Sichuan Hot Chicken

5 from 3 votes

This crispy, spicy Sichuan Hot Chicken is a fun take on the super popular Nashville Hot Chicken! I fry up the chicken super crispy and toss it in a mouth numbing Sichuan chili oil and spices!

Prep Time6

Cook Time15

Total Time6 15

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Servings:

Author: Chris Joe

Ingredients

Chicken

1 lb chicken drumsticks
2 cups buttermilk
1 cup pickle juice sub 2 tbsp salt
1 tsp white pepper
2 tbsp szechuan peppercorns
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
neutral oil for frying

Sauce

1/4 cup szechuan chili flakes
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp ground szechuan pepper
1 tsp salt
1 cup oil heated

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

OPTIONAL - use a sharp boning knife to French chicken drumsticks.
Brine in buttermilk, pickle juice, white pepper, and Sichuan peppercorns for 6-8 hours (up to 24 hours in the refrigerator).
Add flour, cornstarch, salt, and white pepper to a large bowl and whisk together.
Drizzle a few drops of marinade to create craggily bits.
Dredge chicken in dry mixture and pack well.
Fry at 325°F for 11-12 min or until chicken reaches 165°F. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, mix together chili flakes, brown sugar, ground Sichuan pepper, five spice, and salt. Pour in 1 cup of hot oil and mix well.
Dip or baste chicken with hot oil & enjoy!

Video

Notes

Frenching Chicken Drumsticks - I used chicken drumsticks, as I wanted to 'French' them into chicken lollipops. Frenching is a technique where you cut away the tissues at the bottom of the drumstick to reveal the bone - not only is this a fancier presentation, it also compacts the meat into a lollipop, which makes for a more enjoyable bite! With a sharp knife, I like to make two cuts around the lower part of the drumstick and then push the meat down and trim the remaining cartilage/skin (this part is easier with kitchen scissors, in my opinion).

Nutrition