Fiery, crispy, and packed with punch — Andrew Wong’s 1000 chilli chicken hits every note: crisp golden chicken, aromatic garlic, chillies that tingle, and a hum of Sichuan pepper that lingers just right. A quick stir-fry full of flavour, perfect alongside a bowl of steamed rice.
Prep: Less than 30 mins
Cook: 10 to 30 mins
Serves: Serves 2
Dietary: —
By Andrew WongFrom Saturday Kitchen Recipes
This bold and fiery chicken dish scores a Nutri-Score of D. It’s deep-fried and spicy – definitely an indulgent treat rather than an everyday meal, but full of vibrant heat and satisfying crunch.
Equipment
Ingredients
For the chicken
- Neutral oil, for coating
- 400g diced chicken thigh
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp Shaoxing rice wine
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1½ tsp potato starch
For the stir-fry
- 400g marinated chicken, coated in potato starch
- 6 slices fresh ginger
- 1 spring onion
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
- 50g dried chillies, cut into 3cm segments
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- Pinch caster sugar
- 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
- Pinch chicken powder
- Pinch white pepper
For the garnish
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 spring onion, chopped
- 1 tsp Sichuan pepper oil
- Steamed rice, to serve
Customise
- Swap chicken for tofu or prawns for a twist
- Try cornflour if you can’t find potato starch.
Method
Stage 1: Marinate and prep (10 minutes)
- Mix the seasoning. Toss chicken pieces with baking soda, salt, rice wine, soy sauce, and potato starch. Let it marinate for 10–15 minutes while you prep everything else.
Stage 2: Fry the chicken (5 minutes)
- Heat the oil. Pour enough oil into the wok to deep-fry lightly and heat it to 180°C. Always handle hot oil with care.
- Fry until golden. Coat the marinated chicken evenly in potato starch and fry in batches for about 5 minutes until crisp and golden outside but still juicy inside. Set aside with a slotted spoon.
Stage 3: Stir-fry and finish (10 minutes)
- Build the aromatics. In the same hot wok, add ginger, Sichuan peppercorns, garlic, and dried chillies. Cook for a few seconds until fragrant — this toasts the spices beautifully.
- Deglaze with rice wine. Pour it in and let it bubble briefly.
- Add the chicken back. Toss through with spring onions, sugar, and a pinch of chicken powder and white pepper. Stir constantly so everything stays crunchy.
- Serve and garnish. Spoon into a serving bowl, sprinkle sesame seeds, chopped spring onions and drizzle with Sichuan pepper oil.
- Enjoy immediately. Serve hot with steamed rice — spicy, crispy perfection!