Szechuan Chicken

Szechuan Chicken is a easy and delicious Asian Chicken Recipe for Dinner. This Authentic Chinese recipe is basically just a simple stir fry where crispy Egg and Cornstarch coated Chicken pieces are stir fried with a variety of colorful veggies and tossed with a spicy Szechuan Sauce.

This is really easy to make and is a perfect weeknight dinner recipe when paired with rice noodles or boiled noodles or jasmine rice or Thai Coconut Rice.

There is something so amazing about making takeout recipes at home. I just love cooking Asian recipes for dinner. Have you tried my other favoruite Asian recipes:

• General Tso's Chicken
• Hunan Chicken
• Sweet and Sour Chicken
• Grilled Teriyaki Chicken
• Sesame Chicken (Like a Chinese Restaurant)
• Kung Pao Chicken
• Firecracker Chicken
• Ginger Soy Chicken
• 10-minute Honey Garlic Chicken

Szechuan Chicken is one of my favourite Chinese recipes. Its super easy to make and is just bursting with amazing flavors.

What you'll Love about Szechuan Chicken?

• This recipe for Szechuan Chicken is super easy. And its made with basic pantry ingredients which you will have at home at all times
• Szechuan Chicken is not too spicy nor is it too sweet. Unlike other Asian recipes, this one has just the sensation of heat and is not too spicy
• This recipe for Szechuan Chicken, gets done in just 15 minutes from scratch, which means before your takeout food comes home, you can easily make this one and enjoy it with rice or noodles.

What is Szechuan Chicken?

Szechuan Chicken is an authentic Chinese recipe which originated in Sichuan Region of China. Since this dish is locally made so the name Szechuan Chicken. Also, since this recipe uses authentic Sichuan Peppercorns and Dried Red Chilis, it's called Szechuan Chicken or Schezwan Chicken.

Other Chinese recipes to try

• Keto Chinese Lemon Chicken
• Chinese Chilli Chicken Recipe - Asian Chilli Chicken
• Sesame Chicken (Like a Chinese Restaurant)
• Chinese Broccoli Tofu Stir Fry
• Mongolian Chicken
• Orange Chicken

Is Szechuan Chicken Spicy?

Yes. It's definitely a bit spicy. While its not as mouth numbingly spicy as Hunan Chicken, this one is made using dried peppers so the heat is more like a general sensation of spiciness and not exactly too spicy.

Is Szechuan Chicken spicier than General Tso's Chicken?

Yes. General Tso's Chicken is rather sweet and not at all spicy. Szechuan Chicken is definetly spicier

Is Szechuan Chicken spicier than Hunan Chicken?

No. Hunan Chicken is spicer. Hunan Chicken uses Sambal Olek which is fresh Chili Paste and hence its even spicier.

Jump to:

• What you'll Love about Szechuan Chicken?
• What is Szechuan Chicken?
• Is Szechuan Chicken Spicy?
• Is Szechuan Chicken spicier than General Tso's Chicken?
• Is Szechuan Chicken spicier than Hunan Chicken?
• Ingredients
• Instructions on making Szechuan Chicken
• Substitutions
• Cooking Variations
• Storage
• Top tips to make the Best Szechuan Chicken
• Serving Sides
• Szechuan Chicken

Ingredients

• Chicken - Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast or Thigh pieces, chopped into 1-inch cubes
• Eggs - to coat the Chicken
• Cornstarch - to coat the Chicken
• Salt & Pepper - to coat the Chicken
• Olive Oil - To fry the Chicken until crispy
• Szechuan Sauce - homemade or store bought
• Ketchup - for flavors and sweetness
• Soy Sauce - Light Soy Sauce for flavors
• Rice Wine Vinegar - to balance out the heat
• Sichuan Peppercorns - authentically required in the recipe. you can skip it if you cannot find it
• Dried Red Chilis - just 3-4 dried red chilis, required to toss with veggies.
• Bell Peppers - Diced, Preferably of all three colors or as many you can find
• Red Onions - Diced
• Garlic - minced Garlic or Asian Garlic Paste (easily available in spice section of Asian stores)

See recipe card for quantities. Also, watch the video for a quick visual.

Instructions on making Szechuan Chicken

STEP 1: FRY THE CHICKEN

• Combine Chicken with Eggs, Cornstarch, Salt and Pepper
• Heat Olive Oil in a skillet. As the oil shimmers, add the Chicken and cook until they get golden brown on both sides
• Donot cook all the Chicken at once. Cook them in batches and avoid crowding the pan for even browning of the Chicken
• Once the Chicken gets cooked, remove them with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate

STEP 2: ADD THE VEGGIES

• In the same skillet, add the chopped Veggies and toss until combined
• Saute for 3-4 minutes over medium-high heat or until the veggies tenderise

• Add the Szechuan Sauce, Ketchup, Soy Sauce, Rice Wine Vinegar, Dried Red Chilis and Sichuan Peppercorns. Toss until combined

• Add the Chicken back the skillet and toss to combine. As it comes to a slow boil, turn off the heat

STEP 3: GARNISH AND SERVE

• Garnish with some Sesame Seeds and freshly chopped Green Onions and serve.

Remember that you don't want to overcook the veggies. They should remain crunchy. So, toss them only at high heat and once the mixture comes to a boil, turn off the heat.

Hint: I love to cook Asian recipes like this one in a wok or a big sized skillet. As this allows even heating for all the veggies and hence it provides with even cooking temperature.

Substitutions

• Garlic - instead of Garlic paste, you can use minced garlic
• Veggies - you can add veggies of your choice, like carrots and broccoli etc.
• Vegetarian - make Vegetarian Version of this recipe by skipping out Chicken and using Veggies of your choice.
• Protein - instead of Chicken you can use Shrimp or Sliced Steak or Cauliflower or Tofu
• Nuts - I have not used any nuts in this recipe. However you can add Cashew or Almond or Peanuts.

Cooking Variations

• Spicy - Szechuan Chicken is generally spicy. If you want it spicier, you can increase the amount of Szechuan Sauce used
• Sweet - You can reduce the amount of Sichuan Peppercorns, Dried Red Chilis and Szechuan Sauce to tone down the heat by a notch. And also add some honey or brown sugar for sweetness.

Storage

You can make this Szechuan Chicken in advance and store it in an air-tight container. This can be refrigerated for upto 5-6 days

You can freeze this as well, Transfer in an airtight container and freeze and once frozen you can store this in the freezer for upto 3 months. However, the crispy chicken will lose its texture once frozen for a long time

Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in a skillet or in the microwave until heated through.

Top tips to make the Best Szechuan Chicken

• Szechuan Chicken is definitely spicy and that's because of the Sichuan Peppercorns. Its what contributes to the spiciness of this dish. You can skip it if you do not like spicy.
• Dried Red Chilis are used in this recipe. I have used dried Bird's Eye Chilis. You can use any dried Chilis you can find or just use dried Red Pepper Flakes as a replacement
• This is supposed to have a perfect balance of sweet and spicy flavors and hence Ketchup is essential for a balance of flavor and sweetness

Other Asian Recipes for Dinner

• Crockpot Chicken Thigh Recipe with Asian Glaze
• Ginger Sesame Chicken Meatballs | Asian Chicken Meatballs
• Sticky Asian Hoisin Chicken Drumsticks
• Chinese Chilli Chicken Recipe - Asian Chilli Chicken
• Asian Cashew Chicken [Better Than Takeout]

Serving Sides

• Jasmine Rice
• Coconut Rice
• Szechuan Noodles
• Rice Noodles
• Sesame Noodles
• Asian Cucumber Red Onion Salad with Garlic Vinegar Dressing