Hot Sichuan chicken, a popular dish at a fast-casual chain restaurant, is popular all over the US. There is no sticky sauce, it is cooked crisp, and forks are not needed. Since it’s different, you’ll notice that the flavor lingers on the tip of your tongue. Take pleasure in with a cold Asian beer!
| Prep Time: | 15 mins |
| Cook Time: | 15 mins |
| Total Time: | 30 mins |
| Servings: | 4 |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken tenders
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons Sichuan peppercorn powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 ¼ cups panko bread crumbs
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Sprinkle chicken tenders with salt and pepper.
- Stir together Sichuan peppercorn powder, 1 teaspoon salt, cayenne, and paprika in a small bowl; set aside.
- Pour flour in a shallow bowl. Stir together eggs and water in a second bowl. Mix bread crumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in the third bowl.
- Dredge chicken tenders in flour, shaking off the excess. Dip tenders in the egg mixture, and then in the bread crumb mixture to coat. Place on a plate and set aside.
- Heat about 1/2-inch vegetable oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat until oil has a temperature of 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- Fry chicken tenders in batches, flipping as needed, until they’re golden brown on all sides and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per batch. Check oil temperature in between batches so make sure it’s back up to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) before frying the next batch.
- As soon as each batch is fried, immediately season chicken tenders with Sichuan powder mixture on both sides to suit your taste; the more, the spicier.
- If you can’t find Sichuan powder, you can use Sichuan peppercorns and grind them in a spice blender or use a mortar and pestle. Your cooking time will depend on the thickness of your tenders.
- We have determined the nutritional value of oil for frying based on a retention value of 10% after cooking. Amount will vary depending on cooking time and temperature, ingredient density, and specific type of oil used.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 369 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 40 g |
| Cholesterol | 158 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Protein | 33 g |
| Saturated Fat | 3 g |
| Sodium | 879 mg |
| Sugars | 1 g |
| Fat | 12 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |