The authentic Zaozhuang spicy chicken uses thin-skinned peppers and pre-sexually mature black-legged red roosters as the main ingredients. The roosters are preferably raised in mountains or melon fields, and generally weigh about one and a half kilograms; the peppers must be thin-skinned peppers that are half red and half purple.

Killing chickens is very particular: first, they need to be fried and killed immediately. The butcher holds the wings and neck of the chicken tightly and quickly cuts off all the blood vessels in the neck without damaging the cervical spine. After draining the blood, Wait until the rooster loses the ability to struggle before letting go. Live chickens slaughtered in this way do not lose the energy "adenosine triphosphate" in the body, and the fried chicken tastes good and is highly nutritious. After killing the chicken, scald it with 85-degree hot water for a minute or two to quickly remove the feathers, remove the epithelium on the surface of the chicken skin, and clean it thoroughly before opening it. When opening the chicken, completely remove the pancreas, lungs and lymph nodes in the neck that are hidden in the bone seams, and avoid contact with the chicken at the opening. After that, rinse the chicken cavity with cold water and chop it into moderately sized pieces of meat.

There are four traditional varieties of peppers in Zaozhuang: One is Chaotian pepper, which is pointed and slender, spicy but not fragrant, and is not suitable for stir-frying spicy chicken. The second is sweet peppers. These peppers are large, thick and have high water content, so they are not suitable for stir-frying spicy chicken. The third type, commonly known as "a swarm of bees", has a small body and thin skin, and is spicy but not fierce. The fourth type is called "Big Bell Shell", which is large in body, thin in skin, low in water content, spicy and fragrant. The latter two kinds of peppers are suitable for stir-fried spicy chicken. Select seven-mature purple peppers or nearly mature red peppers, wash them and chop them roughly. Before adding them to the pot, add a small amount of balsamic vinegar, salt and MSG, mix well and set aside.

When it comes to stir-fried spicy chicken, the basic selection of ingredients is important. Seasoning and heat are also important conditions to ensure flavor and nutrition. The seasonings for spicy chicken include soybean oil, ginger, chopped green onion, garlic cloves, coriander, peppercorns, local sauce, balsamic vinegar, cooking wine, etc. The cooking steps are: put an appropriate amount of soybean oil and Sichuan peppercorns in the pot, heat it to a certain temperature, add the earthen sauce made from pancake enzymatic and sun-dried, stir-fry until fragrant, add chicken nuggets and salt. Stir-fry over high heat until it is seven times cooked, add about one tael of vinegar, stir-fry until it is eight times cooked, add sliced ??ginger, chopped green onion, and a little cooking wine. Stir-fry until cooked, add seasoned chili peppers, and when almost cooked, add garlic cloves and coriander. The whole process takes about five minutes.

The spicy chicken fried in this way is bright in color, dry but not burnt, tender and delicious. The combination of chicken and chili has a wonderful taste and makes you sweat profusely after eating. It can provide energy for manual workers without adding weight to those with overnutrition.