A vibrant dish with multiple layers of flavour, mouth-watering chicken is a classic of Sichuan cuisine. It makes a great cold dish for a festive feast.
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What is mouth-watering chicken
Sichuan Mouth-watering Chicken is one of the most popular dishes of Sichuan cuisine. Its Chinese name 口水鸡 (Kou Shui Ji) literally means “Saliva Chicken” which isn’t necessarily an appealing term, but it certainly conveys the appeal of this classic dish.
This delicacy is served as a cold appetiser in typical Chinese multi-dish meals, similar to how Scallion Oil Chicken and Bang Bang Chicken are enjoyed. I particularly like eating it on warm days.
It also makes a great addition to festive feasts, such as Chinese New Year meals. The colour of chilli oil corresponds with the New Year Red. It can be prepared in advance making your festive meal stress-free.
Prepare the chicken in 3 steps
Traditional mouth-watering chicken calls for a whole chicken served chopped with skin and bones. In my recipe, I use chicken legs instead. For the convenience of the diners, I usually remove the bones prior to slicing. Please feel free to alter the recipe based on your own preference. Chicken thighs and chicken wings are good options as they are also tender and tasty cuts of the chicken.
To cook the chicken legs, there are three steps which take approximately the same time (please adjust the length if you use a whole chicken or other cuts). This particular process will help to fully cook the chicken while still retaining its shape (without falling apart).
- Simmer the chicken in water with Shaoxing rice wine, scallions and ginger for 10 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and allow the remaining heat to cook the chicken for a further 10 minutes.
- Cool the chicken in icy water for 10 minutes.
Make the chilli oil from scratch
Looking at the red, vibrant colour of the chilli oil in mouth-watering chicken, I guess you would immediately understand why this classic Sichuan dish is given such a name. When my 9-year-old son first saw this dish and asked its name, he commented: “It does make me drool!”
Not only does chilli oil make this dish appetizing, it also provides the key flavour: hot and super aromatic. I highly recommend that you make the chilli oil from scratch. It’s a versatile condiment that goes with many Chinese dishes. If you are passionate about Sichuan cuisine, it’s essential to have it in your cupboard. Check out my post on “Make your own chilli oil” in which you can find detailed instruction and a tutorial video).
Make a multi-flavoured sauce
Sichuan mouth-watering chicken is more than just a “hot” dish. It has a sophisticated, multi-layered taste: garlicky, gingery, umami (from the fresh chicken stock), savoury (from soy sauce), sour (from Chinese black rice vinegar), sweet, nutty (from peanuts & sesame) and mouth-numbing (from Sichuan pepper).
Sichuan pepper (花椒) is used in powder form in this recipe. However, I suggest you grind whole Sichuan pepper yourself instead of using a shop-bought one. Freshly toasted and ground Sichuan pepper has a much stronger taste and will make a noticeable difference. Please refer to my post on “Sichuan pepper and how to grind it” for instructions.
Other chicken recipes
Chicken is such a versatile ingredient, right? Here are some classic chicken dishes you might like:
📋 Recipe card
Mouth-watering chicken (Kou Shui Ji, 口水鸡)
Ingredients
Group 1
- 3 chicken legs
- 1 stalk scallions - cut in half
- 5 slices ginger
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine
Group 2
- 2 tablespoon raw peanuts/cashew nuts - skinless
Group 3
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 60 ml fresh chicken stock (made with the ingredients from Group 1) - ¼ cup
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon black rice vinegar
- ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt - or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground Sichuan pepper - see note 1
Group 4
- 1 stalk scallions - finely chopped
- 60 ml homemade chilli oil - ¼ cup, see note 2
- Toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
Cook the chicken
- Place all the ingredients from Group 1 into a pot filled with water (enough to immerse the chicken).
- Bring it to a full boil then turn the heat down. Leave to simmer with a lid on for 10 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and keep the chicken in the pot (covered) for a further 10 minutes.
- Then transfer the chicken into a bowl of cold water (ideally with ice cubes). Leave to cool for 10 minutes.
Toast the nuts
- While waiting for the chicken to cook, toast the peanuts/cashew nuts in a cold wok over a low heat until they become lightly brown.
- Leave to cool then crush them into small pieces.
Prepare the sauce
- Combine all the ingredients from group 3 (see note 1).
Assemble the dish
- Carefully remove the bones of the chicken legs. Slice the flesh into 1-2 cm wide strips.
- Pour the sauce into a serving plate. Lay the chicken in.
- Garnish with crushed peanuts/cashew nuts and scallions.
