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Szechuan Chicken Recipe
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5 from 5 votes

Szechuan Chicken Recipe

This Szechuan chicken recipe is quick and easy to make with just the right amount of spice, with seasoned chicken, a variety of chili peppers and homemade Szechuan sauce. Great for an easy weeknight meal.
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time15 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Chinese
Keyword: chicken, chili peppers, recipe, soy sauce, spicy
Servings: 4
Calories: 392kcal
Author: Mike Hultquist

Ingredients

FOR THE SZECHUAN CHICKEN

  • 1 pound chicken breast chopped into bite-sized pieces (you can also use chicken thighs if you'd like)
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup corn starch
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil or use olive oil
  • 1 large bell pepper chopped
  • 2 serrano pepper chopped (optional for extra spicy!)
  • 10 dried chile de arbol peppers optional for extra spicy, or use other dried peppers you love
  • 1 tablespoon Szechuan peppercorns or use black peppercorns
  • 1/4 cup peanuts chopped (plus more for garnish - cashews are great here, too!)

FOR THE SZECHUAN SAUCE

  • 1/4 soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger fresh minced ginger is good too
  • 1 tablespoon honey or more for sweeter
  • 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder fresh minced garlic is good too
  • 1 teaspoon sriracha or more to taste
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • 1-2 tablespoons cornstarch for thickening
  • 1/2 - 1 teaspoon szechuan peppercorns lightly toasted and ground or use black peppercorns instead
  • 1/2 - 1 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice

FOR SERVING

  • Cooked white rice or noodles, spicy chili flakes

Instructions

  • Add the chopped chicken to a large bowl. Add soy sauce, salt and pepper and toss to coat. Marinate for 10 minutes.

FOR THE HOMEMADE SZECHUAN SAUCE

  • While the chicken is marinating, whisk all of the ingredients except the cornstarch together in a small pot.
  • Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes.
  • To thicken the sauce, 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. Remove from heat and set aside.

FOR THE SZECHUAN CHICKEN

  • Heat the oil in a large pan to medium heat.
  • Toss the chicken with 1/2 cup corn starch to coat. Add it to the pan and cook, stirring, 5-6 minutes, or until it is cooked through. Remove the chicken and set it aside.
  • Heat the pan back to medium-high heat and add the peppers. Cook for 5 minutes to soften.
  • Add the chiles de arbol, peppercorns and chopped peanuts and cook another 2 minutes, stirring.
  • Add the chicken back to the pan along with the homemade Szechuan sauce. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
  • Serve with rice or noodles. Garnish with extra chopped peanuts and spicy chili flakes.

Video

Notes

Calories are estimated without rice or noodles for serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 392kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 1240mg | Potassium: 757mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1487IU | Vitamin C: 42mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 3mg