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Pon Pon Shredded Chicken

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Submitted by kammy

Pon pon shredded chicken, the classic Sichuan cold dish: poached chicken shredded by mallet or hand, served over bean paste strips with a peanut butter, sesame, and chili oil dressing.

YIELD

4 servings

PREP

20 min

COOK

15 min

READY

35 min

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.

Ingredients

Ponpon shredded chicken
3 710
CUPS ML STOCK
or water
3-4
EACH CHICKEN BREAST
cooked, enough to make 1 1/2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
2 2
EACH EACH BEAN PASTE
sheets, or wide carrot or cucumber strips *
Seasoning
2 30
TABLESPOONS ML PEANUT BUTTER
1 5
TEASPOON ML SESAME OIL
½ 2.5
TEASPOON ML SOY SAUCE, LIGHT
½ 2.5
TEASPOON ML HOT CHILI PEPPER OIL *
Sauce
½ 2.5
TEASPOON ML SUGAR
½ 2.5
TEASPOON ML SESAME OIL
¼ 1.3
TEASPOON ML SALT

Directions

Mix well, separately, seasoning and sauce ingredients.

Bring stock (or salted water) to the boil, immerse chicken breasts and turn off flame. Soak until cooled, then shred into strips. Alternatively, for authentic and finer texture, cover breasts with a clean cloth and shred by hitting them with a mallet, hence the name of pon-pon.

Lay bean paste sheets in a suitable flat container, and blanch in hot water for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove and rinse under cold running water. Drain and cut into finger-sized strips and mix with sauce mixture.

Spoon into serving dish, pile shredded chicken on top and pour seasoning mixture over.

* not incl. in nutrient facts Arrow up button

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Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 264g (9.3 oz)
Amount per Serving
Calories 282 45% from fat
 % Daily Value *
Total Fat 14g 22%
Saturated Fat 3g 16%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 60mg 20%
Sodium 548mg 23%
Total Carbohydrate 3g 3%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Sugars g
Protein 57g
Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 1%
Calcium 2% Iron 8%
* based on a 2,000 calorie diet How is this calculated?
Trans-fat Free
 
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