The real-deal Sichuan version of Bang Bang chicken made with juicy tender shredded chicken covered with a savory, nutty, spicy sauce with a hint of tangy and sweet notes. Originally a traditional Chinese appetizer, make it ahead and serve it at your next movie night or game day party. Mind blow guaranteed. {Gluten-Free Adaptable}
This famous Sichuanese dish is as mind-blowing as its name suggests! (I know I’ve used “mind-blowing” twice, but that’s how my friend described it when I served the dish.) You may have seen Bang Bang Chicken on Chinese takeout menus or in new hipster Chinese restaurants. But it’s pretty rare that you’ll find a Bang Bang Chicken that is true to the original. In the American version, chicken chunks are usually breaded, fried, and served with a nutty or sweet chili sauce. Or even mayonnaise! (I’m not sure if that should even be called Bang Bang Chicken…?!)
Let me tell you about real-deal Sichuan-style bang bang chicken. The funny-sounding name comes from the legend of its creation. In order to fairly divide chicken that was in high demand, merchants would use small wooden sticks or batons (棒棒, bàng bàng) to shred up the meat evenly. That’s what creates the tender, melt-in-the-mouth texture so vital to good bang bang chicken. Finely smothered in a rich sauce of intense Sichuanese guài wèi (怪味). Translated literally, it means ‘strange flavor’, but refers to a sauce that has so many flavors – spicy, savory, sour, nutty, and sweet – and is perfectly balanced. With the addition of fragrant homemade chili oil and Sichuan peppercorns, you’ve got yourself a legit bang bang. Watch out – it could get explosive!
Cooking notes
1. How to make extra tender chicken
Despite the legend, I personally think the reason that Chinese people use a baton to shred the chicken is because they hadn’t yet started using forks. The legend also says the chicken-beating process creates extra tender meat. I think the real trick here is to not overcook the chicken. I’ve tried beating the chicken with a rolling pin before shredding. It does make the shredding faster but it also makes your kitchen counter a bit messy. I’ll leave it to your judgement to decide whether to beat the chicken or not before shredding.
Now here is the real trick. Even though the traditional approach is to boil the chicken in an aromatics-infused broth, I found that steaming the chicken creates a better result.
Simply chop up some green onions and make a bed of them on a plate, place the chicken breast on top, and sprinkle with salt. Set up your steamer, place the plate into it, and cook for 20 minutes for small pieces of chicken, or about 30 minutes for larger pieces. Compared to the boiling method, the steaming method seasons the chicken better without letting the delicious juice get lost in water.
2. Addictive sauce
It’s hard to believe you can make an addictive sauce so easily. OK, the ingredient list is not super short, but all you need to do is grate some ginger and garlic using your lemon zester and stir a few sauces together. It creates a perfectly balanced sauce that is spicy, savory, tangy, and sweet, with the numbing aroma of the Sichuan peppercorns.
I highly recommend you grind the Sichuan peppercorns from whole pods. NEVER buy the Sichuan peppercorn powder from the Asian market. It is not fresh and doesn’t even taste close to the real thing. To source premium quality Sichuan peppercorns, get The Mala Market brand online. The fastest way to grind them is to use a coffee grinder (you’ll want to wipe the grinder clean with a wet paper towel once finished, so your next cup of coffee won’t numb your entire mouth). Once you grind the Sichuan peppercorns, store the powder in an airtight container in the fridge and use within a month.
3. Homemade chili oil
I would say this is the most important part of the dish. If you’ve never made chili oil before and are intimidated by the process, check out my homemade chili oil recipe. It takes 5 minutes to put together and it will make all your Sichuan cooking (or Chinese cooking in general) better.
A word on the amount of chili oil used in this recipe: if you want to recreate the authentic Sichuan experience, you need to use a LOT of chili oil. By a lot, I mean, the plate of chicken should be half-covered in oil (using anywhere between 1/4 to 1/3 cup of chili oil). I know it’s not the healthiest dish, but you’d be surprised how great it tastes if you pour on the extra chili oil. Of course, you won’t consume all the oil and there’ll be plenty left once you finish eating the chicken. The idea is to have a stunning presentation. Plus, each piece of chicken you pick up will be coated with sauce and chili oil, which delivers the extra fragrance.
If you want to keep the dish healthier, feel free to reduce the amount of chili oil. The result will still be very delicious.
4. Best party food
Growing up in China, bang bang chicken was always a humble appetizer to me. The dish you order in a restaurant so you have something to snack on before the main dishes arrive.
I changed my mind after I served it a few times in the US. One friend raved about it and another is serving it at her Super Bowl party next year. It occured to me, why not serve bang bang chicken at a party? You can make it ahead and store it in the fridge. The chicken will taste even better the next day, after it soaks in the sauce. It might be different from your regular party food, but I think it’s stunning looking. Don’t you?
