Sichuan (Chongqing) dry pepper baked chicken wings 重庆辣子烤鸡翅

Dry pepper chicken (lazi chicken or mala chicken) is a popular dish from Chongqing, Sichuan featuring tender nuggets of fried chicken in aromatic peppers and Sichuan peppercorns. This is my festive appetizer spin on this modern Sichuan classic featuring healthy, easy convection baked chicken wings.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 40

Resting time 10

Total Time 11

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine Chinese

Servings 5

Calories 617 kcal

Equipment

wok or 3qt+ stir fry pan and wok spoon
sheet try and oven-safe cooling/baking rack
convection toaster oven, convection oven, or air fryer

Ingredients

3 lb chicken wings "party wings" 鸡小翅，3斤

Marinade 腌料

1½ tsp dark soy sauce 老抽酱油，7克
1 Tbsp light soy sauce 生抽酱油，15克
1⅓ Tbsp Shaoxing cooking wine (1 Tbsp + 1 tsp) 绍兴花雕酒，20克
½ tsp corn starch 玉米淀粉，3克
½ tsp kosher salt 食用盐，3克
1 tsp ground white pepper 白胡椒粉，2克
2 tsp baking powder 泡打粉，8克

Seasoning 香料

2 Tbsp cooking oil like canola, avocado, or vegetable oil 菜籽油或玉米油，30克
½ tsp Pixian douban (chili broad bean paste) 郫县豆瓣酱，½茶勺
15 Xiaomila (millet) pepper 干小米辣椒，15颗
25 dried red chili 干红辣椒，25颗
2 handfuls dried red bell peppers or other fruity, mild pepper 干灯笼椒，1碗
5 slices ginger root 生姜，5片
2 cloves garlic sliced 大蒜，2颗切片
½ tsp Chinese black (Chinkiang) vinegar 镇江香醋，3克
¼ tsp granulated sugar 白糖，1克
½ tsp sesame oil 麻油，3克

Garnish 点睛之笔

1½ tsp chili oil optional 辣椒油，5-10克（可免）
3 scallions 葱花，3根
1 small bunch cilantro chopped (optional) 香菜，一小把切碎
2 tsp toasted sesame seeds 熟芝麻，适量

Instructions

Marinate

Pat the chicken wings dry with a paper towel.
用厨房纸将小鸡翅多余水分查干。
Add the dried chicken wings and all marinade ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Toss well to combine so all the marinade is fully absorbed.
将鸡翅和所有的腌料抓匀。在此要搅拌至所有水分被鸡翅吸收。
Let the chicken wings marinate over night in the refrigerator (10-24 hours).
将鸡翅在冰箱冷却，腌制10至24小时。

Cook

Preheat the convection oven to 375°F = 190°C. Toss the wings again so that any liquid reabsorbs. Lay out the wings on the baking rack over a rimmed baking sheet, making sure there's space in between for air flow. Bake on the convection setting for 20 minutes.
对流式烤箱预热至190°。再次将鸡翅抓匀。把凉架（baking rack) 放在烤盘，把鸡翅摆在凉架上。注意鸡翅之间要留充分空间让蒸汽散发。鸡翅放入烤箱，烤20分钟
Remove the wings from the oven and reduce the temperature to 350°F = 175°C. Flip the wings over on the baking rack and return to the oven for an additional 15 minutes.
烤盘取出，把烤箱温度降至175°。将鸡翅在凉架上反面，再考15分钟。
While the wings are baking, soak the 3 types of peppers in warm water for 10 minutes. Drain and cut the peppers into ~½“ = 1cm segments. Remove the baked wings from the oven and set aside.
3种辣椒拿温水泡发10分钟，以免过油时烧焦。泡发后剪成1厘米小段。
To prepare the seasoning, heat a wok over medium-low heat and add the cooking oil. Add the pixian broad bean paste. Cook, stirring frequently, until the chili oil is rendered and the oil in the pan is red.
油锅烧至4成热，加入郫县豆瓣酱，炒出红油。
Add the ginger, scallion whites, Sichuan pepercorns, and peppers, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Saute until aromatic.
火候保持中小火，加入干辣椒段，青红花椒，姜片，葱白。不停翻炒，煸香。
Turn the heat up to medium-high. Add in the chicken wings and sliced garlic, tossing continuously until the wings are fully coated ~30 seconds). Turn the heat back down to medium-low. Add the Chinkiang vinegar down the side of the wok, and sprinkle sugar and sesame oil on top. Toss to combine, then turn off the heat.
转大火，加入烤好的鸡翅和蒜片，翻炒均匀（约30秒）。转小火，加入白糖和麻油。香醋从锅边淋入，翻炒均匀即可关火。
Garnish with scallions and/or cilantro, chili oil (optional), and sesame seeds.
装盘，淋上少许辣椒油。撒上葱花，香菜，和熟芝麻。

Notes

If you're considering getting an air fryer, I highly recommend getting a countertop convection toaster oven instead. It's more versatile with a higher capacity, and the results are the same. My convection toaster oven brand of choice is Cuisinart.

Baking powder reduces the pH of the chicken wings, which decreases the temperature of the Maillard reaction. The convection setting in the oven keeps the air moving, which also helps with browning and a more even cook.

Using a blend of different peppers increases the complexity of the pepper flavor. It's the hallmark of a great dry pepper chicken. To tone down the spice level, swap out some of the spicy peppers (xiaomila or dried red peppers) for mild dried bell peppers. The easiest way to chop up the peppers is with a pair of scissors or kitchen shears.

The Pixian broad bean chili paste (douban) makes the dish an appealing red color and adds a warm umami to the chicken. Pick a high quality broad bean paste for the best results, lesser versions are overwhelmingly salty. Green Sichuan peppercorns are slightly fruitier and more tingly (麻 má) than ordinary red Sichuan peppercorns. If you don't have them, swap the green Sichuan peppercorns for red.

Keyword Sichuan