Bang Bang Chicken
What is Bang Bang Chicken? Well, you’ll find out what it is in this authentic recipe!
Also called Bon Bon Chicken, the name “bang bang chicken” comes from the sound the stick or hammer makes when tenderizing the meat.
Hailing from the Sichuan cuisine, this Bang Bang Chicken recipe is a dish made of shredded chicken, julienned cucumber, and a spicy sauce.
In some westernized versions of Bang Bang Chicken, the dish may be deep-fried and covered in mayonnaise rather than the traditional Chinese sauce.
However, in this authentic recipe, it is poached to bring out the unique aroma of the chicken and provide the perfect canvas for the spicy sauce that goes over the top.
In this Bang Bang Chicken recipe, we use chicken breast to make it easier but restaurants tend to use whole chickens for more tender and juicy meat.
Beating the chicken not only tenderizes it but also adds flavour to it. The broth juices that usually leak out are soaked back into the meat.
This Bang Bang Chicken recipe makes a great appetizer or if you double the sauce you can put the whole thing over some noodles! If you enjoy quick and easy dishes like this, try our Smashed Cucumber Salad.
Now let’s get into the recipe.
Bang Bang Chicken Recipe
Servings: 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- ½ lb chicken breast
- 3 slices fresh ginger
- 2 scallions
- ½ seedless cucumber
Sauce
- ½ cup chicken stock (i.e., the cooking water from the chicken)
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 4 tsp Chinese black vinegar
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1½ tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp chilli oil (or to taste)
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 tsp ground Sichuan peppercorn
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions:
- Peel your ginger and cut off three slices. After that, cut one of the scallions into thirds and slice the remaining scallion into thin slices. Save the finely chopped scallion for later.
- First, poach the chicken breasts. Fill a small pot with 2 cups of water, 3 slices of ginger and the scallion cut into thirds. Bring the water to a boil and add in the chicken breast.
- After adding the chicken breasts, bring the water to a boil again before covering. Turn the heat to the lowest setting and let it simmer for 10 to 12 minutes. To check if the chicken breasts are done, remove them from the water and poke the middle with a chopstick. If the juice comes out clear they are fully cooked.
- Transfer the chicken breasts to an ice bath to stop the cooking process and to keep the chicken moist. If you are using the water from poaching the chicken as the chicken stock, set it aside for later.
- Wash the cucumber and pat dry. Julienne the cucumber into long thin strips. If you want more, feel free to cut up the entire cucumber! Spread the cucumber strips into an even layer on a shallow plate.
- Next, using a kitchen mallet or rolling pin, hammer the chicken to flatten the meat and break it into shreds. Feel free to use forks to shred the chicken as well. Layer the shredded chicken on top of the cucumber.
- Time to prepare the sauce! Mix together the chicken stock, light soy sauce, Chinese black vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, chilli oil (or to taste), toasted sesame seeds, ground Sichuan peppercorns, salt and the finely chopped scallions.
- Finish the dish off by pouring the sauce over top of the chicken and cucumber. Finally, remember to toss the chicken and cucumbers to coat them with the sauce before serving. Enjoy!
