I made this chicken because I wanted to give my homemade duo jiao a chance to do more than accompany another dish. I expected it to be good. I didn’t expect it to become one of the best stir-fries I’d made in a very long time.

Boneless chicken thighs are browned in a hot wok, then tossed with duo jiao, fermented black beans, garlic, ginger, fresh red chilies and scallions. The flavor is intense—tangy, salty, savory and spicy—but the heat doesn’t overwhelm everything else. I was full and still had to make myself put the rest away.

The recipe takes its inspiration from the bold, chile-rich cooking of Hunan, where fresh and fermented chilies often appear together. Duo jiao provides the tangy fermented base, douchi adds earthy depth, and fresh Prik Noi chilies give the dish a clean burst of heat.

Serve it with plenty of steamed rice. You’ll want something on the plate to catch every bit of the sauce.

What Is Duo Jiao?

Duo jiao (剁椒) means chopped chilies, but in Hunan cooking the name generally refers to chilies that have been chopped, salted and fermented. It is best known as the vivid topping on Hunan steamed fish head, but it is equally useful with meat, tofu, eggs and vegetables.

Fermentation softens the raw flavor of the peppers and gives them a tangy, savory character. Depending on the type of chilies and how long they ferment, the color may remain bright red or gradually become more muted and olive-toned.

This is what my homemade duo jiao looked like after fermentation and a night in the refrigerator—less brightly colored, but tangy, aromatic and ready for the wok.

Homemade duo jiao can vary considerably in saltiness, heat and moisture. Commercial versions vary as well, so taste yours before cooking and adjust the other salty ingredients accordingly.

Making Duo Jiao: Hunan Fermented Chopped Chilies-Final Update

Why Fermented Black Beans Work Here

Douchi are black soybeans preserved through salt and fermentation. Their flavor is earthy, concentrated and deeply savory. They don’t melt into the sauce completely; small pieces remain throughout the dish, providing little bursts of fermented flavor.

They are powerful, but they work beautifully with the tanginess of the duo jiao. Because both ingredients contain salt, the chicken marinade uses only a small amount of soy sauce and the finished dish may not need any additional seasoning.

Using Boneless Chicken Thighs

Chinese chicken stir-fries are often made with small pieces of bone-in chicken. The bones contribute flavor, but the dish can be awkward to eat if, like me, you aren’t accustomed to chopped bone-in poultry.

Boneless, skinless thighs are a practical alternative. They stay juicy over high heat, brown more reliably than chicken breast and stand up well to the powerful fermented seasonings. Cut them into generous pieces rather than thin strips so the outside can brown without the interior becoming dry.

Looking for some other Hunan and regional dishes?

Guizhou Spicy Chicken-(Guìzhōu Làzǐ Jī)

Hunan Stir-Fried Shrimp with Chopped Green Chilies (青剁椒虾)

Hunan Pork Belly with Seared Peppers – Xiao Chao Rou

Twice-Cooked Pork: From Joyce Chen’s 1961 Kitchen to Today’s Sichuan Pantry

Sichuan Yu Xiang Eggplant Recipe (Fish-Fragrant Eggplant)

Essential Ingredients for Authentic Chinese and Thai Cooking

And of course, My Favorite Recipes

Ingredients:

1½ lbs Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs, cut into generous 1½-inch pieces

1 Tbsp Shaoxing Wine

1 tsp Light Soy Sauce

¼ tsp Ground White Pepper

3 Tbsp Peanut Oil, Toasted Rapeseed Oil (caizi you), Neutral Cooking Oil

1 Tbsp Fermented Black Beans, briefly rinsed, drained and roughly chopped or mashed.

4 Fresh Red Prik Noi or other Small Hot Chilies, stems removed and chilies halved

1½-inch piece Fresh Ginger, peeled and finely chopped

6 cloves Garlic, roughly chopped

4 Tbsp Duo Jiao, see explanation below.

4 Scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces, white and green sections separated

¼ cup Unsalted Chicken Stock or Water

½ tsp Sugar

Preparation:

Place the chicken in a bowl with the Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce and white pepper. Mix well and let it marinate for 20 minutes while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

Stir-frying moves quickly, so place the fermented black beans, fresh chilies, ginger, garlic, duo jiao, scallion whites, scallion greens, stock and sugar beside the stove before heating the wok.

Heat a wok over high heat until a drop of water evaporates almost immediately. Add the 3 tablespoons of oil and swirl it around the cooking surface.

Add the chicken in a single layer. Let it cook without moving for approximately 2-3 minutes so the first side can brown, then stir-fry until the pieces are well colored but not necessarily cooked completely through. Work in two batches if needed rather than crowding the wok. Transfer the browned chicken to a plate.

Return the wok to medium-high heat and add the ginger and cook for approximately 15 seconds. Add the garlic, fermented black beans and fresh Prik Noi chilies and stir-fry for another 20 to 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Keep everything moving so the garlic and black beans don’t scorch.

