Description
Szechuan Chicken is a spicy and flavorful Chinese stir-fry dish featuring tender chicken pieces cooked with crunchy bell peppers, onions, and a bold sauce made from soy sauce, hoisin, chili paste, and Szechuan peppercorns. Perfectly balanced with a hint of sweetness and heat, this dish brings authentic Szechuan flavors to your dinner table and pairs wonderfully with steamed rice or noodles.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
Vegetables & Aromatics
- 6 to 8 dried red chilies
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced
- 1 small onion, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
Sauce
- 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon chili paste or Szechuan chili sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed Szechuan peppercorns (or black pepper)
Garnish
- 2 green onions, chopped
- Sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken: In a bowl, toss the chicken pieces with cornstarch until well coated. This coating helps create a crispy texture when cooked.
- Cook the Chicken: Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
- Stir-fry Aromatics: In the same skillet, add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Add the dried red chilies and stir-fry for about 30 seconds until fragrant, being careful not to burn them.
- Cook Vegetables: Add the sliced red and green bell peppers and onion to the skillet. Stir-fry for about 3 minutes until the vegetables are crisp-tender but still vibrant.
- Add Garlic and Ginger: Stir in the minced garlic and grated ginger, cooking for an additional 1 minute until aromatic.
- Make the Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, chili paste, brown sugar, chicken broth, sesame oil, and crushed Szechuan peppercorns until combined.
- Combine and Simmer: Pour the sauce into the skillet with the vegetables and bring to a gentle simmer. Return the cooked chicken to the skillet and toss everything together to coat the chicken in the sauce.
- Thicken the Sauce: Continue cooking for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened and coats the chicken and vegetables beautifully.
- Garnish and Serve: Remove from heat, sprinkle with chopped green onions and sesame seeds, and serve hot with steamed rice or noodles for a complete meal.
Notes
- Adjust the level of spiciness by adding more or fewer dried red chilies according to your preference.
- For a lighter sauce, you can substitute part of the soy sauce with water or reduce the brown sugar slightly.
- This recipe adapts well to substitutions such as shrimp or tofu if you want an alternative to chicken.
- Ensure not to overcook the vegetables to maintain their crisp texture.
- Use fresh Szechuan peppercorns for authentic flavor; if unavailable, black pepper can be used as a substitute.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stir-Fry
- Cuisine: Chinese, Szechuan
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 410
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 1060 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 23 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg
