Three Pepper Chicken has become a classic Sichuan dish. It’s made with crispy wok fried chicken, caramelized bits of garlic, and the three peppers are long hot green peppers, Chinese dried chili peppers, and Sichuan peppercorns!
We used to eat it almost exclusively when we dined out at our favorite Sichuan restaurants—that is, until this recipe.
Note:
Judy posted our original version of this recipe on April 25, 2014. We have since updated it to make it more in line with restaurant-style versions. If you’re looking for the older version of the recipe, scroll down to the bottom of the post!
Our Favorite Sichuan Restaurants
We have two favorite Sichuan restaurants in New Jersey—Chengdu 23 in Wayne and China Chalet in Florham Park. Another pricier favorite is Peppercorn Station in Jersey City. In Manhattan and Flushing, we really enjoy Sichuan Mountain House!
We first tried this Spicy Sichuan three pepper chicken when we discovered China Chalet—where else? In a relatively nondescript New Jersey strip mall.
This was before Sichuan food had become more popular in the U.S. thanks to the addictive combination of spicy chili peppers and mouth-numbing Sichuan peppercorns! At the time, it was some of the most authentic Sichuan food we’d ever had.
Watch Us Make It!
The Three peppers in Three Pepper Chicken
Every time we went to that restaurant (and still to this day), we ordered this dish, called “Three Pepper Chicken.” (Not to be confused with another Sichuan dish, Chongqing Chicken, which is crispy fried chicken with just Sichuan peppercorn and lots of dried chili.)
It’s delicious, though not for the faint of heart. It can be pretty spicy! So what are the three peppers in three pepper chicken?
1) Cowhorn or Italian long hot peppers: Two very similar but slightly different varieties, they are elongated peppers that range in color from red to green (though in Three Pepper Chicken, they’re usually green). Eating these is like playing a game of roulette. Sometimes they’re mild, and sometimes they’re at a head-sweating spice level! You’ll find these peppers in Asian markets, and sometimes in supermarkets labeled “Italian sweet chili pepper,” or “Italian long hot pepper.”
2) Dried red chilis – They give off a popcorn-like heavenly aroma, and I can’t resist popping them in my mouth with a bite of rice. For good measure, we add chili oil, which is just dried red chilies infused in sizzling aromatic oil we make at home. Try to find Chinese varieties of dried chili, which are just the right heat level! Erjingtiao (二荆条) and chao tian jiao (朝天椒) chilies are some of the most common Sichuan varieties.
3) Sichuan peppercorns – These come from the prickly ash tree, and they’re actually the husks of the berry from a tree/shrub called prickly ash. They have an intense citrus-y, floral flavor and create a numbing sensation in your mouth. The combination of these numbing peppercorns and spicy chilies is the signature flavor of Sichuan cuisine. These can be a polarizing ingredient, so proceed with caution and reduce the amount you use if you’ve never tried them before!
There’s also the addition of spicy bean paste, la doubanjiang—Chinese red chilies fermented with broadbeans. It’s loaded with umami and salt and adds a delicious kick. It’s definitely worth tracking down as it is one of those ingredients with no real substitute.
What cut of chicken to use
Generally speaking, for spicy stir-fries, we prefer using chicken thighs. They hold up better to frying and they have more fat and flavor. For this Three Pepper Chicken, we shallow-fry small pieces of boneless chicken thigh with the skin on, because it adds a tremendous amount of flavor and crispiness to the dish!
For all of the white meat lovers out there, you can certainly use chicken breast, but it does tend to dry out more than dark meat. At the very least, try to use skin on chicken breast. If the skin falls off in little pieces, just include them, and they will fry up into nice crispy bits which really add flavor to the dish.
How to get the *crispiest* wok fried chicken
I recently learned from a Sichuan chef that to get that crispy chicken, most restaurants deep-fry it until a nice crust forms—without marinating or velveting.
He said there is no need to velvet or marinate because you want that fragrant crispy fried chicken flavor to come out in the dish. The rest of the aromatics, sauce, and spicy oil coat and complement that fried chicken flavor perfectly (like how you might toss Buffalo chicken wings in a mixture of butter and hot sauce). I just loved the way his take on the dish tasted, so I didn’t question him!
While I’m always singing the praises of velveting, this is a notable exception!
If, however, you’d like to use chicken breast instead of thighs, I suggest you follow our directions on velveting chicken to keep it moist.
Three Pepper Chicken Recipe Instructions
First, remove the bones from your chicken thighs, keeping the skin on. (See our post on how to debone chicken thighs, or watch the video below.)
Then cut into 1-inch pieces.
Prepare the remaining ingredients and measure everything out before you start cooking.
How to prepare your three peppers:
Long green hot peppers can be super spicy or mild. It really depends on the batch (or even single pepper) you get. I’ve found that the smaller darker ones tend to be spicier. You can also substitute or mix in other mild peppers like banana or shishito peppers if you want to make the dish milder.
For the Chinese dried chili peppers, remove the seeds to reduce spice, and cut into smaller ½-inch (1.25cm) pieces.
