Chongqing Chili Chicken

Name: Chongqing Chili Chicken
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 1.5 lb boneless chicken thighs (cut into ¾-inch cubes); 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine; 1 tbsp light soy sauce; 1 egg white; 3 tbsp cornstarch; 2 cups dried red chilies (snipped, seeds shaken out — yes, this much); 1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns (toasted); 6 cloves garlic (sliced); 1 inch ginger (sliced); 1 tsp sugar; 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds; oil neutral oil for frying (about 2 cups)

By The Chowmi Test KitchenUpdated June 4, 2026↓ Jump to Recipe

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Quick answer

Chongqing chili chicken (辣子鸡, là zǐ jī) is a Sichuan-Chongqing classic: bite-size pieces of chicken fried until crisp, then tossed with a mountain of dried red chilies and toasted Sichuan peppercorn so the dish arrives looking like more chili than chicken. The chilies aren't really meant to be eaten — they perfume the oil and the chicken with a smoky, fragrant heat, and you hunt for the crunchy chicken pieces hidden among them. The keys are to fry the marinated chicken twice (or until deeply crisp) so it stays crunchy under the seasonings, and to fry the chilies gently so they darken and turn fragrant without burning. It's an addictive, beer-friendly dish, and the chili-to-chicken ratio — generous — is the whole personality.

Chongqing chili chicken: crispy chicken bites among a pile of dried red chilies

Why you'll love this chongqing chili chicken

Crispy, smoky, fragrant fried chicken with an addictive Sichuan kick — a beer-snack legend.
We explain the two tricks: double-frying for crunch and frying the chilies without burning.
The dramatic chili mountain looks restaurant-worthy and is easier than it seems.
Every special ingredient comes with a US-grocery substitute.

Ingredients

Chicken & marinade

1.5 lb boneless chicken thighs, cut into ¾-inch cubes
1 tbsp Shaoxing winesubstitutes →
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 egg white
3 tbsp cornstarch

The chili toss

2 cups dried red chilies, snipped, seeds shaken out — yes, this muchhard to find
1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns, toastedsubstitutes →
6 cloves garlic, sliced
1 inch ginger, sliced
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
oil neutral oil for frying, about 2 cups

Missing an ingredient?

Tell us what you have and what you're making — get the best US-grocery swap, with ratios.

Hard-to-find ingredients, delivered

Stock the pantry once and you can cook this anytime: Shaoxing wine, dried red chilies, Sichuan peppercorns. Asian groceries deliver nationwide.

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Equipment

Wok or deep skillet — Holds enough oil to fry the chicken crisp.(shop →)
Spider or slotted spoon(shop →)

Instructions

Marinate the chicken cubes with the Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, egg white, and cornstarch for 15 minutes. The egg white and cornstarch form the crust that stays crisp.
💡 Cut the thighs into even, bite-size cubes so they fry evenly and stay juicy inside.
Heat about 2 cups of oil in a wok to 350°F (175°C). Fry the chicken in batches until golden and just cooked, 3–4 minutes per batch. Remove and drain.
Raise the oil to 375°F (190°C) and fry the chicken a second time, all together, for 1–2 minutes until deeply crisp. Remove and set aside. This double-fry is what keeps it crunchy under the seasonings.
💡 Two short fries beat one long fry — the chicken stays juicy inside and shatters-crisp outside.
Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of oil. Over medium heat, add the dried chilies and Sichuan peppercorns and fry gently, stirring, until the chilies darken a shade and smell toasty — 1–2 minutes. Do not let them blacken.
💡 Keep the heat moderate here. Burnt chilies turn the whole dish bitter and acrid — pull them back from the heat if they're going too fast.
Add the garlic and ginger and stir 30 seconds, then return the crispy chicken. Add the sugar and toss everything together so the chicken picks up the chili fragrance, about 1 minute.
Turn off the heat, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and serve. Remember: the chilies are mostly for aroma — dig out the chicken.

Tips & notes

Yes, 2 cups of dried chilies is correct — la zi ji is supposed to look like a pile of chilies with chicken hiding inside. The chilies flavor the oil and chicken; you're not meant to eat them all.
Shaking the seeds out of the dried chilies keeps the dish fragrant and smoky rather than punishingly hot. Use Sichuan facing-heaven chilies or árbol chilies.
No deep-frying setup? Shallow-fry the chicken in about ½ inch of oil, turning, until crisp — it works, just turn the pieces more often.
The numbing tingle is the toasted Sichuan peppercorn; there's no real substitute for it, so add it if you can (see our Sichuan peppercorn guide).

Recipe wording too vague?

Paste any fuzzy step (少许, 火候正好, 焯水) and get exact amounts, temps and times.

Recipe

Chongqing Chili Chicken

New recipe

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 35 min
Serves: 4
Level: Intermediate

Ingredients

Chicken & marinade

1.5 lb boneless chicken thighs, cut into ¾-inch cubes
1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 egg white
3 tbsp cornstarch

The chili toss

2 cups dried red chilies, snipped, seeds shaken out — yes, this much
1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns, toasted
6 cloves garlic, sliced
1 inch ginger, sliced
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
oil neutral oil for frying, about 2 cups

Instructions

Marinate the chicken cubes with the Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, egg white, and cornstarch for 15 minutes. The egg white and cornstarch form the crust that stays crisp.
Heat about 2 cups of oil in a wok to 350°F (175°C). Fry the chicken in batches until golden and just cooked, 3–4 minutes per batch. Remove and drain.
Raise the oil to 375°F (190°C) and fry the chicken a second time, all together, for 1–2 minutes until deeply crisp. Remove and set aside. This double-fry is what keeps it crunchy under the seasonings.
Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of oil. Over medium heat, add the dried chilies and Sichuan peppercorns and fry gently, stirring, until the chilies darken a shade and smell toasty — 1–2 minutes. Do not let them blacken.
Add the garlic and ginger and stir 30 seconds, then return the crispy chicken. Add the sugar and toss everything together so the chicken picks up the chili fragrance, about 1 minute.
Turn off the heat, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and serve. Remember: the chilies are mostly for aroma — dig out the chicken.

Nutrition (est., per serving): 390 cal · 30 g protein · 14 g carbs · 23 g fat

Chongqing Chili Chicken FAQ

Are you supposed to eat all the chilies in la zi ji?

No — the mountain of dried chilies is mostly there to perfume the oil and the chicken with a smoky, fragrant heat. You dig out the crispy chicken pieces from among them. Some people nibble a fried chili, but eating the whole pile would be brutally hot.

How do I get the chicken crispy and keep it crispy?

Two tricks: coat the chicken in egg white and cornstarch, and fry it twice — once at a lower temperature to cook it through, then a second, hotter fry to crisp the crust. The double-fry keeps it crunchy even after it's tossed with the seasonings.

Why did my la zi ji turn bitter?

The dried chilies burned. Fry them over medium heat just until they darken a shade and smell toasty — a minute or two — and pull the pan off the heat if they're browning too fast. Blackened chilies turn the whole dish acrid.

What kind of dried chilies should I use?

Sichuan “facing heaven” chilies are traditional — fragrant and only moderately hot. Dried árbol chilies are a good, easy-to-find substitute. Shake out most of the seeds so the dish is smoky and aromatic rather than scorching.

Can I make Chongqing chili chicken less spicy?

Yes — use far fewer chilies (a handful instead of two cups) and shake out all the seeds, and go light on the Sichuan peppercorn. You'll lose some of the signature drama, but you'll still get crispy, fragrant chicken.