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Bang bang chicken

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  • High in protein
  • Seafood free
  • Shellfish free
  • Lactose free
  • Egg free
  • Dairy free

Try our take on traditional bang bang chicken. This easy recipe is full of fresh flavours for the perfect weeknight meal.

  • Serves4
  • Cook time15 minutes
  • Prep time10 minutes, + Cooling time
Bang bang chicken with chilli and soy sauce

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (500ml) salt-reduced chicken stock
  • 5cm-piece ginger, peeled, cut into matchsticks
  • 2 tbs Coles Asia Soy Sauce
  • 2 Coles RSPCA Approved Australian Chicken Breast Fillets
  • 1 tbs tahini
  • 1 tbs Chinese rice wine
  • 1 tbs brown sugar
  • 1 tsp Coles Asia Sesame Oil
  • 1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes
  • 3 spring onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 continental cucumber, peeled into ribbons
  • 1/4 wombok (Chinese cabbage), finely shredded

Check ingredient labels to make sure they meet your specific dietary requirements and always consult a health professional before changing your diet. View dietary information here.

Percentage Daily Intake information on our recipes is calculated using the nutrition reference values for an average Australian adult.

Method

  1. Step 1

    Place the stock, ginger and half the soy sauce in a saucepan over high heat. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Add chicken and simmer for 15 mins or until cooked through. Set aside for 10 mins to cool slightly. Transfer the chicken to a heatproof bowl, reserving 2 tbs of the stock mixture. (Freeze the remaining stock mixture in an ice cube tray to use in curries, stir-fries and soups.) Set aside to cool completely.

  2. Step 2

    Whisk the reserved stock mixture and tahini in a bowl. Add the rice wine, sugar, oil, chilli flakes and the remaining soy sauce. Whisk to combine.

  3. Step 3

    Place the chicken on a clean work surface. Gently pound with a rolling pin to break apart slightly. Use 2 forks to shred the chicken. Place in a large bowl with the spring onion, cucumber and wombok. Gently toss to combine.

  4. Step 4

    Divide the chicken mixture among serving plates. Drizzle with dressing.

    Serve with coarsely chopped toasted peanuts, black sesame seeds, thinly sliced red chilli and spring onion curls

    Add more veg

    For a tasty veggie addition, peel some carrots and slice them into long matchsticks to toss through this salad.

Recipe tip

COOK. STORE. SAVE.
For a tasty veggie addition, peel some carrots and slice them into long matchsticks to toss through this salad.

Bang bang chicken recipe

This easy chicken recipe gets its name from the word ‘bang’, which translates to baton or stick in Chinese, referring to the batons that were traditionally used to hammer the cleaver blades that loosened the chicken fibres for shredding. 

Bang bang chicken is a staple in Chinese cooking and consists of fragrant, gingery shredded chicken, tossed with spring onions, cucumber and wombok, and drizzled with a spicy soy dressing.Ingredients like soy sauce, Chinese rice wine and sesame oil make up the foundations for a great Chinese pantry, so once you have these ingredients on hand, you’ll be able to make plenty of Asian-inspired dishes.

How to make traditional bang bang chicken

The traditional technique of using a baton to loosen the chicken is still used today. In this recipe, simply use a rolling pin to gently pound the poached chicken so it can be easily shredded by two forks.

To make the sauce, whisk together some of the fragrant stock mixture used for the chicken, tahini for creaminess, rice wine, sugar, oil, chilli flakes and soy sauce to create a punchy dressing. This cold dish can be served as a complete meal with steamed rice or noodles. 

Bang bang chicken – an easy weeknight dinner

Dinner doesn’t need to take hours to cook. This simple chicken dinner is ready in under 30 minutes and serves a family of four with ease. Set aside just 10 minutes to prepare and measure your ingredients and let your chicken simmer in fragrant poaching liquid for 15 minutes before bringing the dish together.

While chicken is the hero protein of the dish, you’re free to make substitutions like using firm tofu, pork loin or mince. If you choose to omit chicken, you won’t need to use the banging technique. You can also dial up the spice factor with more chilli flakes or sichuan peppercorns.

Now get cooking

Don’t stop here – get inspired by more Asian recipes that showcase chicken like this chicken and Asian greens stir-fry, sticky sesame chicken with mixed bean fried rice or this sweet and spicy chicken with Asian slaw.

Nutrition Information

Per Serve

Energy: 978kJ/234 Cals (11%)

Protein: 33g (66%)

Fat: 7g (10%)

Sat fat: 1g (4%)

Carb: 8g (3%)

Sugar: 6g (7%)

Fibre: 3g (10%)

Sodium: 1055mg (53%)

FAQs

Bang bang chicken

Bang bang chicken
  • Serves4
  • Cook time15 minutes
  • Prep time10 minutes, + Cooling time
Ingredients
  • 2 cups (500ml) salt-reduced chicken stock
  • 5cm-piece ginger, peeled, cut into matchsticks
  • 2 tbs Coles Asia Soy Sauce
  • 2 Coles RSPCA Approved Australian Chicken Breast Fillets
  • 1 tbs tahini
  • 1 tbs Chinese rice wine
  • 1 tbs brown sugar
  • 1 tsp Coles Asia Sesame Oil
  • 1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes
  • 3 spring onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 continental cucumber, peeled into ribbons
  • 1/4 wombok (Chinese cabbage), finely shredded
    Description

    Try our take on traditional bang bang chicken. This easy recipe is full of fresh flavours for the perfect weeknight meal.

    Method

    1. Step 1

      Place the stock, ginger and half the soy sauce in a saucepan over high heat. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Add chicken and simmer for 15 mins or until cooked through. Set aside for 10 mins to cool slightly. Transfer the chicken to a heatproof bowl, reserving 2 tbs of the stock mixture. (Freeze the remaining stock mixture in an ice cube tray to use in curries, stir-fries and soups.) Set aside to cool completely.

    2. Step 2

      Whisk the reserved stock mixture and tahini in a bowl. Add the rice wine, sugar, oil, chilli flakes and the remaining soy sauce. Whisk to combine.

    3. Step 3

      Place the chicken on a clean work surface. Gently pound with a rolling pin to break apart slightly. Use 2 forks to shred the chicken. Place in a large bowl with the spring onion, cucumber and wombok. Gently toss to combine.

    4. Step 4

      Divide the chicken mixture among serving plates. Drizzle with dressing.

      Serve with coarsely chopped toasted peanuts, black sesame seeds, thinly sliced red chilli and spring onion curls

      Add more veg

      For a tasty veggie addition, peel some carrots and slice them into long matchsticks to toss through this salad.