Sichuan peppercorns vary in quality and can sometimes contain the black seeds. What you’re after is just the hollow husk, because the seeds can be bitter and gritty. Most peppercorns sold in stores will have the majority of seeds removed, but depending on quality, you may have to pick through them and remove any straggler seeds.
Heat your wok over high heat until it’s just smoking. Add the neutral oil, and spread it around to coat the wok. Add the chicken and spread it in one layer. Fry for 1-2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-high if needed to prevent burning. Flip the pieces to fry for another 1-2 minutes. Once a crust has formed on both sides, the chicken shouldn’t stick to the wok, and you can agitate them in the oil until they become uniformly crispy. This should take another 4 minutes or so. Transfer the chicken to a plate, leaving any oil and rendered fat in the wok.
With the heat on high, add the long hot green peppers. Cook for 1 minute or until they blister, but still keep their shape and bright color. Transfer them to a plate.
Let the wok cool down slightly over low heat. At this point, remove some oil so you have about 2 tablespoons left in the wok. Add the Sichuan peppercorns and the dried chili peppers. Toast them in the oil for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until fragrant, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
Add the spicy bean paste and ginger, and stir-fry until the oil is bright red. Next, stir in the garlic.
Add the chicken, peppers, salt, sugar, and chili oil (if using). Increase the heat to medium-high. Give everything a stir, and add the Shaoxing wine around the perimeter of the wok. Continue to stir-fry over high heat for 30 seconds and toss in the scallions.
Give everything a final stir, and serve immediately.
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Recipe
Sichuan Spicy Three Pepper Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 pound bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- 2½ tablespoons neutral oil (such as vegetable, canola, or avocado oil)
- 2 long hot green peppers (cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces; leave seeds or remove to reduce heat level)
- 2 teaspoons red Sichuan peppercorns (picked through to remove any black seeds)
- 10 dried Chinese chili peppers (seeded and cut into ½-inch/1.25cm pieces)
- 1 tablespoon spicy bean paste (la doubanjiang)
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped garlic
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon chili oil (with flakes; optional)
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 1 tablespoon chopped scallion
Instructions
- First, remove the bones from your chicken thighs, keeping the skin on. Then cut into 1-inch pieces, keeping the skin on. Prepare the remaining ingredients and measure everything out before you start cooking.
- Heat your wok over high heat until it’s just smoking. Add the neutral oil, and spread it around to coat the wok. Add the chicken and spread it in one layer. Fry for 1-2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-high if needed to prevent burning. Flip the pieces to fry for another 1-2 minutes. Once a crust has formed on both sides, the chicken shouldn’t stick to the wok, and you can agitate them in the oil until they become uniformly crispy. This should take another 4 minutes or so. Transfer the chicken to a plate, leaving any oil and rendered fat in the wok.
- With the heat on high, add the long hot green peppers. Cook for 1 minute or until they are blistered, but still keep their shape and bright color. Transfer them to a plate.
- Let the wok cool down slightly over low heat. At this point, remove some oil so you have about 2 tablespoons left in the wok. Add the Sichuan peppercorns and the dried chili peppers. Toast them in the oil for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until fragrant, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
- Add the spicy bean paste and ginger, and stir-fry until the oil is bright red. Next, stir in the garlic.
- Add the chicken, peppers, salt, sugar, and chili oil (if using). Increase the heat to medium-high. Give everything a stir, and add the Shaoxing wine around the perimeter of the wok.
- Continue to stir-fry over high heat for 30 seconds and toss in the scallions. Give everything a final stir, and serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts
Old Version of the recipe, published April 25, 2014
For the marinade:
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon spicy bean paste
Other ingredients:
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken thighs (cut into bite size pieces)
- 2 1/2 tablespoons oil
- 2 long hot green peppers (de-seeded and cut into 1/2-inch sections)
- 2 long hot red peppers (de-seeded and cut into 1/2-inch sections)
- salt (to taste)
- 5 dried red chili peppers (whole or cut into thirds; cut them if you like your food spicier)
- 1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns
- 2 tablespoons garlic (coarsely chopped)
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
In a medium bowl, stir together all the marinade ingredients. Toss the chicken in the marinade and set aside for 30 minutes.
Heat a tablespoon of oil in your wok over high heat until smoking. Add the long hot peppers and cook for 3-5 minutes, until the peppers are tender but still a little crisp. You want to see some scorch marks on the outside of the peppers. Add a pinch of salt. Remove the peppers from the wok and set aside.
Add another tablespoon of oil to your wok over high heat. Add the chicken to the pan in a single layer. Don’t stir. You want to get a good, crisp sear on the chicken. Brown the chicken until it’s cooked through. Take it out of the wok and set aside.
Let the wok cool down a bit. Now add a ½ tablespoon of oil to the wok over low heat. Add the dried chili peppers, peppercorns, and garlic. Stir for 2 minutes to toast everything together. Turn the heat back to high and add the peppers, chicken, and soy sauce. Stir everything together for a minute and serve!
