Description
Lazi Ji (Chongqing Chicken with Chiles) is a fiery Sichuan dish featuring crispy, deep-fried chicken bites stir-fried with a blizzard of dried chiles, garlic, ginger, and numbing Sichuan peppercorns. Bursting with aroma and heat, it’s a bold, addictive recipe that brings the thrill of Sichuan cooking to your table.
Ingredients
1 lb chicken thighs (bone-in or boneless), cut into bite-sized pieces
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Peanut oil or vegetable oil (for deep-frying)
2 cups dried red chiles (long, slender, medium-hot)
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1-inch piece fresh ginger, sliced
1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns
Salt to taste
Instructions
- Marinate chicken with soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and cornstarch. Let sit for a few minutes.
- Heat oil in a wok or deep pan and deep-fry chicken in batches until golden and crispy. Drain on paper towels.
- Pour out most of the oil, leaving about 2 tablespoons in the wok.
- Add dried chiles and stir quickly to avoid burning. Add garlic, ginger, and Sichuan peppercorns; stir-fry until fragrant.
- Return chicken to the wok and toss to coat in the spicy oil and aromatics.
- Season with salt to taste and serve immediately, hot and sizzling.
Notes
- Add roasted peanuts or sesame seeds for crunch.
- Use green Sichuan peppercorns for extra numbing heat.
- Substitute tofu cubes for a vegetarian version.
- Reduce heat by using fewer chiles or milder varieties, and avoid breaking them.
- Reheat in a hot pan to retain crispiness.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stir-Fry
- Cuisine: Chinese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 410
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 780mg
- Fat: 26g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 10g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 35g
- Cholesterol: 110mg
