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4.8 from 12 votes

Strange Flavor Chicken (Bang Bang Chicken)

A classic, cold Sichuanese chicken dish with an unusual name. Strange Flavor Chicken (also known as Bang Bang Chicken) targets all of your taste buds with a combination of salty, sweet, sour, nutty, hot, and numbing flavors.

Prep Time
20 mins
Total Time
20 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 364 kcal
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients

  • 8 scallions (green/spring onions), white and light green parts only
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • salt to taste
  • 1 tablespoon light (regular) soy sauce (preferably low-sodium)
  • 1 tablespoon Chinkiang or black Chinese vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons well-blended Chinese sesame paste
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons Chili oil with chili flakes (homemade recipe follows)
  • ½ to 1 teaspoon ground Sichuan pepper
  • 1 pound cooked chicken breast meat, cooled
  • 1 ½ teaspoons toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Cut the scallions into sections and then slice these lengthwise into thin slivers. Put them into a bowl of cold water to refresh.
  2. Whisk the sugar and salt in the soy sauce and vinegar until dissolved. Gradually whisk in the sesame paste to make a smooth sauce. Add the sesame oil, chili oil, and ground Sichuan pepper and mix well. You should yield about ½ cup of strange flavor sauce.
  3. Cut the chicken into slivers about ½ inch wide (if you want to be really authentic, hit it a few times with a rolling pin or wooden dowel to loosen the fibers and then tear the flesh into shreds by hand).
  4. Shortly before serving, drain the scallions and pile them neatly in the center of your serving dish. Lay the chicken slivers on top of them, then pour the prepared sauce over the top. Finally, sprinkle with the sesame seeds and serve immediately.

Notes

  • Try this delicious and flavorful strange flavor sauce tossed with Chinese wheat noodles (or in a pinch boiled spaghetti).
  • You can cook the chicken breast meat yourself by poaching, steaming, or baking. Just be careful not to overcook it as it can dry out easily. I often use the breast meat from store-bought rotisserie chicken to save some time.
  • Adapted from Land of Plenty

Nutrition Information

Calories 364kcal (18%) Carbohydrates 8g (3%) Protein 39g (78%) Fat 20g (31%) Saturated Fat 2g (10%) Polyunsaturated Fat 3g Monounsaturated Fat 5g Cholesterol 96mg (32%) Sodium 275mg (11%) Potassium 327mg (9%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 4g (8%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 364

% Daily Value*

Calories 364kcal 18%
Carbohydrates 8g 3%
Protein 39g 78%
Fat 20g 31%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g 18%
Monounsaturated Fat 5g 25%
Cholesterol 96mg 32%
Sodium 275mg 11%
Potassium 327mg 7%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 4g 8%

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