Sichuan Hot Chicken (La Zi Ji)

 Sichuan Hot Chicken

Sichuan Hot Chicken, also known as La Zi Ji, is a bold Chinese dish featuring crispy fried chicken tossed with dried chilies and numbing Sichuan peppercorns. Fiery, aromatic, and addictive.

Cook Time20 minutes

Total Time minutes

45 minutes

CourseMain Dish

Servings4

Ingredients

Chicken

• 800 g chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces

Marinade

• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• ½ tsp salt

For Frying

• Vegetable oil

Stir Fry Aromatics

• 15–20 dried red chilies (adjust heat)
• 2 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 thumb-size ginger, sliced

Seasoning

• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp sesame oil

Garnish

• Sesame seeds
• Chopped spring onions

Instructions

Marinate chicken

• Mix chicken with marinade ingredients.
• Rest 15–20 minutes.

Fry chicken

• Heat oil to 170–175°C.
• Fry chicken until golden and crispy.
• Drain and set aside.

Toast spices

• Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok.
• Add dried chilies and Sichuan peppercorns.
• Stir-fry briefly until fragrant (do not burn).

Stir fry

• Add garlic and ginger.
• Return chicken to wok.
• Add soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil.
• Toss quickly over high heat.

Serve

• Garnish with sesame seeds and spring onions.
• Serve hot with steamed rice.

Small Notes :

• Sichuan peppercorns give numbing heat, not spice burn.
• Do not over-toast chilies or they turn bitter.
• Traditionally more chilies than chicken adjust freely.
• Best eaten immediately.