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Meat, East Asian

Dapanji chicken with potatoes

Dapanji chicken is a big braised dish from Xinjiang, made with chicken thighs, potatoes and green bell peppers, served over wide noodles. For 4 people, it takes 75 minutes and stays easy to make, at a cost of €3.20 per person. The key to getting it right is the caramelized sugar at the start, which gives the sauce its color and depth.

Tonight, the big dish from Xinjiang, dapanji chicken braised with potatoes and bell peppers, served over wide noodles.

Dapanji chicken with potatoes
Total time
1 h 15
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€3.20
Calories per person
750 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Dapanji chicken comes from Xinjiang, a region in western China, and it is a dish that brings everything together in one pot, chicken on the bone for flavor, potatoes that thicken the sauce as they cook in it, green bell peppers for freshness and crunch. Star anise and dried chilies season it without overpowering the rest, and the sauce ends up coating the chicken in a deep brown color thanks to the sugar caramelized at the very start of cooking.

This is a Sunday dish, or something to make on an evening when you have a bit of time, since the pot simmers quietly while you do other things. Kids generally love the noodles and sauce part, and you can adjust the heat by removing the dried chilies before serving. With Mon Chou, you get this generous dish without having to hunt down the recipe elsewhere.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Chicken thighs 1 kg

Fruits and vegetables

  • Potatoes 600 g
  • Green bell peppers 2
  • Onions 2
  • Garlic 4 cloves
  • Fresh ginger 1 piece

Pantry

  • Dried chiliesoften in the pantry 3
  • Star aniseoften in the pantry 2
  • Soy sauceoften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Sugaroften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Oiloften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Wide noodles 320 g

Allergens Gluten, Soy

The step by step recipe

  1. Cut the chicken thighs into pieces with the bone in, the potatoes into large cubes, and the bell peppers and onions into squares.

    Keep the chicken skin on, it melts into the sauce and adds richness.

  2. Caramelize the sugar in the oil, add the chicken and brown it for 5 minutes. 6 min

    The sugar should just turn a hazelnut color, not darken all the way to black.

  3. Add the garlic, ginger, dried chilies, star anise and soy sauce, then cover halfway with water.

    Whole chilies add flavor without too much heat, you can remove them at the end.

  4. Let it simmer covered, add the potatoes after 15 minutes, then the bell peppers for the last 10 minutes. 35 min

    The potatoes thicken the sauce, so don't stir too much or they'll break apart.

  5. Cook the noodles in salted boiling water, drain them, and serve the chicken on top. 8 min

    The noodles soak up the sauce, so serve them just drained to keep them nice and glossy.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick chicken thighs with the skin and bone still on, they give off a lot of flavor into the sauce during the 35 minutes of simmering.
  • Watch the sugar closely while it caramelizes in the oil, it should just turn a hazelnut color before you add the chicken, otherwise the sauce turns bitter.
  • Cut the potatoes into fairly large cubes, they hold their shape better during cooking and thicken the sauce without turning to mush.

The variations

  • Swap the bone-in chicken thighs for boneless ones if you prefer eating without bones, the cooking time stays about the same.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the chicken with fresh shiitake mushrooms and firm tofu, cutting the simmering time down to 20 minutes.
  • For kids or a quicker version, leave out the dried chilies from the start and use just one star anise, the sauce will turn out milder.

What to serve it with

  • Unsweetened Chinese green tea
  • Crunchy cucumber salad
  • Steamed rice alongside the noodles

Storage

Dapanji chicken keeps 2 to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container. You can freeze it without the noodles for up to 2 months, and reheat it gently in a pot with a splash of water. Cook the noodles fresh right before serving so they don't turn mushy.

Questions about this dish

Can you use rice instead of wide noodles?

Yes, steamed rice works well to soak up the sauce, though wide noodles remain the more traditional choice for this Xinjiang dish.

Do you really need to caramelize the sugar before the chicken?

This step gives dapanji its signature brown color and a light sweetness that balances the chili. You can skip it if you're short on time, but the sauce will look paler.

Can you make this dish ahead of time?

Yes, the sauce actually tastes even better reheated the next day, once the flavors have had time to blend. Just cook the noodles fresh right before serving.

How do you tone down the heat for kids?

Remove the whole dried chilies before serving, or use just one in the pot. Star anise and ginger alone add plenty of flavor without making it spicy.

How long does it take to make a dapanji chicken with potatoes?

Count 1 h 15 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a dapanji chicken with potatoes?

About 750 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a dapanji chicken with potatoes cost?

About €3.20 per serving, or €12.80 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, soy. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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