SichuanMedium 40 min serves 3

Ge Le Shan Lazi Chicken (歌乐山辣子鸡)

Name: Ge Le Shan Lazi Chicken (歌乐山辣子鸡)
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 3 servings
Cuisine: Sichuan
Ingredients: boneless chicken thighs, 2 cm cubes; dried red chilies, whole (snipped); Sichuan peppercorns (red, not green); light soy sauce; Shaoxing wine; cornstarch; garlic cloves, smashed; ginger, sliced; white sesame seeds; neutral oil (for frying)

歌乐山辣子鸡 · gē lè shān là zǐ jī

家庭快手版 · Home version: 源自重庆歌乐山农家，干辣椒堆里找鸡丁是这道菜的乐趣。

Ge Le Shan is a hill in Chongqing famous for its lazi chicken — a dish so loaded with dried chilies and Sichuan peppercorns that finding the crispy chicken inside becomes a game. It's a street food staple and a beer-drinking favorite. This home version uses the same technique but with less oil (shallow-fried instead of deep-fried).

Recipe author: HǎoWèi Test Kitchen

Home-cooking research team

Reviewed by HǎoWèi editorial team · Last updated 2026-08-29

More chicken recipes →Spicy Party & Sharing

Ingredients

boneless chicken thighs, 2 cm cubes鸡腿肉丁🛒 local500 g
dried red chilies, whole (snipped)干辣椒段🏮 asian1.5 cups (about 40 g)
Sichuan peppercorns (red, not green)花椒🏮 asian2 tbsp
light soy sauce生抽🏮 asian1.5 tbsp
Shaoxing wine料酒🏮 asian1 tbsp
cornstarch玉米淀粉🛒 local2 tbsp
garlic cloves, smashed大蒜🛒 local5 cloves
ginger, sliced姜片🛒 local5 slices
white sesame seeds白芝麻🏮 asian1 tbsp
neutral oil (for frying)食用油（炸用）🛒 local1 cup (250 ml)

🌶️ Adjust to your taste

Pick a level and we'll show exactly how much to change — no more "适量".

Spice level

Saltiness

Oiliness

Make it vegetarian

Instructions

1Marinate chicken: mix with soy, Shaoxing, and a pinch of white pepper. Add cornstarch and toss until every cube is coated. Rest 20 minutes.
上浆腌 20 分钟
🔍 Look for 20 分钟 · 20 minutes
Visual: 鸡丁呈哑光，表面裹着薄薄一层淀粉膜Chicken cubes are dull, coated in a thin matte film
You know it's right when: Surface feels slightly tacky, not wet
2Heat oil to 170°C (medium-high). Fry chicken in 2 batches, 4-5 minutes per batch, until golden and crisp. Remove and drain on a rack.
分两批炸至酥脆
🔍 Look for Medium-high 每批 4-5 分钟 · 4-5 minutes per batch
Visual: 油泡剧烈；外壳深金黄、坚硬Oil bubbles vigorously around chicken; crust is deep golden and firm
You know it's right when: Chicken floats and crust sounds crisp when tapped with chopsticks
3Pour out all but 2 tbsp oil. Lower heat to medium. Add Sichuan peppercorns and stir 15 seconds until fragrant.
小火炸花椒
🔍 Look for Medium heat 15 秒 · 15 seconds
Visual: 花椒微微膨胀；油带淡淡柑橘香Peppercorns swell; oil takes on a faint citrusy aroma
You know it's right when: Numbing aroma rises — don't let it burn
4Add dried chilies, garlic, and ginger. Stir-fry 30 seconds until chilies darken to burgundy.
炒香干辣椒
🔍 Look for Medium heat 30 秒 · 30 seconds
Visual: 辣椒变深紫红色；蒜片边缘微金黄Chilies turn deep burgundy; garlic edges just golden
You know it's right when: Toasted chili and garlic aroma is intense
5Return all fried chicken to the wok. Toss on high heat for 1 minute so every piece gets coated in chili-peppercorn oil.
大火裹油
🔍 Look for High heat 1 分钟 · 1 minute
Visual: 每块鸡丁泛红光；辣椒和花椒粒粘在脆壳上Each chicken cube glistens red; chilies and peppercorns stick to the crust
You know it's right when: Crust stays audible crisp — you hear the crunch as you toss
6Off heat, sprinkle sesame seeds and toss once. Serve on a platter — the fun is digging through the chilies to find the chicken.
撒芝麻出锅
🔍 Look for
Visual: 深红辣椒堆里点缀着金黄酥脆鸡丁和白芝麻Mound of dark red chilies studded with golden crispy chicken and white sesame
You know it's right when: Serve immediately — the crust softens within 10 minutes

Tips

· Two frying batches is essential — crowding drops oil temp and makes chicken greasy.
· Snip the chilies open and shake out the seeds for less raw heat; keep them in for more kick.
· This dish is best eaten with your hands — grab a handful of chilies, find the chicken, eat.

Sources & references

Quantities, technique notes, and substitution ratios are cross-checked against established Chinese cookery references and standard food-science sources.

Read our editorial policy
Fuchsia Dunlop, Land of Plenty: A Treasury of Authentic Sichuan Cooking
USDA FoodData Central — ingredient nutrition and portion data
Traditional Chinese family-kitchen practice and regional taste records

Common questions

Can I skip Shaoxing wine? What's the substitute?

Dry sherry is the closest 1:1 swap (fidelity ~80%). No sherry? Use a splash of white wine plus a little water, or just skip it and add a tiny extra pinch of sugar — the wine's job is depth and removing meat's gamey notes, and a good marinade covers most of it.

Source: HǎoWèi substitution engine

It's too spicy. How do I tone it down?

Add a dairy element (a swirl of yogurt, milk, or a spoon of peanut butter) — dairy fat binds the capsaicin. Sugar or honey also helps balance heat. For next time: remove chili seeds (they hold most heat) or halve the dried chilies and add chili oil at the table instead.

Source: HǎoWèi flavor guide

Why do you cook the aromatics (garlic/ginger) first on low heat?

Aromatics contain oils and sugars that turn bitter if scorched. Gentle heat (low-medium) lets garlic and ginger release their fragrance without browning too fast. If the pan is too hot, garlic goes bitter within seconds — that's why we always add aromatics first, before the main ingredients.

Source: Chinese Cooking Demystified technique library

Ingredient swaps

Can't find an Asian-market staple? Use these.

Swap: light soy sauce
→ regular soy sauce
Ratio: 1:1 · Slightly saltier — dial salt back by a pinch.
Swap: Shaoxing wine
→ dry sherry or mirin (less sweet)
Ratio: 1:1 · Both add the same warm fermented depth.

Don't make these mistakes

The traps every home cook hits — and how to avoid them.

✗ Crowding the pan — ingredients steam instead of sear.
✓ Fix: Cook in batches; give each piece room to brown.
✗ Adding sauce too early — the wok cools and flavors dull.
✓ Fix: Push food up the wok wall, add sauce to the hot center, toss fast.