Slow Cooker Bang Bang Chicken Recipe
Transforming your favorite takeout meals into lighter, more nutritious versions is one way to improve your diet without compromising on taste. Tasting Table recipe developer Julianne De Witt shares this slow cooker bang bang chicken recipe, which she describes as similar to the classic Szechuan recipe, although modified for the slow cooker. More modern takeout versions of the dish consist of breaded fried chicken served with mayonnaise sauce. The traditional dish, however, is more likely to take the form of shredded chicken and thin slices of cucumber in a spicy sauce.
This dish is believed to have originated as a street food in the early 1900s, in Sichuan, in the town of Hang Yang Ba. Bang Bang Chicken gets its name from its preparation method, in which a tool called a “bang” is used to tenderize the poached chicken to make it easier to shred. The process also makes it easier to absorb the flavorful sauce, which is usually made from soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili oil, sesame, ginger, garlic and spices.
“I like this recipe because it’s flavorful and much healthier than the breaded and fried version,” says De Witt and notes, “I like to keep the chicken bite-sized, but you can also shred the meat once it’s ready. it’s done cooking if that’s preferable During the long slow cooking time, the chicken will soak up the flavorful sauce, which has just the right amount of spice from the ginger, 5 powder. spices and Sichuan peppercorns If you’re not familiar with Sichuan peppercorns, you’ll immediately notice their numbing properties. For added heat, De Witt suggests serving the meal with a hot sauce like. sriracha.
Read more: 12 different ways to cook chicken
Gather the Ingredients for Slow Cooker Bang Bang Chicken
For this recipe, get some boneless, skinless chicken thighs and some salt. For the sauce, you will need soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili oil, tahini, crushed garlic cloves, grated ginger, whole Sichuan peppercorns and 5 spice powder. To serve, thinly slice a cucumber into sticks, dice the green onions and scoop out the sesame seeds. De Witt suggests serving this slow cooker bang bang chicken with steamed rice and hot sauce.
Step 1: Chop the Chicken
Cut the chicken into small pieces.
Step 2: Place the Chicken in the Slow Cooker
Add the chicken to the slow cooker.
Step 3: Salt the Chicken
Season the chicken with salt.
Step 4: Combine Sauce Ingredients
Prepare the sauce by adding the soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili oil, tahini, garlic, ginger, Sichuan peppercorns and 5 spice powder to a bowl.
Step 5: Whisk the Sauce
Whisk to combine sauce ingredients.
Step 6: Add the Sauce to the Pot
Pour the sauce over the chicken.
Step 7: Cook on High
Cook the slow cooker for 3 hours on high.
Step 8: Stir the Chicken
Stir the chicken twice while cooking.
Step 9: Plate the Cucumber and Chicken
Add the cucumber to a plate. Pour the chicken into the center of the plate and pour some of the remaining sauce from the slow cooker over the chicken.
Step 10: Garnish with Green Onions
Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions.
Step 11: Serve the Bang Bang Chicken
Serve with rice and hot sauce, if desired.
Slow Cooker Bang Bang Chicken Recipe
What are Sichuan peppercorns?
Sichuan peppercorns have a misleading name, as De Witt explains: “They are not real peppercorns but are the dried berries of the prickly ash tree. » Although the shape is similar to black, green, white or pink peppercorns, they are quite distinct. You’ll still taste a hint of pepperiness in the dish, but Sichuan peppercorns are in a league of their own. De Witt describes: “The flavor is an interesting combination of numbing heat accented by floral and citrus notes. » They have a unique and noticeable numbing effect that can cause your lips and palate to tingle, and they may also make you taste the other flavors in the dish a little differently.
In the kitchen, dried berries are a delicious, and arguably necessary, element of Sichuan dishes. De Witt adds: “They are a staple spice in Sichuan cuisine and can be found whole or ground.” In this recipe, she uses whole peppercorns, but you’ll find them ground in most Chinese five-spice powder blends. By using whole peppercorns in bang bang chicken sauce, you add a punch of intense flavor to every bite.
What can I use instead of Sichuan peppercorns?
If you want to add a peppery touch to your dish but can’t get your hands on the real deal, notes De Witt: “While there’s nothing else that can really replicate the flavor of grains of Sichuan pepper, crushed black peppercorns will add a little heat. and depth to your dish. Although the former are not true peppercorns, they still infuse a peppery taste that can be obtained from black peppercorns. Don’t expect the tingling and numbness that comes with the Sichuan variety.
To emphasize the lemony aspects of Sichuan pepper, you can combine crushed black peppercorns with coriander seeds. For an extra punch, add lemon zest and the main flavor elements of Sichuan pepper will be present. Since this recipe calls for whole peppercorns, use lightly crushed whole black peppercorns or coriander seeds rather than ground.
Alternatively, other spices such as Tasmanian pepper with its fruity, tangy bite, Tellicherry peppercorns with their milder citrus notes, or grains of paradise with their more floral aromas, can make a good substitute.
Read the original article on the tasting table.
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