Big Plate Chicken is a hearty one-pot dish from Xinjiang, China. The chicken is braised until tender, the potatoes are creamy, and the rich, spicy sauce is perfect for soaking up with wide noodles. It’s a complete meal in one dish that’s incredibly satisfying.
🌴 Ingredients:
· 500g chicken thighs (cut into chunks)
· 2 potatoes (cut into chunks)
· 1 green bell pepper (cut into chunks)
· 1 red bell pepper (cut into chunks)
· 1/2 onion (cut into chunks)
· 200g wide noodles (cooked, for serving)
🌴 Aromatics:
· 3 slices of ginger
· 1 stalk of scallion (cut into segments)
· 4-5 cloves of garlic (smashed)
· 3-5 dried red chilies (cut into segments)
· 1 star anise
· 1 small piece of cinnamon stick
· A small pinch of Sichuan peppercorns
🌴 Seasonings:
· 3 tbsp light soy sauce (about 30ml)
· 1 tbsp dark soy sauce (about 10ml, for color)
· 1 tbsp doubanjiang (about 15g, the soul of the dish)
· 1 tbsp sugar (about 15g, to enhance flavor)
· 1 tbsp cooking wine (about 10ml, for marinating)
· Salt, to taste
· Cooking oil, as needed
🌴 Instructions:
- Marinate the Chicken
Cut the chicken thighs into chunks. Add cooking wine and a pinch of salt. Mix well and marinate for 15 minutes. ⚠️ Note: Never skip marinating, or the chicken will be bland inside. - Stir-fry the Aromatics
Heat oil in a pan, add the ginger, scallion, garlic, dried chilies, star anise, cinnamon, and Sichuan peppercorns. Stir-fry over low heat until fragrant. Add the doubanjiang and stir-fry until the oil turns red. ⚠️ Note: Cook the doubanjiang over low heat to prevent burning. I’ve tried high heat, and it turned black, ruining the dish. - Braise the Chicken
Turn to high heat, add the chicken, and stir-fry until it changes color. Add the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and sugar. Stir to coat. Pour in hot water to cover the chicken. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium-low heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. ⚠️ Note: Always use hot water; cold water will toughen the chicken. - Add Potatoes and Simmer
Add the potatoes and simmer for another 10 minutes until tender. Finally, add the green pepper, red pepper, and onion, and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Season with salt to taste. ⚠️ Note: Add the peppers and onion at the end to keep them crisp and colorful. - Serve with Noodles
Place the cooked wide noodles on a plate and top with the chicken. Mix the noodles with the rich sauce before eating. ⚠️ Note: Don’t overcook the noodles; they should be chewy.
💡 More Hearty and Flavorful Chicken Dishes:
If you enjoy this big plate chicken, you should also try my [Braised Chicken Chunks] for another incredibly savory and satisfying dish.
Want to explore more? Check out my full [Main Dishes] category!
💡 Tips:
The key to Big Plate Chicken is “tender chicken, rich sauce, perfect with noodles.” Marinate the chicken, and cook the doubanjiang over low heat for the red oil. Use hot water for braising. Add the peppers and onion at the end. Serve with wide noodles to soak up the sauce.
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