Firecracker Chicken

Between my Mala Nuts and all the variations of mapo tofu I've shared, it's probably pretty obvious that I have a thing for the combination of chili peppers and Sichuan pepper. Málà is often described as tongue-numbing and spicy. While accurate, it's not very appealing, and it fails to capture the marvelous aroma combination of the smoky chili peppers and citrusy huājiāo.

This firecracker chicken recipe is inspired by Laziji (辣子鸡), the Chongqing classic, with fried chicken tossed with a mountain of dried chilies and Sichuan peppercorns. It looks incredible, and the flavor is addictive, but most of those peppers are there for the aroma, not for eating.

My firecracker chicken has the same flavor profile, but instead of surrounding the chicken with aromatics, I work chili flakes, ground Sichuan pepper, garlic, and Shaoxing wine directly into a marinade so every hunk of chicken is fragrant to the core. I do still like to toss in a few whole dried chilies and Sichuan peppercorns, but they're completely optional, and they just give everyone the choice to crank up the volume by eating them, instead of brushing them aside.

When buying whole Sichuan peppercorns, look for hulls that have split open and released their seeds. The hulls are where all the flavor lives, and you don't want any stems or gritty seeds. The citrusy aroma that makes Sichuan pepper so special is volatile, so grind them fresh right before they go into the marinade.

I used Thai chili flakes here, which are potent, so half a teaspoon brought plenty of heat. If yours are milder, you can start with more and adjust the heat to taste. The finished chicken should hit you with a warm, building heat and a tingle that lingers just long enough to make you crave the next bite.