Szechuan Chicken
Just as delicious as Chinese take-out, but made right at home, this Szechuan Chicken recipe is super easy to make and unbelievably tasty! With tender chunks of crispy chicken and veggies stir-fried to perfection with garlic, ginger, and Sichuan peppercorns, and then coated in a spicy sweet sauce, this dish is bursting with flavor!
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time10 minutes mins
Marinating time10 minutes mins
Total Time30 minutes mins
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: Asian
Keyword: sichuan chicken, szechuan chicken
Servings: 4
Calories: 285kcal
Chicken and Marinade
- 1 pound chicken breast skinless and boneless, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce low sodium
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- ½ cup cornstarch
Stir Fry
- 1 small onion sliced
- 1 small red bell pepper cut in 1 inch cubes
- 1 small green bell pepper cut in 1 inch cubes
- 5 dried red chillies deseeded, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 inch ginger piece thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns roasted and crushed
- Vegetable oil for frying
In a small bowl combine all the sauce ingredients and whisk well. Set aside.
Combine all the chicken and marinade ingredients (cornstarch excluded) together in a bowl. Set aside to marinate for 10 minutes.
Drizzle the cornstarch over the chicken and toss well, making sure each piece is fully coated. Shake off any excess cornstarch.
Heat a wok with about 2 inches of vegetable oil over high heat. Once the oil is hot (325°F) add the chicken and cook until golden and cooked through, should take about 3 to 4 minutes. You will need to do this in a couple batches. Transfer the chicken to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
Discard the oil from the wok and clean. Add another 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to the wok and heat over high heat. Add the onion and cook for 1 minute. Add the bell peppers, dried red chilies, garlic, ginger and Sichuan peppercorns to the wok and sauté for another 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the cooked chicken and pour the sauce mixture over everything. Toss well and stir fry for one more minute. Serve immediately.
- Use the cornstarch. Make sure to dredge the chicken pieces in cornstarch before frying. This is what gives it a crispy texture. You can also use arrowroot flour if you prefer.
- Remove the seeds. You must remove the seeds from the dried red chilis in order to control the level of spice. If you don’t, your dish will be extremely spicy.
- Toast the peppercorns. For the most authentic taste, you need to toast the peppercorns. Doing so helps to bring out the woody flavor that compliments the other ingredients.
- Any protein can be used. Pork, beef, shrimp, and tofu can be used in addition to or in place of the chicken.
- Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer in an airtight container. Then to reheat, you can put it in the microwave for a few minutes or heat it on your stovetop. However, if frozen, you will want to let it first thaw out overnight in the fridge.
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 285kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 1026mg | Potassium: 615mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 719IU | Vitamin C: 42mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg