High Protein Sichuan Mouthwatering Chicken

If you’ve ever had Sichuan mouthwatering chicken (口水雞), you’ll know it’s one of those dishes that hits every craving. It’s spicy, savoury, a little numbing, and super satisfying. This version’s got a high protein twist because I’m using chicken breast!

watch how to make this dish

what is high protein sichuan mouthwatering chicken?

If you’ve never heard of mouthwatering chicken, it’s a classic Sichuan dish that’s cold, spicy, numbing, savoury, and just mouthwatering (hence the name)! It’s usually made with poached chicken thighs, drenched in a super flavourful chilli-oil based sauce, and topped with things like crushed peanuts, green onion and coriander.

I actually shared a version of this recipe a long time ago using chicken thigh, which is the traditional cut. But this one’s got a high protein twist — we’re using chicken breast instead. I know people always say breast is dry and boring. But it doesn’t have to be! You just need to know how to cook it properly.

My secret to soft, juicy and super tender chicken breast is to poach the chicken gently. I’m not even really “cooking” it in the traditional sense. Most of the time it’s just sitting in the hot water, soaking up residual heat. That slow, gentle approach lets it cook through while keeping all the juices locked in. No dry chicken here.

why you’ll love this recipe

High protein and super flavourful – You get juicy chicken breast with a spicy, numbing and savoury Sichuan sauce. It’s packed with flavour and protein. Win-win!

Quick and easy – This recipe takes less than 30 minutes to make, with minimal effort. The chicken cooks itself while you mix up the sauce.

Versatile and great for sharing – You can serve it as a main or a cold side dish. It’s super shareable and always a crowd-pleaser.

ingredients

for poaching the chicken:

• 3 chicken breast
• 5 slices ginger
• 2 green onions, chopped in half
• 1 tsp salt

for the mouthwatering sauce:

• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 spring onion, chopped
• 5 tbsp chilli oil
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Chinese black vinegar
• 1/2 tbsp Sichuan peppercorn oil
• 1 tbsp white sugar
• 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• 3 tbsp water

how to make high protein sichuan mouthwatering chicken

1. Fill a large pot with enough water to cover the chicken breast. Add ginger slices, green onions and a pinch of salt, then bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the chicken, cover with a lid, and lower to a gentle simmer (small bubbles, not a rolling boil). Let it simmer for 2–3 minutes.
2. Then turn off the heat but keep the lid closed, and let the chicken sit in the hot water for 15 minutes. The residual heat will gently finish cooking it through.
3. Check doneness by piercing the thickest part with a chopstick — the juices should run clear. Once cooked, remove and let cool slightly, then shred into pieces by hand.
4. In a bowl, mix together minced garlic, chopped green onions, chilli oil, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Chinese black vinegar, white sugar, Sichuan peppercorn oil, sesame seeds and a splash of water.
5. Plate the shredded chicken, pour over the sauce, and enjoy straight away. Or chill in the fridge for 30 minutes and serve cold. Enjoy!

my top tips for making the best sichuan mouthwatering chicken

1) don’t rush the poaching

I know it’s tempting to crank up the heat to make sure it’s cooking, but the magic happens with gentle heat. Let the chicken cook on low simmer for 2–3 minutes, then turn off the heat and let it sit in the hot water with the lid on. To check if it’s done, poke the thickest part with a chopstick or skewer. If the juices run clear, it’s cooked. If you see pink liquid, let it sit a bit longer.

2) balance the sauce

The sauce is the best part! It’s sweet, salty, tangy and slightly numbing from the Sichuan peppercorn oil. But taste as you go and tweak, because you may prefer a little extra sugar or black vinegar!

3) serve it cold

This dish is traditionally served cold. Chilling it in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour helps the flavours soak in and taste even better.

check out more of my favourite cold dishes

• Cold Kimchi Udon
• Sichuan Cold Noodles

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