The Spicy Chicken Cubes have a mouthwatering and spicy flavor, with a delightful aroma. The numbing spiciness of dried chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns blends perfectly with the tender chicken meat. The addition of spices and soy sauce during cooking creates an alluring fragrance. It is both spicy and delicious, leaving you wanting more. The distinctive combination of numbing spiciness and tasty chicken meat makes it stand out. When paired with a bowl of steaming rice, it becomes exceptionally delicious.
Ingredients for Spicy Chili Chicken Cubes
| Chicken breast | 300g |
| Salt | 9g |
| Egg | one |
| Starch | 7g |
| Green onion | 8g |
| Garlic | 6g |
| Sichuan Pepper | 20g |
| Dried chilli | 10g |
| Edible oil | 100g |
| Lao Gan Ma | 8g |
| Chicken powder | 3g |
| Pepper powder | 3g |
| Thirteen-spices | 4g |
Steps:
1.First, let’s prepare the ingredients. Take 300 grams of chicken breast and place it on a cutting board. Cut it into approximately one-centimeter square pieces. Place the diced chicken in a bowl to start marinating.
2.Add a tablespoon of salt as the base seasoning and mix well with your hands. After mixing, add a small amount of water and continue stirring vigorously. Adding water helps the meat absorb enough moisture, resulting in a tender texture. It also helps remove any fishy odor and enhances the flavor of the meat. Then add an egg yolk and continue stirring, which will make the chicken cubes smoother and more tender. Stir in a small amount of starch while continuing to stir in one direction. Adding water and starch helps lock in the moisture of the chicken cubes. Let it marinate for about 10 minutes.
3.Prepare one stalk of large spring onion, cut into small pieces, and add it to the bowl. The purpose of adding spring onion is to enhance the aroma. Crush a garlic clove and finely mince it. Set aside the minced garlic together with the chopped spring onion. Prepare 20 grams of Sichuan peppercorns and 10 grams of dried chili peppers and set them aside. Once the ingredients are ready, we can start stir-frying the chicken cubes.
4.Heat a wok or pan and add cooking oil. When the oil is heated to around 40% (when there is no smoke and the oil surface is calm), add the chicken cubes. The oil surface should not have strong bubbling or excessive splattering; this indicates the oil temperature is at the right level. Stir-fry over medium heat for around 90 seconds, gradually increasing the oil temperature, until the chicken cubes are fully cooked. Remove the chicken cubes from the pan and drain excess oil. The oil temperature for stir-frying the chicken cubes should not be too high; a lower temperature with quick frying ensures a tender and smooth texture.
5.Now, let’s start cooking. Leave a small amount of oil in the pan and add Sichuan peppercorns and dried chili peppers to stir-fry until fragrant. During the stir-frying process, make sure not to overcook the chili peppers. After a few stirs, add minced garlic and chopped spring onion to stir-fry until aromatic. Add Lao Gan Ma black bean chili sauce and continue stir-frying until it becomes fragrant.
6.Pour in the chicken cubes and add salt, chicken powder, pepper, and thirteen spice powder. Stir-fry quickly until the seasonings are well incorporated. The dish is then ready to be served.
Tips
1.You can choose chicken drumsticks, chicken thighs, or chicken breast for this recipe. Chicken breast tends to have a drier texture compared to chicken thighs, which are more tender.
2.After stir-frying the chopped scallions, ginger, and garlic until fragrant in the pan, add the dried chili peppers and continue stir-frying for two minutes.
3.Mix the chicken with egg whites and cornstarch until well combined. A thin coating of cornstarch is sufficient; there’s no need to use too much.
4.Test the oil temperature by dipping a chopstick into the oil. If bubbles emerge around the chopstick, it indicates the oil is hot enough to fry the chicken cubes. Once the chicken turns golden brown, remove and drain excess oil. Then, perform a second round of frying for a crispier exterior while maintaining tenderness inside.
Spicy Chili Chicken Cubes not only serve as a delicious dish but also carry rich cultural significance. In Sichuan province, this dish is a frequent visitor on dining tables, representing the unique charm of Sichuan cuisine culture. Whether it’s a family gathering or a dinner with friends, Spicy Chili Chicken Cubes are an essential delicacy. It embodies not only a culinary delight but also profound cultural connotations. In Sichuan province, this dish is a frequent visitor on dining tables, representing the unique charm of Sichuan cuisine culture. Whether it’s a family gathering or a dinner with friends, Spicy Chili Chicken Cubes are an indispensable culinary delight.