More Sichuan-inspired party food
- Dan Dan Noodles
- Sichuan Spicy Wonton in Red Oil
- Szechuan Spicy Peanuts (Huang Fei Hong Spicy Peanuts)
- Chinese Hot Pot Guide & How to Throw a Hot Pot Party at Home
- Addictive Sichuan Mala Chicken (La Zi Ji)
Chinese Bang Bang Chicken (棒棒鸡)
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs (700 g) boneless skinless chicken breasts (or chicken thighs)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 green onions , separated
Sauce
- 4 tablespoons light soy sauce (or soy sauce)
- 2 tablespoons Chinese sesame paste (or unsweetened natural peanut butter)
- 2 tablespoons homemade chili oil (or more) (*Footnote 1)
- 1.5 tablespoons Chinkiang vinegar (or 2 tablespoons rice vinegar)
- 4 teaspoons sugar
- 2 cloves garlic , grated
- 2 teaspoons grated ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorns
Instructions
- Chop 2 green onions into 2” (5 cm) sticks. Slice the remaining 2 green onions into thin slices.
- Prepare a steamer by adding 2” (5 cm) water into the pot. Cover and heat over medium-high heat until boiling.
- Use a plate that can fit into your steamer rack. Spread the green onion sticks onto the plate to make a bed. Place the chicken breast on top. Sprinkle salt evenly over the chicken.
- When steam comes out of the steamer, place the steamer rack with the chicken on top, and cover the steamer. Cook for 20 minutes. Test the chicken by using a thermometer inserted into the thickest part. It should read 165 degrees F (73 C). Or insert a knife into the thickest part, and the juice should run clear. If the chicken is still pink inside, steam for another 5 to 10 minutes. Once done, transfer the chicken to a plate to cool.
- While cooking the chicken, combine the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk to mix well.
- Once the chicken is cooled, transfer it onto a cutting board. Use a meat pounder or a rolling pin to pound the chicken (optional), then shred into thin slices using two forks.
- Place the chicken into a large bowl or deep plate. Drizzle the sauce on top and mix well. Garnish with thinly sliced green onion. If you want to create the authentic look, like at a Sichuan restaurant, drizzle more chili oil (about 1/3 to 1/2 cup) onto the chicken.
- Serve as a cold appetizer or a main dish.
Notes
- If you want to re-create the authentic Sichuan experience, you need to pour chili oil onto the chicken until the plate is half-smothered in chili oil. Of course, you won’t consume all the oil and there’ll be plenty left once you finish eating the chicken. The idea is to have a stunning presentation. Plus, each piece of chicken you pick up will be coated with sauce and chili oil, which delivers the extra fragrance.
Video
Nutrition
The original recipe is published on Aug 11, 2014 and updated by Oct 12, 2019.
yum.. looks delicious! i definitely will be recreating the recipe, looks seriously tasty.
Thanks Thalia! So glad you like this one 🙂
Such a fantastic recipe! And helpful video too!
Hi Russell, thanks for stopping by! I’m glad you find the recipe and video helpful!!
Yum, this looks incredible! I love bang bang chicken! Haha thanks for sharing the story behind the name too 🙂
Thanks Kelly! I thought the story sounds a bit silly but glad you enjoyed it 😉
This sounds awesome! And your pictures are great!
Hi Kathleen, thanks for stopping by and commenting! Have a nice day ahead 🙂
Haha! Now that’s an interesting theory! Makes you wonder about the stories behind a lot of dishes… Love that you used chicken legs instead. Chicken breast can be such a challenge to cook with sometimes…definitely not a go-to for a moist option. Such a beautiful dish 🙂
Yep, I prefer chicken legs over chicken breast for most of the time. Especially for stir-fry and baking dishes, leg meat is much easier to deal with and the flavor is better. And yes, they are much more moist than chicken breast! Have a great weekend 🙂
I always think about Bang Bang Shrimp from Bonefish Grill when I hear “Bang Bang” but this is totally different than anything I’ve ever seen, and I’m loving it! You always surprise me with interesting recipes. 🙂
What does Bang Bang shrimp like? Is it fried? I once see a fried version of Bang Bang chicken and thought it’s quite strange (but tasty!). There is another version of bang bang chicken by using peanut sauce (tasty too!). The combination of soy sauce and chili sauce is very classic, and I consider it Chinese version of “olive oil + balsamic vinegar”! 🙂
Yes Bang Bang shrimp is breaded and fried. It has a very tasty sauce but I’m not sure what’s in it. This looks much healthier. 🙂
Hi Maggie!
You mentioned there’s a version of this made with a peanut sauce. Do you also have a recipe for that version? I’ve been trying to find one like that for a while now.
I love your site. Thank you for all the time and effort you put into it.
Bang bang shrimp (from Bonefish Grill) is not an Asian dish. But it is delicious. There are lots of copycat recipes in the internet.
You can count me in when it’s fresh, healthy and easy, Maggie. The fact that it’s chicken and spicy will make it a favourite! I will confess to never having made this but your gorgeous photos and tempting recipe will definitely have me adding this to the menu.
