Mouthwatering Chicken

Name: Mouthwatering Chicken
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 1.5 lb bone-in chicken thighs or legs (or half a chicken); 3 slices ginger; 2 scallions (whole, for poaching); 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine; 3 tbsp chili oil (with plenty of the red sediment); 1 tbsp light soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free); 1 tbsp Chinkiang black vinegar; ½ tsp ground toasted Sichuan peppercorn; 2 tsp sugar; 3 cloves garlic (grated); 1 tsp toasted sesame oil; 2 tbsp chicken poaching liquid (to loosen the sauce); 3 tbsp roasted peanuts (crushed); 2 scallions (sliced); 2 tbsp cilantro (chopped, optional)

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

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Quick answer

Mouthwatering chicken (口水鸡, kǒu shuǐ jī — literally “saliva chicken,” for how it makes your mouth water) is a Sichuan cold dish: gently poached chicken, sliced and served at room temperature under a glossy red sauce that's spicy, numbing, nutty, savory, and a little sweet. The chicken itself is barely seasoned — the dish is all about the sauce, built from chili oil, ground toasted Sichuan peppercorn, black vinegar, soy, sugar, garlic, and a little sesame, finished with crushed peanuts and scallions. The trick to silky chicken is to poach it gently (never a hard boil) and then shock it in ice water to firm the skin and stop the cooking. It's an ideal make-ahead dish — poach the chicken in advance and spoon over the sauce just before serving.

Sichuan mouthwatering chicken: sliced poached chicken under red chili oil with peanuts and scallions

Why you'll love this mouthwatering chicken

A stunning cold starter: silky poached chicken under a spicy-numbing-nutty red sauce.
Make-ahead friendly — poach the chicken in advance, sauce it just before serving.
The sauce is the star, and we give you the exact balance to get it right.
Naturally gluten-free with tamari, and every special ingredient has a substitute.

Ingredients

Chicken

1.5 lb bone-in chicken thighs or legs, or half a chicken
3 slices ginger
2 scallions, whole, for poaching
1 tbsp Shaoxing winesubstitutes →

Mouthwatering sauce

3 tbsp chili oil, with plenty of the red sediment
1 tbsp light soy sauce, or tamari for gluten-free
1 tbsp Chinkiang black vinegarsubstitutes →
½ tsp ground toasted Sichuan peppercornsubstitutes →
2 tsp sugar
3 cloves garlic, grated
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 tbsp chicken poaching liquid, to loosen the sauce

To finish

3 tbsp roasted peanuts, crushed
2 scallions, sliced
2 tbsp cilantro, chopped, optional

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Equipment

Pot for poaching(shop →)
Bowl of ice water — to shock the chicken

Instructions

Put the chicken, ginger, whole scallions, and Shaoxing wine in a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a gentle simmer (never a rolling boil), then lower the heat and poach gently for 15–18 minutes, until just cooked through.
💡 A gentle poach — bubbles barely breaking the surface — is what keeps the chicken silky. A hard boil makes it tough and stringy.
Lift the chicken out and immediately plunge it into a bowl of ice water for 5 minutes. This stops the cooking and firms the skin for a clean slice. Save a few tablespoons of the poaching liquid for the sauce.
Stir all the sauce ingredients together, loosening with the reserved poaching liquid until it's pourable. Taste and balance — it should be spicy, tangy, savory, and just a little sweet.
💡 Let the sauce sit 10 minutes if you can; the flavors marry and the garlic mellows slightly.
Pat the chicken dry and slice it (off the bone if you like) into bite-size pieces. Arrange on a plate.
Spoon the sauce generously over the chicken and scatter the crushed peanuts, scallions, and cilantro on top. Serve at room temperature.

Tips & notes

The “numbing” comes from ground toasted Sichuan peppercorn — start with ½ teaspoon and add more for a stronger tingle. It's central to the dish, not optional.
Thighs and legs stay juicier than breast for poaching. If you use breast, poach it even more gently and pull it the moment it's cooked.
Make it ahead: poach the chicken and mix the sauce separately, refrigerate, then slice and sauce just before serving so the chicken doesn't dry out.
“Plenty of chili oil sediment” matters — the red chili flakes at the bottom of the jar carry most of the flavor and color, so scoop from the bottom.

Recipe wording too vague?

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

Recipe

Mouthwatering Chicken

New recipe

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

Ingredients

Chicken

1.5 lb bone-in chicken thighs or legs, or half a chicken
3 slices ginger
2 scallions, whole, for poaching
1 tbsp Shaoxing wine

Mouthwatering sauce

3 tbsp chili oil, with plenty of the red sediment
1 tbsp light soy sauce, or tamari for gluten-free
1 tbsp Chinkiang black vinegar
½ tsp ground toasted Sichuan peppercorn
2 tsp sugar
3 cloves garlic, grated
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 tbsp chicken poaching liquid, to loosen the sauce

To finish

3 tbsp roasted peanuts, crushed
2 scallions, sliced
2 tbsp cilantro, chopped, optional

Instructions

Put the chicken, ginger, whole scallions, and Shaoxing wine in a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a gentle simmer (never a rolling boil), then lower the heat and poach gently for 15–18 minutes, until just cooked through.
Lift the chicken out and immediately plunge it into a bowl of ice water for 5 minutes. This stops the cooking and firms the skin for a clean slice. Save a few tablespoons of the poaching liquid for the sauce.
Stir all the sauce ingredients together, loosening with the reserved poaching liquid until it's pourable. Taste and balance — it should be spicy, tangy, savory, and just a little sweet.
Pat the chicken dry and slice it (off the bone if you like) into bite-size pieces. Arrange on a plate.
Spoon the sauce generously over the chicken and scatter the crushed peanuts, scallions, and cilantro on top. Serve at room temperature.

Nutrition (est., per serving): 330 cal · 26 g protein · 8 g carbs · 22 g fat

Mouthwatering Chicken FAQ

Why is it called mouthwatering chicken (saliva chicken)?

The Chinese name 口水鸡 literally translates to “saliva chicken” — a playful way of saying it's so appetizing it makes your mouth water. In English it's usually called “mouthwatering chicken.” It refers to the irresistible chili-oil sauce, not anything about the preparation.

How do I keep the poached chicken from being tough?

Poach it gently — bring the water to a bare simmer, then keep it just below a boil so the surface barely moves. A hard boil seizes the proteins and makes the meat tough and stringy. Shocking the cooked chicken in ice water also firms the skin and keeps it silky.

Can I make mouthwatering chicken ahead of time?

Yes — it's ideal for making ahead. Poach the chicken and mix the sauce separately, refrigerate both, then slice the chicken and spoon over the sauce just before serving. Don't sauce it too early or the chicken absorbs liquid and softens.

Is mouthwatering chicken served hot or cold?

Cold or at room temperature — it's a classic Sichuan cold dish (liangcai), usually served as a starter. The chicken is poached and cooled, then dressed in the room-temperature chili-oil sauce.

How do I make it less spicy or numbing?

Use less chili oil (and less of the sediment) for milder heat, and cut back the ground Sichuan peppercorn to reduce the numbing tingle. The nutty-savory-tangy base from soy, vinegar, sesame, and peanuts still makes it delicious.