Northwest Night Market Spicy Hot Pot Chicken

Recreate the popular Northwest night market spicy hot pot chicken at home, featuring tender chicken, chewy rice cakes, and rich cumin-infused broth.

Ingredients

• 500 g chicken meat
• 30 g coarse chili powder
• 20 g fine chili powder
• 15 g cumin powder
• 5 g Sichuan pepper powder
• 5 g thirteen-spice or five-spice powder
• 15 g white sesame seeds
• 15 g ginger
• 25 g garlic
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp cooking wine
• 1 tbsp starch
• 500 g side dishes such as potatoes and rice cakes
• to taste salt and sugar for seasoning
• 1 small piece hot pot base
• to taste enoki mushrooms and green peppers

Instructions

1. 1Organize and Measure Spices

   

   Organize and set aside all the soul spices: coarse chili powder 30 grams, fine chili powder 20 grams, cumin powder 15 grams, Sichuan pepper powder 5 grams, thirteen-spice or five-spice powder 5 grams, white sesame seeds 15 grams, ginger 15 grams, and garlic 25 grams, suitable for 500 grams of meat and 500 grams of side dishes.

   Tip: Preparing all spices in advance ensures you wont feel flustered later during the cooking process.
2. 2Add Seasonings to Chicken

   

   Add one spoonful of light soy sauce, half a small spoonful of salt, and one spoonful of cooking wine directly into the glass bowl containing the raw chicken pieces.

   Tip: Ensure proper proportions of soy sauce, salt, and cooking wine to build the base flavor for the chicken.
3. 3Massage and Mix Chicken

   

   Directly use a gloved hand to grab and mix the chicken pieces in one direction for a while until the mixture feels a bit sticky, indicating that the flavor has penetrated inside.

   Tip: Mixing in a single direction helps develop stickiness and ensures the seasonings fully absorb into the meat.
4. 4Incorporate Starch Coating

   

   Add one spoonful of starch to the seasoned chicken and mix well. This layer of starch helps lock in the meat juices so the chicken cooks up especially tender, then marinate for at least 20 minutes.

   Tip: Let the chicken marinate for at least 20 minutes after adding the starch.
5. 5Mix Dry Spices Together

   

   Pour chili powder, cumin powder, Sichuan pepper powder, and all other dry spices into a heat-resistant metal container, and thoroughly mix them with chopsticks.

   Tip: Thoroughly mixing the dry spices beforehand prevents uneven heating and scorching when hot oil is added later.
6. 6Heat Cooking Oil

   

   Pour cooking oil into a frying pan and heat it up to the appropriate temperature for preparing the soul seasoning sauce, testing with chopsticks until dense small bubbles emerge.

   Tip: Control the oil temperature carefully; too hot will scorch the spices, while not hot enough will fail to release the fragrance.
7. 7Pour Hot Oil in Batches

   

   Take a heat-resistant bowl containing the mixed chili powder, cumin powder, Sichuan pepper powder, and other dry spices, and pour hot oil over them in two to three batches to slowly release their aroma without scorching.

   Tip: Be sure to thoroughly mix the dry spices with chopsticks before pouring the hot oil to ensure even heating.
8. 8Begin Wok Cooking

   

   Heat the wok, pour in oil, and add the marinated chicken pieces to stir-fry until the surface turns golden and the oil becomes clear, cooking out the moisture and releasing the chickens natural aroma.

   Tip: Ensure the chicken has been marinated for at least 20 minutes with soy sauce, salt, cooking wine, and starch for tenderness.
9. 9Brown the Chicken

   

   Continue stir-frying the chicken pieces in the wok until their surfaces turn golden brown and the moisture has been completely cooked dry.

   Tip: Stir-frying until the chickens own aroma comes out helps it better absorb the flavor of the spices later.
10. 10Aromatics Addition

    

    Add minced garlic and minced ginger into the wok with the chicken, and stir-fry together until fragrant before adding the prepared sauce.

    Tip: Make sure the garlic and ginger are well incorporated to build a strong aromatic base.
11. 11Coat with Chili Sauce

    

    Pour the bowl of prepared soul chili and spice sauce directly into the wok with the chicken, quickly stir-frying until every piece of meat is evenly coated with the sauce.

    Tip: Stir quickly after pouring to ensure the rich sauce coats all the ingredients uniformly.
12. 12Simmer with Water and Sides

    

    Pour hot water into the wok so that it completely covers the chicken, then bring to a boil, season with salt and sugar or a piece of hot pot base, add hard side dishes like potatoes and rice cakes, cover, and simmer on medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes.

    Tip: Always use hot water rather than cold water to maintain the cooking temperature and texture of the meat.

Storage & Reheating

Burn It Off

Frequently Asked Questions