I’ve made a healthy version of Bang Bang shrimp with panko and egg whites that I baked in the oven. I guess I should put that on the blog, lol.
Love visiting your blog, Maggie. I know I’ll always learn something and the images are always so interesting. Great video, too!
The baked version of Bang Bang Shrimp sounds so delicious! I love to bake fry stuff too, they are healthier and easier to clean up. Really glad you like the recipe and my blog! 🙂
This looks amazing—and I love the video! It’s super helpful. This is a dish I’m going to have to try out one of these days. 🙂
Thanks! Glad to hear you find the video helpful! Let me know how it goes with the cooking 🙂
I did a search for variations on this recipe and found that the majority of them call for breading and frying the chicken — this looks much more appealing and I’m making it today.
Hi Steve, glad to hear you like this recipe! Yeah, I know the fried version you mentioned (it is mostly served outside of China). Even here in China, we have two versions, one with peanut butter, and one without.
Happy cooking and let me know how it goes! 🙂
Maggie, this recipe looks wonderful & I love the score you used for your video. What is the name of the piece pls? Tx.
Hi Cynthia, sorry it took me so long to answer your question. I made this video a long time ago!
The music piece in the video is “Run Amok” by Kevin MacLeod. You can find the free piece on http://incompetech.com/music/
…maybe the ‘bang bang’ part refers to pounding the dried chili instead? (if they used a morter and pestle maybe)
Looks really good. Could Tahini be a sub for Chinese Sesame Paste?
BTW I just used your recipe to make the Sichuan Chili Oil. Did not have fresh ginger so I added 1/8 tsp powdered ginger. All else was per the recipe and it is fab. Thanks for the recipe
Hi Phil, yes you can use tahini to replace the Chinese sesame paste. Usually, I would recommend unsweetened peanut butter, since tahini doesn’t have the toasted taste. But the paste in this recipe is used as a hidden flavor, so tahini totally works.
Glad to hear your chili oil turned out well! Hope you enjoy this one as well 🙂
Delicious!! Thank you
Just had this cold for breakfast… would never have thought it could be eaten this way. It did help with the Mala Market items as ingredients available. Thanks for the recipe !!
Absolutely delicious!! I just today received my order of the new Chinese sesame paste from Mala Market, so it was this or Dan Dan noodles, and I went with this as I just made the Cantonese Ground Beef and Eggs about 6 hrs ago!
This Bang Bang Chicken is SO good and better than the best I’ve had anywhere, not even a close second anywhere in sight! I make my own chili oil as well, and went with the full 4oz on the plate! With the chicken, the green onions and sesame seeds it was a beautiful presentation, only outdone by the amazing flavor! So good, so addictive….an explosion of flavor indeed!
Another amazing recipe Maggie, thanks for sharing these, I’m hopelessly addicted to your website!
Hi Maggie,
Another A++ recipe according to my hubby. I did make a couple of changes due to acid reflux. I added two more Tbl of soy sauce, and didn’t add the extra chili sauce to the plate. Was afraid it would be too hot for us. I stir fried the green onion , then layed the whole chicken breast on top of the onion, covered and let the steam heat it up. (Hubby didn’t want cold, shredded chicken). Once plated with asparagas, I poured the sause over all of it. Amazing flavor! A sure rotation in my recipe book. Thank you for all that you do! I would give five stars, but since I changed it a bit, I had to account for that.
I had never heard of Bang Bang chicken, and when I saw your recipe I knew I had to try it. I made the chili oil after I got the ingredients, then proceeded to make the Bang Bang chicken dish. I used the peanut butter and rice vinegar version and we absolutely loved it! For red chili peppers I used the Facing Heaven peppers and found a new love. Absolutely a flavor I instantly loved and want more!
Today I made Chengdu Challenge #19: Cold Noodles With Shredded Chicken (Ji Si Liang Mian) using the same oil and was again blown away by the wonderful flavor. I made my own sesame paste this time and it does make it more umami. I really do not like Tahini but the sesame paste tasted nothing like it.
Looking forward to more delicious recipes!
I had a little garden party yesterday, and I made bang bang chicken as an appetizer, and no one could stop talking about it. No one had ever even heard of this, so there were a lot of questions. “What is this and how do I make it?” “Why does this taste so good?” “No, really, can you send me the recipe right this minute?”
Bonjour Maggie,
Just a simple question ….
I am about to embark on putting this delicious looking recipe together however I noticed in the photo there appears to be quite a lot of sesame seeds in the sauce. Can you advise me as to the quantity used please if that is what they are?
Thank you in advance for your reply and I am so looking forward to scoffing this dish!
Merci
Sharon
Hi Sharon, the reason the picture shows many sesame seeds is because I used a lot of sesame seeds to make the chili oil: https://omnivorescookbook.com/how-to-make-chili-oil/
If you follow my chili oil recipe and use it in the sauce, you should able to get the correct amount 🙂
Fabulous recipe and explanation. Thank you.