Tender shredded chicken and crunchy cucumber covered with bold-flavored spicy peanut sauce, this Bang-Bang Chicken (棒棒鸡) is another 30-minute dish that’s worth trying this summer!
Bang-Bang Chicken(棒棒鸡), the famous Szechuan-style shredded chicken salad dish, is one of my favorite chicken recipes to cook in the summer. The flavorful and tender chicken is the best part, making it hard to put down!
Starting with ingredients, this dish only requires a few, which is shredded chicken breast, Japanese cucumber and home-made spicy peanut sauce.
The spicy peanut sauce can be made easily by combining grated garlic, soy sauce, Chinese vinegar, salt, sugar, peanut butter, sesame oil and chili oil. You can use it for many other dishes as well, it is extremely versatile!
When all the ingredients are in a bowl, all we need is mixing them together until the shredded chicken and cucumber are both evenly covered in the sauce.
Total time needed to make this bang-bang chicken is only 30 minutes. It’s my go-to dish for a stress-free summer meal.
If you haven’t tried this, you should! I guarantee you’ll love it.
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- 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound), cut into quarters or 2-inch strips
- 1 pot of water enough to cover the chicken with 1-inch of water
- 3-4 slices of ginger
- 2 Japanese cucumbers, shredded
- Sauce:
- 4 cloves garlic, grated
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup Chinese vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1/4 cup chili oil (optional)
- Toping:
- toasted sesame seeds or crushed peanuts
- Whisk together garlic, soy sauce, Chinese vinegar, salt, sugar, peanut butter, sesame oil and chili oil in a bowl and set aside.
- Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of a large pot and add in the ginger slices.
- Fill the pot with water enough to cover the chicken with 1-inch of water.
- Bring the water to a soft boil, once boiling, reduce to a simmer and let cook 15-20 minutes (if in quarters) or 10-15 minutes (if is 2-inch strips).
- While the chicken is being boiled, shred two Japanese cucumbers with a grater, transfer into a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- When the center of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F (check with a thermometer), transfer the chicken onto a plate and pull into shreds with hands or two forks.
- Move the shredded chicken into the mixing bowl over the cucumbers and pour the sauce on top.
- Mix well, transfer to a large plate, top with sesame seeds to serve and enjoy!
2. Japanese cucumber is long, has a thinner skin, mild taste and less seeds, is great for making a salad or a stir fry.
Hi Han,
I want to make this dish, but I am wondering if there is a vegetarian substitute for the chicken that would work for this recipe? Thank you in advance!
Hi Rakha,
Absolutely!either baked tofu, Chinese bean curd or eggplant, would work great, let me know if this helps, happy cooking!
Hi Han,
Thanks for the reply! I tried it with eggplant and it tastes outstanding! I steamed the eggplant, but maybe I’ll try another method of cooking it or even tofu or Chinese bean curd as you suggested. The only thing I would change is the amount of saltiness, but that could be due to the eggplant and the amount I had. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
You’re very welcome! I am so happy you like it 🙂