pour sauce over shredded chicken and mix evenly.

STEP 9

Your Delicious Bang Bang Chicken is Ready!

Announcing: Bang Bang Chicken is ready!

Recipe analyzer

  • Recipes: Bang Bang Chicken
  • Main Ingredients:3
  • Servings per recipe:1
  • Servings size:830 g
Nutritional Summary of Recipe
Amount per 820 g= 1 serving(s)
  • Energy (calories):1717 kcal
    79%
  • Protein:127.7 g
    235%
  • Fat:128.34 g Why gray?
    265%
  • Carbohydrates:5.24 g
    2%
Calorie breakdown
  • Protein: 32%
    545 kcal
  • Fat: 67%
    1158 kcal
  • Carbohydrates: 1%
    16 kcal
The chart shows the percentage of calories intake (energy) coming from the respective macronutrients (fats, protein and carbohydrates).
Omega 6 : Omega 3
1:1
20:1
19:1
Both fatty acids are essential, but nowadays the majority of western diets include excessive amounts of Omega 6 acid.

The ratio shows whether the proportion of both fatty acids in your diet is optimal. Red color means too much of Omega 6 or too little of Omega 3. The data are rounded off and approximate.

4 REVIEWS

Review
Your rating:
SavorySensationOctober 03, 2024

Can I use chicken breasts instead of thighs?
reply:
October 06, 2024
Yes, chicken breasts work fine, though thighs are juicier.
FlavorFusionLabSeptember 20, 2024

For a milder version, reduce the number of bird's eye chilies.
SpiceSavorSeptember 10, 2024

The chicken turned out perfectly tender, with a nice kick from the chili.
SavorySnackTalesAugust 29, 2024

Next time, I’ll add some toasted sesame seeds on top for extra flavor.
AliceAugust 12, 2024

I'm thrilled that this recipe is perfect for summer, and delivering a bowl of white rice is such a blessing, I'm 80 years old and happy to still be able to make my own delicious food!
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