Ma La Crispy Sweet & Sour Chicken 麻辣糖醋鸡

Ingredients

Chicken & Marinade

• 2 lbs / 900g bone-in chicken thighs, chopped into pieces
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing cooking wine (料酒)
• 4 tbsp cornstarch

💚 Chinese Mom Tip: In Sichuan we use bone-in chicken because the meat closest to the bone has the most flavor. If bones make you nervous, boneless chicken thighs work just as well in this recipe. But try the bones — you will taste the difference.

Sweet & Sour Sauce — mix together ahead of time

• 4 tbsp soy sauce (生抽)
• 5 tbsp Chinese black vinegar / Chinkiang (陈醋)
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 5 tbsp water
• 2 tsp cornstarch

Spice — Three Layers of 麻辣

• 2 tsp Sichuan peppercorns (花椒), whole
• 12–15 dried Er Jing Tiao chilies (二荆条)
• 8–10 fresh xiao mi jiao (小米辣), sliced
• 8–10 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2" piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced
• 4–5 green onion stalks, cut into 1" pieces
• 5 tbsp peanuts, roasted unsalted
• 2 tsp white sesame seeds, toasted
• 3–4 cups neutral oil for frying + 2–3 tbsp for wok

Optional

• 1 bag shrimp chips — fry first, serve chicken on top

Directions

1. Cut and marinate the chicken. Chop bone-in thighs into pieces — not too small or the meat dries out. Combine with salt, cooking wine, and cornstarch. Mix with your hands until every piece is coated. Rest 10 minutes.
2. Make the sauce. Combine soy sauce, black vinegar, oyster sauce, sugar, water, and cornstarch in a small bowl. Stir until sugar dissolves completely. Set it right next to the stove — everything moves fast once the wok is hot.
3. Fry the chicken. Heat 3–4 cups oil to 350°F / 175°C. Fry chicken in batches for 5–6 minutes until deep golden all over. Do not crowd the pan. Drain on a rack — not paper towel. Paper towel makes them steam and go soft.
4. Build the wok base. Heat 2–3 tbsp fresh oil in a clean wok over medium-high. Sichuan peppercorns go in first — 30 seconds until fragrant. Then add xiao mi jiao, ginger, and garlic. Stir fry 1–2 minutes until fragrant and edges turn golden.
5. Lower the heat. Add Er Jing Tiao dried chilies. Slow roast stir fry 1–2 minutes — keep them moving at all times. Watch the oil turn red. That color is the fragrance becoming flavor.

6. Add the chicken. Toss the fried chicken pieces into the wok with all the aromatics. Stir and toss to coat everything — the chicken picks up all that flavor first.
7. Pour in the sauce. Pour the pre-mixed sauce over the chicken in the wok. Toss everything together on medium heat until the sauce thickens and turns glossy — about 1–2 minutes. Every piece should be shiny.
8. Finish. Add green onions and peanuts. Final toss. Sesame seeds last.
9. Plate. If using shrimp chips, lay them flat on the serving plate first. Pour the glossy chicken right over the top. Serve immediately so the chips stay crunchy.