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Sichuan Chicken Salad
For the traditional Sichuan dish bang bang ji si, cooked chicken is pounded to shreds so the meat better absorb the flavorful dressing. We got similar results by mashing it with a sturdy wooden spoon in a bowl; make sure the bowl you use is not fragile. We loved the tongue-tingling, piney notes of Sichuan peppercorns in the dressing. Toast them over medium heat until aromatic, about 2 minutes, then grind them to a fine powder with a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.
4
Servings
Tip
Don’t boil the chicken; keep the liquid at a bare simmer so the meat stays moist and tender.
1 hour 20 minutes
20 minutes active
Ingredients
-
2
10-12-ounce bone-in, skin-on split chicken breasts
-
6
scallions, white parts coarsely chopped, green parts thinly sliced on a bias, reserved separately
Directions
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01In a large saucepan, place the chicken skin side down, then add the scallion whites, ginger, garlic and ¾ teaspoons salt. Add 4 cups water and the sherry, if using, fully submerging the chicken. Bring to a boil over medium-high, then cover, reduce to low and cook at a bare simmer until the thickest part of the chicken registers 160°F, 20 to 25 minutes. Uncover the pan and let the chicken cool in the liquid for 15 minutes.
Reviews
August 7, 2026
Always a hit
I've been making this recipe since it came out and everyone always likes it. The cooking method with all the flavorings is tedious, but it works! The only think we noticed right away is that this dish is a LOT of chicken with not much else, so if you don't want people eating monster amounts of just meat you have to mix it with some real food (sorry carnivores). We've done it with shredded lettuce - meh - arugula or other sharper greens - better - and with grains. Quinoa worked for flavor but what a lot of tiny bits, then. My current favorite is chickpeas, slightly mashed so they blend and extend, adding healthier protein, fiber, and more bulk.
Oh, and the addition of a little peanut butter to the dressing is also fab.
January 30, 2025
Delish!
Used 2 bags of Quorn Tenders. Awfully good.
October 28, 2024
Wow
This was delicious. Used shaoxing wine instead of the dry sherry. Didn't add the extra salt since the soy sauce, etc. already have a lot of sodium and still tasted great. Thank you for the splendid recipe, Dawn!
August 19, 2022
Szechuan Chicken Salad
I’ve made this a dozen or so times, revising it constantly. My favorite adds diced red pepper to the salad and a tablespoon of peanut butter to the sauce. I don’t add the cayenne, as the chili sauce provides sufficient heat. I also add a cup or so of chopped iceberg lettuce right before serving, and I add the peanuts at that time as well; if you put them in earlier they lose their crunch.
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This recipe is super delicious. I made it for Sunday family dinner, and everyone loved it. I had leftover Nashville hot chicken chili peanut oil, so I used that in place of the chili oil and sesame oil. The Sichuan peppercorns do not disappoint. Roasting the peppercorns makes them fragrant and full of flavor.