Bang-Bang Chicken
Tender shredded chicken and crunchy cucumber covered with bold-flavored spicy peanut sauce, this Bang-Bang Chicken (棒棒鸡) is another 30-minute dish that’s worth trying this summer!
Bang-Bang Chicken(棒棒鸡), the famous Szechuan-style shredded chicken salad dish, is one of my favorite chicken recipes to cook in the summer. The flavorful and tender chicken is the best part, making it hard to put down!
Starting with ingredients, this dish only requires a few, which is shredded chicken breast, Japanese cucumber and home-made spicy peanut sauce.
The spicy peanut sauce can be made easily by combining grated garlic, soy sauce, Chinese vinegar, salt, sugar, peanut butter, sesame oil and chili oil. You can use it for many other dishes as well, it is extremely versatile!
When all the ingredients are in a bowl, all we need is mixing them together until the shredded chicken and cucumber are both evenly covered in the sauce.

Total time needed to make this bang-bang chicken is only 30 minutes. It’s my go-to dish for a stress-free summer meal.
If you haven’t tried this, you should! I guarantee you’ll love it.
If you like this recipe, please leave a rating and share it with your friends!
Bang- Bang Chicken
Author: Spice the Plate
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound), cut into quarters or 2-inch strips
- 1 pot of water enough to cover the chicken with 1-inch of water
- 3-4 slices of ginger
- 2 Japanese cucumbers, shredded
- Sauce:
- 4 cloves garlic, grated
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup Chinese vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ cup peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- ¼ cup chili oil (optional)
- Toping:
- toasted sesame seeds or crushed peanuts
Instructions
- Whisk together garlic, soy sauce, Chinese vinegar, salt, sugar, peanut butter, sesame oil and chili oil in a bowl and set aside.
- Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of a large pot and add in the ginger slices.
- Fill the pot with water enough to cover the chicken with 1-inch of water.
- Bring the water to a soft boil, once boiling, reduce to a simmer and let cook 15-20 minutes (if in quarters) or 10-15 minutes (if is 2-inch strips).
- While the chicken is being boiled, shred two Japanese cucumbers with a grater, transfer into a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- When the center of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F (check with a thermometer), transfer the chicken onto a plate and pull into shreds with hands or two forks.
- Move the shredded chicken into the mixing bowl over the cucumbers and pour the sauce on top.
- Mix well, transfer to a large plate, top with sesame seeds to serve and enjoy!
Notes
1. Cut the breasts into quarters or smaller strips shortens the cooking time and is a good way to ensure the inside breast cooks thoroughly.
2. Japanese cucumber is long, has a thinner skin, mild taste and less seeds, is great for making a salad or a stir fry.
Today, I am going to share the recipe for spicy shredded chicken salad made with steamed chicken breasts. With steam cooking, the chicken loses little to no moisture and could still keep its tenderness and nutritional value. Other ingredients I could think of that’s good to add to this salad di Read more >
This time, I am going to share a healthy and easy-to-make beef with peppers stir-fry recipe. To make sure the beef tastes tender and juicy, I marinated the beef with one tablespoon of vegetable oil, soy sauce and cooking wine as well as half teaspoon of sugar and potato starch for about ten minute Read more >
Today I am sharing with you guys the recipe for a fresh and nutritious salmon rice bowl. I love salmon and this is the first salmon recipe I have shared on Spice the Plate. I am excited! I placed the salmon steak with the skin side down on a non-stick pan and seasoned it with a little bit of salt Read more >
Today I am going to share the recipe of a shrimp salad with quinoa and honey vinaigrette salad dressing on Spice the Plate. The shrimp is a very clean, fresh protein that doesn’t weigh you down in the summer like beef or pork would. Quinoa is not only delicious, but is also a nutrient-packed supe Read more >
Today I am going to share the recipe for a beef with Chinese broccoli stir fry. It’s tasty, easy to make and you can replace Chinese broccoli with a different kind of vegetable such as broccoli, collard greens or kale. I like it because it’s very versatile and I can make this dish for Bryan and Read more >
Today I am going to share a delicious Thai Basil Minced Pork recipe with you guys! Whenever I eat at a Thai restaurant, I almost always end up ordering this dish. I love it because it’s such a simple dish but still full of flavor. I can’t wait to show you how to make this at home. Now let’s Read more >
Sesame noodles originates from northern China cuisine and is loved especially by people living in Beijing. When I studied for my undergraduate degree there, there is a small diner owned by a couple in their 50’s who made the best sesame cold noodles right outside of our university. As a reminder Read more >
Every time we order take-out Chinese food, my boyfriend always gets the teriyaki chicken. Today I decide to make a home-made teriyaki chicken that’s just as good as the take-out order for him! Teriyaki chicken is actually a very easy dish to make. The first step is making the teriyaki sauce. I Read more >
I want to share a super tasty Cilantro Thai Chicken Breast recipe today. I learned how to make this dish from a old college friend who grew up in Yu Nan province, China. (Cooking style in her hometown is very similar to Thai cuisine.) This dish is super easy to make and has a bold flavor. If you Read more >
Taiwanese-Style Three Cup Chicken is without question, my favorite Taiwanese dish. I can finish the entire dish and a large bowl of rice all by myself. The rich flavors and tender bites of chicken are addicting, I can’t stop eating it until it’s gone. I decided to share the recipe of Taiwanese-s Read more >
Stir-fried ramen noodles is my go-to recipe for a quick weekday dinner. Last night, I made a stir-fried ramen with beef for us, and my husband loved it. He enjoyed the flavor and a variety of textures in the dish so much, he cleared his plate when I am only half-way through. In this post, I would li Read more >
This week I am sharing a shredded zucchini salad with sesame dressing recipe. This incredibly easy salad dish takes only five minutes to make. However, the taste won’t let you down. Let’s jump right in! First, we need to cut the zucchini into shreds. One of the easiest ways to shred the zucchini Read more >