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5.0 from 12 votes

Sichuan Chicken in Red Oil Sauce (口水鸡, Saliva Chicken)

Experience the authentic flavors of Sichuan cuisine with this mouth-watering recipe for saliva chicken. The dish features tender juicy chicken smothered in a rich and spicy sauce that is bursting with umami, just like the one served in China.To make the dish gluten-free, use dry sherry to replace Shaoxing wine, use tamari to replace light soy sauce, and use rice vinegar instead of Chinkiang vinegar.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
45 mins
Servings: 2 to 4 servings
Calories: 290 kcal
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients

Chicken
  • 2 (1 to 1.5 lbs / 450 to 680g) bone-in skin-on chicken legs (*Footnote 1)
  • 1 thumb ginger , sliced
  • 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
Sauce
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons light soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Chinkiang vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Chinese sesame paste (or peanut butter)
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 green onion , white part minced, green part sliced for garnish
  • 2 cloves garlic , grated
  • 1 teaspoon grated ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorn
  • 3 tablespoons juice from cooking the chicken
  • 4 tablespoons Chili oil (3 tablespoons oil + 1 tablespoon chili flake)
  • 2 tablespoons roasted peanuts , chopped

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Prepare a plate large enough to fit the chicken and small enough to fit into your steamer basket. Evenly spread the ginger slices evenly onto the meat side of the chicken. Then place the chicken onto the prepared plate, skin side up. Pour the Shaoxing wine over the chicken and sprinkle evenly with the salt.
  2. Prepare the steamer by heating 2” (5 cm) water in the pot to a boil. Then place the plate with the chicken onto the steamer basket, and place the basket onto the steamer. Steam covered over medium-high heat until the chicken is just cooked through, 30 minutes or so. You can test the doneness by inserting a knife into the thickest part and checking whether the juice runs clear. If it’s clear, the chicken is cooked. Transfer the plate onto your kitchen counter to let the chicken cool off. Reserve the juice from cooking the chicken.
  3. Mix the light soy sauce, Chinkiang vinegar, sesame paste, sesame oil, sugar, white part of the green onion, garlic, ginger and ground Sichuan peppercorn in a medium bowl that you plan to serve the chicken. Mix well until the sesame paste is evenly distributed. Add 3 tablespoons of the broth from cooking the chicken, and 1 tablespoon of the chili flake residue from the chili oil. Stir to mix well.
  4. When the chicken is cooled, transfer the chicken onto a cutting board. Remove the bones using a paring knife, then slice chicken into 1/2” (1-cm) pieces. Transfer chicken into the bowl with the sauce ingredients.
  5. Pour the chili oil over the chicken, and garnish with peanuts and green onion. Serve at room temperature as an appetizer. Stir gently to mix the chicken with the sauce and the chili oil when eating.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1serving Calories 290kcal (15%) Carbohydrates 19.4g (6%) Protein 12g (24%) Fat 19.7g (30%) Saturated Fat 3.2g (16%) Cholesterol 22mg (7%) Sodium 400mg (17%) Potassium 312mg (9%) Fiber 1.5g (6%) Sugar 2g (4%) Calcium 97mg (10%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 2to 4 servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 290

% Daily Value*

Serving 1serving
Calories 290kcal 15%
Carbohydrates 19.4g 6%
Protein 12g 24%
Fat 19.7g 30%
Saturated Fat 3.2g 16%
Cholesterol 22mg 7%
Sodium 400mg 17%
Potassium 312mg 7%
Fiber 1.5g 6%
Sugar 2g 4%
Calcium 97mg 10%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.