Add the duo jiao and stir-fry for approximately 1 minute. Frying the fermented chilies in the oil wakes up their aroma and helps carry their flavor throughout the dish.

Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the wok. Add the scallion whites, chicken stock and sugar. Toss everything together over high heat until the chicken is completely cooked and the liquid has reduced to a glossy coating, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the scallion greens and toss for another 20 to 30 seconds. Taste before adding anything further. The duo jiao, fermented black beans and soy sauce will usually provide all the salt the dish needs.

Transfer the chicken immediately to a serving dish, or serve it directly from the wok with plenty of steamed rice.

A few tips:

Controlling the Heat

Four fresh Prik Noi chilies gave my finished dish a definite kick, but it wasn’t insanely spicy. The heat of fresh chilies can vary, however, so use two if you want a more moderate version or leave them out if your duo jiao is already especially hot.

I’d reduce the fresh chilies before reducing the duo jiao. The full 4 tablespoons provide acidity, aroma and fermented depth as well as heat, and they are central to the character of the dish.

A Note About the Oil

I used caizi you, a deeply aromatic Chinese rapeseed oil traditionally made from roasted seeds. Unlike neutral canola oil, it has a rich, toasted fragrance with a slightly nutty and mustardy edge. It is widely used in the cooking of Hunan, Sichuan and other parts of southwestern China, where it adds flavor as well as providing the cooking fat.

If you can find it, caizi you is my first choice for this dish. Peanut oil or another neutral cooking oil will also work, although the finished stir-fry won’t have quite the same depth of aroma.

Three tablespoons may appear generous for a home stir-fry, but the oil allows the chicken to brown and helps release the flavors of the aromatics, duo jiao and fermented black beans. The finished dish shouldn’t taste greasy; the oil becomes part of the light coating that carries those flavors across every piece of chicken.

What to Serve with Duo Jiao Chicken

Steamed rice is the natural accompaniment. It absorbs the intensely seasoned pan juices and balances the chilies. A simply cooked green vegetable, such as bok choy, Chinese broccoli or green beans, makes a good addition.

Hunan-Style Duo Jiao Chicken with Fermented Black Beans

Boneless chicken thighs are browned in a hot wok, then tossed with duo jiao, fermented black beans, garlic, ginger, fresh red chilies and scallions. The flavor is intense—tangy, salty, savory and spicy—but the heat doesn’t overwhelm everything else.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

• 1½ lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs, cut into generous 1½-inch pieces
• 1 Tbsp Shaoxing Wine
• 1 tsp Light Soy Sauce
• ¼ tsp Ground White Pepper
• 3 Tbsp Peanut Oil Toasted Rapeseed Oil (caizi you), Neutral Cooking Oil
• 1 Tbsp Fermented Black Beans briefly rinsed, drained and roughly chopped or mashed.
• 4 Fresh Red Prik Noi or other Small Hot Chilies stems removed and chilies halved
• 1½- inch piece Fresh Ginger peeled and finely chopped
• 6 cloves Garlic roughly chopped
• 4 Tbsp Duo Jiao see explanation below.
• 4 Scallions cut into 1-inch pieces, white and green sections separated
• ¼ cup Unsalted Chicken Stock or Water
• ½ tsp Sugar

Equipment

• Wok

Method

 

1. Place the chicken in a bowl with the Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce and white pepper. Mix well and let it marinate for 20 minutes while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
2. Stir-frying moves quickly, so place the fermented black beans, fresh chilies, ginger, garlic, duo jiao, scallion whites, scallion greens, stock and sugar beside the stove before heating the wok.
3. Heat a wok over high heat until a drop of water evaporates almost immediately. Add the 3 tablespoons of oil and swirl it around the cooking surface.
4. Add the chicken in a single layer. Let it cook without moving for approximately 2-3 minutes so the first side can brown, then stir-fry until the pieces are well colored but not necessarily cooked completely through. Work in two batches if needed rather than crowding the wok. Transfer the browned chicken to a plate.
5. Return the wok to medium-high heat and add the ginger and cook for approximately 15 seconds. Add the garlic, fermented black beans and fresh Prik Noi chilies and stir-fry for another 20 to 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Keep everything moving so the garlic and black beans don’t scorch.
6. Add the duo jiao and stir-fry for approximately 1 minute. Frying the fermented chilies in the oil wakes up their aroma and helps carry their flavor throughout the dish.
7. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the wok. Add the scallion whites, chicken stock and sugar. Toss everything together over high heat until the chicken is completely cooked and the liquid has reduced to a glossy coating, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
8. Add the scallion greens and toss for another 20 to 30 seconds. Taste before adding anything further. The duo jiao, fermented black beans and soy sauce will usually provide all the salt the dish needs.
9. Transfer the chicken immediately to a serving dish, or serve it directly from the wok with plenty of steamed rice.

Notes

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