- Pour the chilli oil (see note 2) over and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Video
NOTES
NUTRITION
NUTRITION DISCLOSURE: Nutritional information on this website is provided as a courtesy to readers. It should be considered estimates. Please use your own brand nutritional values or your preferred nutrition calculator to double check against our estimates.
Kia ora Wei. I predared this recipe for the second time this week. Because it is a “cold salad” I prepared it the day before! My guests told me they loved it! As a New Zealand/Pakeha boi I will keep cooking it and work how to dial down the peppery/spiciness!
Nonetheless! Great meal, great instructions, hugely well received by unsuspecting guests!
SteveF
The flavour is even better the next day, right? Glad you and your guest enjoyed it!
Wei. I finally assembled the required ingredients (Shaoxing wine, black rice vinegar, cashews, sichuan pepper) and girded my loins to embark on this recipe. Fiddly but easy because of your clear instructions. The end result was scrumptious but incredibly spicy!
I followed the recipe to the letter! My partner suggested less sichuan pepper!
None-the-less, I will serve “Mouth-watering chicken” for a family gathering tomorrow 🙂
Hi- can I chicken breast for this recipe?
Yes Frank! You may use chicken breast if you wish.
In your soup dumpling recipe, you suggested using the chicken cooked when making the aspic for this recipe. I was wondering how to go about that,
Hi Heather! You can cut (or tear) the cooked chicken into bite-sized pieces and serve with peanuts, seasonings, chili oil, etc. suggested in this recipe. For the “fresh chicken stock”, take out a tbsp of the liquid that you’re making aspic with and mix it with 3 tbsp of water. Hope this helps.
thx for this post. What would you suggest as accompanieing other dishes? pls help ; )
Hi Tom! In China, this dish is usually served as part of a multi-course meal consisting of several savoury dishes (meat, vegetable, soup, etc) with plain rice. You can pair it with vegetarian dishes, such as Eggplant with Garlic Sauce, Iceberg Lettuce with Oyster Sauce, Chinese Cabbage Stir-fry, King Oyster Mushroom with Garlic Sauce, etc. Alternatively, you can use it as a topping for noodles, along with some briefly blanched leafy greens.
Waw !! Thanks Wei , this is extremely helpfull. I want to add it to my x-mas and new year festive menu. Any more suggestions for more meat or fish in the menu would be helpfull as well. Love your website and your tours. Hope to particpate one day. I wrote a few cookbooks my own in South East Asia. “Bangkok street food, cooking and travelling in Thailand”, did the same in Vietnam, Singapore and Tokyo later. You might wanne check it out one day. love and thanks, tom
You’re welcome Tom! If you wish to prepare a festive menu, there are many dishes to choose. Here are a few examples: Lion’s Head Meatballs, Smoked Chicken, Soy Sauce Chicken or Kung Pao Chicken, Beef Shank Appetiser, Black Pepper Beef, Steamed Whole Fish, Sichuan Boiled Fish, Steamed Garlic Prawn… Also, a dumpling dish would be a great addition. Have a look at my recipe index page which includes all my recipes.
BTW, I’ll check out your cookbooks!
thx, you re the best!
Hi
How long would you cook a whole small chicken for please?
Hi Jo! I’d say 30-40 minutes in simmering water then leave in the pot for another 10 minutes. If uncertain, insert a chopstick into the thigh to check. If the juice runs clear, it’s done.
I made this dish for the first time and also made the chili oil and freshly ground sichuan pepper powder and it blew my mind! My family loved it too, what an amazing dish! Thank you for this straightforward and informative recipe, I learned a lot by trying it ^^
Great to know you found my recipe easy to follow. Yes! Make everything from scratch. This is the key to authentic flavour!
I made this tonight and it was excellent! The way you organized the recipe is very simple and easy to follow. Thank you.
My pleasure to share! Glad to know you enjoyed the dish!
Great blog.
What do you do with chilli oil around the chichen, Is it eaten? or reused again for another recipe?
Yes, the chilli oil would be mostly eaten as people like dipping the chicken pieces in the dressing for the best flavour. If you do have some dressing left over, you could use it to season other cold dishes on the same day (For hygiene reasons, don’t keep it long).
This is my favourite dish – every time I go to a Sichuan restaurant I order it. Sadly there isn’t many Sichuan restaurants where I live (Winchester) and it would be brilliant if I could make this at home to satisfy my cravings! Will give this a try this weekend 🙂 Thanks for sharing x
You are welcome! I understand that it’s quite difficult to find authentic Chinese restaurants in England. Have a try and happy cooking!