{"id":16160,"date":"2025-11-07T10:10:55","date_gmt":"2025-11-07T15:10:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/omnivorescookbook.com\/?p=16160"},"modified":"2025-11-07T10:12:33","modified_gmt":"2025-11-07T15:12:33","slug":"da-pan-ji","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/omnivorescookbook.com\/da-pan-ji\/","title":{"rendered":"Da Pan Ji (Big Plate Chicken, \u5927\u76d8\u9e21)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Hearty, spicy, and supremely satisfying, Da Pan Ji (big plate chicken) is the iconic Xinjiang dish that brings together tender chicken, velvety potatoes, and wide noodles in a bold, aromatic sauce. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you\u2019ve ever craved a dish that\u2019s part comforting stew, part noodle wonderland, big plate chicken (\u5927\u76d8\u9e21, Da Pan Ji<\/em>) is the answer. Born along the busy truck routes of northwest China, this hearty one pot meal was created to satisfy hungry drivers and soon became a staple all over the country. It now holds a proud place in my Authentic Chinese noodle recipes collection<\/a> for the way it turns simple ingredients into a generous and deeply satisfying bowl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At its core, big plate chicken features juicy, bite-sized chunks of chicken simmered in a richly spiced sauce with potatoes and peppers, then served over chewy hand-pulled noodles<\/a>. The broth is flavored with bold aromatics like star anise, Sichuan peppercorn, dried chili peppers, and a splash of Shaoxing wine for depth. A dollop of doubanjiang adds just the right amount of heat and umami, while chunks of potato soak up all the savory goodness, creating velvety bites that are as comforting as they are flavorful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ingredients<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The ingredient list for Da Pan Ji looks quite long, but most of it consists of pantry ingredients that you probably already have. Like any braised dish, this one uses a lot of spices and aromatics to create a balanced and complex sauce that is hearty and rich. Once you gather the ingredients, the dish is quite straightforward to make.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Which cut of chicken to use<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In China, restaurants always use a whole chicken and chop it into bone-in, bite-size pieces. The reason is that the bones will make the broth extra flavorful and release gelatin to thicken the sauce naturally. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make the recipe more suitable for a Western kitchen, I used boneless skinless chicken thigh pieces. Because thigh meat is much richer than breast, it pairs well with the rich sauce. It also handles the braising much better, soaking up all the flavor without turning dry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are looking for a more authentic texture and mouthfeel, you can also consider using chicken wings. Or you can even use chopped up thigh and leg pieces (bite-size pieces). I do not recommend using chicken breast since it dries out too fast and it\u2019s not suitable for braising.<\/p>\n\n\n\n