Here’s a look at how to make spicy dry-fried chicken – numbing spicy and crispy, chewy dry-fried chicken with dried chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorn.

Dry-frying is a cooking technique in which the protein or vegetables are cooked in hot oil to drive off the moisture inside them, resulting in a crispy, chewy jerky-like texture.
The outside of the meat or vegetables get dried out and browned (hence “dry frying.)”
The dry-fried foods then get stir-fried with some aromatic ingredients like spices so that the flavours of the spices get transferred.
The resulting dish has strong flavours with a crispy, chewy jerky-like texture.
In this recipe, I use Wingtat Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast available at T&T Supermarket.
Disclosure: Wingtat offered me media samples to try out.
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 40 Sichuan chilli peppers
- 1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorn
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick Green onion chopped finely
- 1 root ginger sliced
Instruction
- Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok or pan on high heat until near smoking.
- Add chicken pieces in and fry to drive off moisture. Cook until golden brown. Set aside.
- Clean the wok or pan. Add 1/2 tablespoon of oil on low heat and then fry the Sichuan chilli peppers peppers for a few minutes until they become dark red. Add Sichuan peppercorns. Set aside.
- Add 1/2 tablespoon of oil in wok or pan again. Cook ginger and green onion until fragrant.
- Return chicken pieces, spices, add salt and cook until fragrances have been absorbed by the chicken.

Servings |
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- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 40 Sichuan chilli peppers
- 1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorn
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick Green onion chopped finely
- 1 root ginger sliced
Ingredients
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- Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok or pan on high heat until near smoking.
- Add chicken pieces in and fry to drive off moisture. Cook until golden brown. Set aside.
- Clean the wok or pan. Add 1/2 tablespoon of oil on low heat and then fry the Sichuan chilli peppers peppers for a few minutes until they become dark red. Add Sichuan peppercorns. Set aside.
- Add 1/2 tablespoon of oil in wok or pan again. Cook ginger and green onion until fragrant.
- Return chicken pieces, spices, add salt and cook until fragrances have been absorbed by the chicken.