This homemade szechuan sauce recipe is the perfect combination of sweet and spicy, and so easy to make. It's perfect for quick dinners, stir fries, noodle dishes, sprucing up vegetables, marinating meats and so much more. Cooks in 5 minutes!
Szechuan Sauce Recipe
We're following chili peppers around the world and visiting China today, my friends. The Sichuan province, to be exact, home of an iconic sauce you've most likely heard of - Szechuan Sauce.
What is Szechuan Sauce?
Szechuan sauce (or Sichuan sauce, after the Sichuan province in China), is a flavorful and complex condiment from the Sichuan province of southwest China, known for its sweet and spicy combination.
It is a foundation of Szechuan cuisine, which is filled with bold flavors, lot of spices, particularly Szechuan peppercorns and chili peppers, making it perfect for spicy food lovers.
Szechuan sauce itself isn't overly spicy, though you can easily spice things up with hotter chili flakes and powders to your liking.
This sauce is incredibly versatile and super easy to make, which I love, a perfect stir fry sauce, sauce for noodles, a marinade, or dipping sauce with sweet and savory flavors.
Homemade is so much better than anything you'll get at the store or in tiny sauce packets.
Let's talk about how to make szechuan sauce, shall we?
Szechuan Sauce Ingredients
- Soy Sauce.
- Rice Vinegar.
- Sesame Oil.
- Ground Ginger. Fresh ginger is good, too.
- Honey. Or more for sweeter - you can also use brown sugar, sugar, or maple syrup.
- Chili Garlic Sauce.
- Garlic Powder. Fresh garlic is good, too.
- Sriracha. Or more to taste - you can use other hot sauces.
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes. For a hot and spicy version.
- Chicken Stock.
Optional Ingredients
- Cornstarch. Optional, for thickening.
- Szechuan Peppercorns. Lightly toasted and ground (or use black peppercorns instead).
- Chinese 5 Spice.
How to Make Szechuan Sauce - the Recipe Method
Whisk all of the ingredients except the cornstarch together in a small pot. You can blend them in a food processor or blender if you'd like.
Bring the pot to a boil, then simmer a few minutes to meld the ingredients.
You can thicken the Szechuan sauce with cornstarch, if desired, then use as you'd like!
Boom! Done! Your sweet and spicy Szechuan sauce is ready to serve! Easy recipe, isn't it? I love easy. So simple to whip this sauce together last minute for quick and easy meals. So good.
Recipe Tips & Notes
Szechuan peppercorns (aka Sichuan peppercorns) and Szechuan pepper have a unique flavor described as lemony or perfumy, though they are most known for their tongue-numbing sensation. Black peppercorns can be used instead, though they are quite different.
McDonald's Szechuan Sauce. A bit of history to this, and a funny story worth mentioning - McDonald's introduced their version of this iconic sauce to promote the movie Mulan in 1998, then promptly dropped it from its menu, despite being a huge hit.
People clamored for the stuff. It was brought back briefly after being mentioned on the series "Rick and Morty" in 2017, though in limited quantities, prompting offers of thousands of dollars for a single sauce packet.
I guess people love their Szechuan sauce!
Uses for Szechuan Sauce
Szechuan sauce is perfect for stir fry dishes, though it is also wonderful as a marinade or a dipping sauce. Some great dishes include:
That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy my Szechuan sauce recipe. So many great ways to enjoy it! Let me know if you make it. I'd love to hear how it turned out for you. Keep it spicy! Szechuan sauce is gluten free, by the way.
Storage & Leftovers
Store your Szechuan Sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1-2 weeks. To maximize the storage life, make sure to refrigerate the sauce promptly.
Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes
Try Some of My Other Popular Sauce Recipes
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Szechuan Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar or honey
- 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon ground ginger fresh minced ginger is good, too
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder fresh minced garlic is good, too
- 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon szechuan peppercorns lightly toasted and ground
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1-2 tablespoons cornstarch optional, for thickening
- 1/2 - 1 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice
- 1 teaspoon sriracha or more to taste
Instructions
- Whisk all of the ingredients except the cornstarch (if using) together in a small pot. You can blend them in a food processor or blender if you'd like.
- Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes.
- If you'd like to thicken it, dissolve 1 tablespoon cornstarch in 2 tablespoons of water until well mixed. Stir it into the szechuan sauce and stir until it thickens up, 2-3 minutes. For thicker szechuan sauce, use 2 tablespoons cornstarch.
- Cool and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
NOTE: This recipe was updated on 4/3/2024 to include new information and video. It was originally published on 5/6/2020.
David says
Hey again, Mike, I'm ready for another season of growing my hot peppers and wanted to know, if I could this hotter with peppers? Because I was thinking of making a hot sauce out of this with Habaneros. So if I followed this recipe and did this in a blender, would this be a viable option for that hot and numbing spice I'm looking for? Also needed to know if I could up Szechuan Peppercorns to 1 tablespoon for more of that numbing zing. Because I will be putting this up in small 4 oz. jelly jars.
Mike Hultquist says
David, absolutely, you can use hotter peppers for this. And yes, you can add more peppercorns. You may want to taste and adjust a few times to get it exactly where you want it. Enjoy.
John says
You have not mentioned the quantities of each ingredient.
Mike Hultquist says
John, there is a recipe card at the bottom of the post with the exact ingredients and measurements. Let me know if you don't see it.
Anton Zab says
love it, made it a good few times now with prawn, some veg and noodles, hits the spot, thanks
Shelley Sonnenberg says
So tasty! Another winning recipe Mike!
Mike H. says
I really appreciate it, Shelley!
Curt says
Hi, Mike
Made a double batch of this Sauce.
We had it, with Vietnamese Bao Buns.
My Vietnamese friends made the buns from scratch and added what they would from their native land.
OUTSTANDING!
They really liked the dipping sauce..
Thanks, Mike
Mike Hultquist says
Boom! I love that, Curt! Thanks for sharing! I appreciate it.
Dave says
Definitely a 5* recipe. Great flavor, just a little too salty. I used Pearl River Superior Light Soy Sauce. Next time I will used a low sodium sauce. I did use the Chinese 5 Spice, but no cornstarch, no sriracha, and no chicken stock. Will try it with raw (unfiltered) honey next time.
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Dave. Yes, the soy sauce used can really affect the salt content. Best to use one you prefer. Glad you enjoyed it!
David says
OMG! Sauce was outstanding. Used with beef first, outstanding, and like yourself, I make a little more hot. Have reapers growing now. I’m in Myrtle Beach, and use with shrimp and chicken are next. Thanks!
Mike Hultquist says
Great! Thanks, David! Versatile for sure! Glad you're enjoying it! I need to get over to Myrtle Beach soon.
David says
I did the Szechuan sauce and beef recipe . OMG, out of this world! Loved it!!!
Mike Hultquist says
Nice! Glad you enjoyed it, David!!
Ramya says
Cant wait to make this soon for me i never had szechuan sauce before perfect for snacks love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Ramya. Enjoy!