At the table
Share the chicken and potatoes, checking bone-in pieces as you eat. Broad belt noodles are often added to the remaining sauce. Ask about the heat before ordering; a milder version may be possible.
Contains chicken, often on the bone, and wheat noodles. Chili can be strong. Some versions use soy sauce and oyster sauce; ask about the actual seasoning if you avoid soy, wheat or shellfish.
A Shawan version uses dried chili, Sichuan pepper, ginger, star anise, bay leaf and tsaoko, with oil, salt and rock sugar. Soy sauce, oyster sauce and chicken seasoning may also be added. Scallion and celery appear in some versions. Seasoning and accompanying noodles vary by region.
GET TO KNOW THE DISH
What goes into it?
Explore some key ingredients below. Preparations may use additional seasonings and ingredients.
Cooks outside Xinjiang adapt the heat, seasoning and accompanying noodle style.
Typical ingredients
In some versions
Recipes vary by restaurant.
How does it taste?
Savory and spicy.
- Chili heat
- Texture
- Springy chicken, soft potatoes and chewy noodles.
- How it’s made
- Stir-fry chicken, stew it with potatoes, then briefly stir-fry with fresh green and red peppers.
Cooks outside Xinjiang adapt the heat, seasoning and accompanying noodle style.
A CONNECTION TO PLACE
Origin & regional roots
Associated with Xinjiang.
Ask if they have it first
请问你们有新疆大盘鸡吗？
Do you have this item?
A LITTLE SOMETHING TO READ
Story & history
Big-plate chicken and Xinjiang’s highway stops
In Shawan’s local food history, big-plate chicken spread from roadside restaurants during the freight boom of the 1980s. Long-distance drivers stopped for a hearty plate and carried its reputation along Xinjiang’s highways. The combination reflects several regional food traditions: Sichuan-style chili, potatoes popular in Gansu and broad belt noodles associated with Shaanxi. Cooks elsewhere have adapted the seasoning and noodles to local tastes. At the table, the broad noodles soak up the sauce left by the chicken and potatoes, turning a shared platter into a substantial meal.