Fried Chicken with Five Spice and Vinegar Glaze

Introduction

A small whole chicken gets poached with Chinese five-spice, ginger, and scallions, coated in a vinegar-sugar syrup, then dried and fried at 350°F until browned. The two-stage cooking keeps the meat seasoned and juicy while the skin firms up, and the Sichuan pepper salt and shrimp chips turn it into a solid weekend dinner for sharing.

Recipe Details

• Prep Time: 1 hour
• Cook Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
• Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes
• Servings: 4

Ingredients

Pepper salt

• 1 Tbsp salt
• 3 Tbsp Sichuan peppercorns (花椒)
• 1 Tbsp ajinomoto seasoning (味の素)

Chicken

• 1 whole chicken (small)
• 2 Tbsp Chinese five-spice powder (五香粉)
• 3 slices of ginger, crushed
• 2 scallions
• Water to poach chicken in

Glaze

• 3 Tbsp vinegar
• ¼ cup sugar

For Frying

• 4 cups oil (or enough for deep fryer)
• Prawn crackers/shrimp chips (not the ready made ones)

Instructions

Pepper salt

1. Put salt and peppercorns in a small pan. Heat on medium to low heat until it barely smokes.
2. Remove from heat.
3. Grind well in mortar and pestle, or with a rolling pin.
4. Add ajinomoto and mix well.

Poaching

1. Clean and rinse off chicken, discarding the giblets.
2. Heat enough water to cover the chicken in a pot until boiling.
3. Put five-spice powder, ginger, and scallions in a cloth and tie it. Add to water, and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Add chicken, reduce heat, and gently poach for 20 minutes.
5. When chicken is done, remove from heat, then pat dry with paper towels and air dry for a little bit.
6. Put vinegar and sugar in saucepan, and heat until dissolved to make a syrup.
7. Coat the entire chicken on the inside and outside with the syrup.
8. Let chicken dry in a breeze until very dry.

Frying

1. Fill deep fryer with oil, and heat oil to 350°F (175°C).
2. Deep fry chicken about 10 minutes per side until brown and done.
3. Remove from oil, and chop with a meat cleaver into 1 x 2-inch pieces.
4. When chicken is done, fry the shrimp chips in deep fryer.
5. Sprinkle shrimp chips with a little salt.
6. Serve chicken adorned with shrimp chips, with pepper salt in a small dish on the side.

Variations

• Change the vinegar in the glaze to rice vinegar for a lighter, cleaner finish, or use Chinese black vinegar for a darker, deeper glaze.
• Use chicken legs or thighs instead of the whole chicken if you want easier portioning; the meat stays juicy and you get more crisp exterior per serving.
• Reduce the Sichuan peppercorns from 3 tablespoons to 2 tablespoons if you want the pepper salt less numbing and more straightforwardly savory.
• Omit the ajinomoto seasoning in the pepper salt if needed; the seasoning mix will taste a little less rounded and less punchy.
• Leave out the prawn crackers/shrimp chips if you want to keep the frying focused on the chicken; you lose the extra crunch on the platter, but the main dish still holds up.

Tips for Success

• Stop heating the salt and peppercorns as soon as they barely smoke; if they darken too much, the pepper salt turns bitter.
• After poaching, pat the chicken very dry before brushing on the syrup, or the glaze will slide off instead of coating evenly.
• Let the glazed chicken dry until the surface feels tacky and dry, not wet; that step helps the skin brown instead of steaming in the fryer.
• Keep the frying oil at 350°F (175°C). If the temperature drops too far, the chicken absorbs oil and the skin softens.
• When chopping the fried chicken, let it rest for a few minutes first so the juices stay in the meat instead of running onto the board.

Storage and Reheating

Store the chopped chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Freeze it in a freezer-safe container or wrapped tightly for up to 1 month, though the skin will lose some crispness.

Store the pepper salt in a sealed jar at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. The shrimp chips are best the day they are fried; if you need to hold them, keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day.

Reheat the chicken in a 375°F oven or air fryer, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes until hot and the exterior firms back up. A microwave will heat it through, but the skin will soften.

FAQ

Do you need to dry the chicken before frying?

Yes. The drying step helps the glaze set, reduces splatter, and gives you a better fried surface.

Can you use chicken pieces instead of a whole chicken?

Yes. Legs, thighs, or wings work well, but they will cook faster in both the poaching and frying steps.

What kind of vinegar works best in the glaze?

A mild rice vinegar keeps the glaze sharp and clean, while a darker Chinese black vinegar gives it more depth. Either will dissolve the sugar and coat the chicken properly.

Can you make the pepper salt ahead of time?

Yes. Grind and mix it up to 2 weeks ahead, then keep it sealed so the peppercorn aroma does not fade.