Name: Ban-ban Ji - Cold Chicken Salad with Sesame Dressing
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 whole Chicken breast, split in 2; ½ lb Bean sprouts (or iceberg lettuce); 1 large Cucumber, peeled, seeded, and julienned; ½ inch Ginger root, peeled and crushed; 6 whole Sichuan peppercorns,; 2 cloves Garlic, peeled and smashed; 2 stalk Scallion, roughly chopped; 1 tbsp Toasted sesame oil; 2 tsp Toasted sesame seeds; 1 inch Ginger root, minced; ½ tsp Ground Sichuan pepper; 5 cloves Garlic, minced; 5 tbsp Chinese sesame paste (tahini or peanut butter OK); 5 tbsp Red chile oil; 2 tbsp Sugar; 1 tbsp Chinkiang vinegar (or rice vinegar); 2 tbsp Soy sauce; 2 tbsp Toasted sesame oil

Ban-ban Ji – Bang bang chicken is a classic cold Sichuan dish. The “bang-bang” in its name refers to the sound of the chicken meat being pounded with a mallet to tenderize and shred. For those that would rather name it by taste rather than sound, it’s sometimes called “Mysterious Flavor Chicken”. Whatever you call it, this is truly a great dish for showing off the many flavors, textures, and aromas of Sichuan cuisine.

Ban-ban Ji – Cold Chicken Salad with Sesame Dressing

Bang-Bang Chicken is a marvelous example of how Sichuan cuisine blends contrasting flavors to create classic dishes where the whole is greater than its parts. It's a perfect warm weather dish to serve for lunch, as a stand alone appetizer, or part of a bigger meal.

5 from 1 vote

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Course: Appetizer, Brunch, Lunch, Salad, Street Food

Cuisine: Chinese, Sichuan, Western China

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Servings:

Author: My Hungry Traveler

Equipment

Wok
Jar with lid
Instant read thermometer (optional)

Ingredients

1 whole Chicken breast, split in 2
½ lb Bean sprouts (or iceberg lettuce)
1 large Cucumber, peeled, seeded, and julienned
½ inch Ginger root, peeled and crushed
6 whole Sichuan peppercorns,
2 cloves Garlic, peeled and smashed
2 stalk Scallion, roughly chopped
1 tbsp Toasted sesame oil
2 tsp Toasted sesame seeds

Sesame Dressing

1 inch Ginger root, minced
½ tsp Ground Sichuan pepper
5 cloves Garlic, minced
5 tbsp Chinese sesame paste (tahini or peanut butter OK)
5 tbsp Red chile oil
2 tbsp Sugar
1 tbsp Chinkiang vinegar (or rice vinegar)
2 tbsp Soy sauce
2 tbsp Toasted sesame oil

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Prepare Chicken – Boil enough water in a wok to cover chicken. Add chopped scallions, crushed ginger and garlic, and whole peppercorns. Add chicken and simmer until cooked through, about 15 minutes or reaches 150°F (66°C) on an instant read thermometer. When cool enough to handle, remove skin and bones from chicken and shred into thin, long pieces by hand.
Prepare Dressing – In a sealed container or jar, combine minced garlic, ginger, ground sichuan pepper, sesame paste, red oil, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil. Cover container and shake to combine.
Serve – If using bean sprouts, heat 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil in a wok. Stir fry bean sprouts for 3 minutes. If using lettuce, shred first and mix with 1 tbsp sesame oil. Place sprouts or shredded lettuce onto the middle of a serving platter. Fan chicken shreds over sprouts. Rim dish with cucumber sticks. Pour shaken dressing over chicken shreds and garnish with sesame seeds. Serve.

Notes

Any good sesame paste may be used, even peanut butter, but Chinese sesame paste has its own unique flavor that matches perfectly in the dressing.
This dish is also excellent served over cold noodles instead of the bean sprouts or shredded lettuce.