Pon Pon Shredded Chicken

The name tells you the technique. “Pon pon” refers to the mallet used to pound the cooked chicken breast through a cloth, breaking the meat into finely textured strands that absorb dressing far better than knife-cut strips ever could.

This is Bang Bang Chicken, a famous Sichuan street food cold dish. The chicken is poached gently by immersing it in boiling stock or salted water, then the heat is turned off and it soaks until cooled. That method keeps the breast moist and tender without rubbery edges. Once cooled, you either shred by hand or go the traditional route with the mallet.

The two-sauce approach is what makes the dish: a peanut butter, sesame oil, soy, and chili oil seasoning drizzled over, and a lighter sesame-salt sauce mixed into the blanched bean paste sheets (or cucumber strips) underneath. Served cold, it works as an appetizer or a light main.

Chef Tips

• Don’t discard the poaching liquid. That’s flavorful stock you can refrigerate and use in other recipes.
• Blanch the bean paste sheets just 1 to 2 minutes and rinse under cold water immediately to stop them from softening further.
• The mallet method genuinely gives a better texture than hand-shredding. Cover the breast with a clean cloth so the meat doesn’t scatter.