Sichuan-Style Hot Chicken Strips

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken tenders
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons Sichuan peppercorn powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 ¼ cups panko bread crumbs
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• vegetable oil for frying

Step 1

Season the chicken tenders with a little salt and pepper. In a small bowl, mix together the Sichuan peppercorn powder, a teaspoon of salt, cayenne, and paprika—set this spicy blend aside for later. Next, get three shallow dishes ready: put the flour in one, whisk the eggs and water together in another, and combine the bread crumbs with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in the last one.

Step 2

Coat each chicken tender by first dredging it in the flour, then dipping it into the egg mixture, and finally pressing it into the bread crumbs until well covered. Lay the coated tenders on a plate while you heat about half an inch of vegetable oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. You want the oil nice and hot—around 375°F—before you start frying.

Step 3

Cook the chicken in batches, turning them occasionally so they brown evenly, about 3 to 4 minutes per batch. Keep an eye on the oil temperature between batches to make sure it stays hot enough. Right after frying each batch, sprinkle the chicken with the Sichuan seasoning mix on both sides to your liking—the more you add, the spicier it gets. Serve hot and enjoy!