Hunan chicken is a popular Chinese dish that comes from the Hunan province of China. The flavor profile comes from hot peppers, garlic, and ginger. It’s a stir-fry made with chicken thigh or breast meat, and can contain vegetables like snow peas, bell peppers, carrots, or broccoli.
The dish can be as spicy or mild as you like. The heat comes from the small hot chili peppers. I use dried de arbol peppers because they are readily available and I had them in my pantry. If you can find Hunan chilies, even better. If not, use jalapeño peppers, Thai bird’s eye, or serrano peppers.
Recipe Variations
Stir fry vegetables with the chicken. Use one of the following vegetables or a combination: snow peas, bell pepper strips, sliced zucchini, baby corn, julienned carrots, onions, or broccoli florets.
Make Hunan chicken with shrimp. Add it to the stir-fry last and cook just until opaque and pink.
Instead of rice, toss Hunan chicken with sesame noodles or chili garlic noodles. Or serve it with cauliflower fried rice.
PrintHunan Chicken
Get a taste of China with this spicy Hunan chicken stir-fry!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Chicken, Peppers
- Method: Stir-Fry
- Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon Chinese Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts or thighs (without skin, cut into bite-size pieces)
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- Kosher salt (to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground Sichuan pepper*
- 2 green onions sliced on a diagonal into 1-inch pieces
- 2 to 3 small dry red chile peppers, seeds removed (more or less)
- 3 to 4 tablespoons cooking oil
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons sliced green onions, for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Combine the ginger, wine, and 2 tablespoons of soy sauce in a glass or stainless steel bowl. Add the chicken pieces and marinate for 20 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, combine the chicken broth, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, salt and the Sichuan pepper. Set aside
- Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat. Add the scallion and hot chile peppers, and stir fry for a few minutes. Add the chicken and marinade mixture and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes longer. Add chicken broth mixture and mix well. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook until the chicken pieces are tender. Thighs may take a bit longer.
- Combine the cornstarch with 2 teaspoons of water and mix to make a smooth slurry: add to the chicken mixture and continue cooking until the liquids are thickened.
- Garnish with green onion tops if desired. Serve with hot cooked rice.
Notes
Sichuan peppercorns have a distinctive peppery flavor with citrus notes. To substitute, combine ground 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper with 1/4 teaspoon of ground coriander.
