Spicy is the name of the game when it comes to my favorite version of this Szechuan Chicken Chinese takeout classic. I’ve chosen a trio of spicy characters to layer on the heat. First, sambal olek—it’s a Thai chile paste similar in heat to Sriracha, but less vinegary. It’s on the international foods aisle.
Next, dried chiles de arbol—these are tiny chiles, and not too hot. I honestly like them for the visual impact. If you can’t find them with the Hispanic foods, hit up your local specialty market. Last but not least—Szechuan peppercorns, the dish’s namesake.
Also called Sichuan peppercorns, they’re actually in the citrus family, and have a floral heat that causes your tongue to tingle! You’ll probably have to shop for these online or at a specialty market, but you should totally give them a try. If you can’t find them, feel free to leave them out; this dish is still plenty delicious without them.
Szechuan Chicken Vs General Tso
Although both of these dishes are Chinese takeout favorites there are quite a few differences between them. Szechuan chicken is battered and fried whereas General Tso chicken is stir-fried without batter.
General Tso is made with different vegetables, mainly broccoli and peppers and has a much sweeter sauce than Szechuan chicken which is much spicier!
How to Make Szechuan Chicken
- In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, vinegar, chile paste, and honey, if using. Set aside.
- In a large deep skillet or wok, add canola to reach a depth of 1 ½ to 2 inches. Heat over medium-high heat until oil reaches 360.
- Meanwhile, sprinkle chicken evenly with salt and pepper. Place in a medium bowl, and add cornstarch; toss to coat. When oil reaches temperature, fry chicken in batches until light golden brown, about 3 minutes per batch. Remove from oil, and let drain on a plate lined with paper towels.
- Reserve 1 tablespoon oil from skillet; discard remaining oil. Reduce heat to medium. Add sesame oil to 1 tablespoon oil in pan; add garlic, ginger, chiles, and Szechuan peppercorns, if using. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add scallions and snow peas; cook, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes. Return chicken to pan; add sauce, stirring to coat.
- Serve over rice; garnish with sesame seeds and additional scallions, if desired.
Make it Lighter
I don’t often fry food at my house, but I chose to pan-fry the chicken in this recipe for a little extra crunch. If you’d like to simplify this recipe and skip the frying, simply stir-fry the chicken in a couple of tablespoons of canola oil, then proceed with step 5 as instructed.
What to Serve it With
Like most homemade Chinese takeout dishes I love to serve this with brown rice it’s delicious and soaks up all the delicious saucy flavors. You could also go with Chinese noodles or add in some bamboo shoots for more crunch.
If you’re looking for a low carb option add in more veggies such as broccoli or peppers to bulk it out and add delicious flavor!
Top Tips for Making the Best Szechuan Chicken
- You can easily control the heat of the sauce by adding in more or less chile paste but be careful it’s pretty strong stuff.
- For a lighter version skip the batter and frying the chicken in just a little oil.
- Add in any veggies you like, broccoli and bell peppers work really well.
- Always use fresh garlic and ginger for an authentic flavor.
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 1-2 days and eaten cold or reheated in a skillet until piping hot.
- You can also freeze this in suitable containers.
More Delicious Chicken Recipes You Might Like:
- Crispy Orange Chicken
- Chicken Vegetable Stir Fry
- Baked Chicken Thighs with Asparagus & Tomatoes
- Bourbon Chicken
- General Tso’s Chicken
If you’ve tried this Szechuan Chicken Recipe then don’t forget to leave a rating and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Szechuan Chicken with Snow Peas
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. chile paste such as sambal olek
- 1 Tbsp. honey optional
- Canola oil for frying
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 tsp. kosher salt
- ½ tsp. ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 2 tsp. sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp. minced ginger
- 4 chiles de arbol or other dried chiles, optional
- 1 tsp. Szechuan peppercorns optional
- 1 bunch scallions chopped and divided
- 6 oz. snow peas about 2 cups
- 1 Tbsp. sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, vinegar, chile paste, and honey, if using. Set aside.
- In a large deep skillet or wok, add canola to reach a depth of 1 ½ to 2 inches. Heat over medium-high heat until oil reaches 360.
- Meanwhile, sprinkle chicken evenly with salt and pepper. Place in a medium bowl, and add cornstarch; toss to coat.
- When oil reaches temperature, fry chicken in batches until light golden brown, about 3
- minutes per batch. Remove from oil, and let drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Reserve 1 tablespoon oil from skillet; discard remaining oil.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add sesame oil to 1 tablespoon oil in pan; add garlic, ginger, chiles, and Szechuan peppercorns, if using. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add scallions and snow peas; cook, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes. Return chicken to pan; add sauce, stirring to coat.
- Serve over rice; garnish with sesame seeds and additional scallions, if desired.
Notes
- You can easily control the heat of the sauce by adding in more or less chile paste but be careful it's pretty strong stuff.
- For a lighter version skip the batter and frying the chicken in just a little oil.
- Add in any veggies you like, broccoli and bell peppers work really well.
- Always use fresh garlic and ginger for an authentic flavor.
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 1-2 days and eaten cold or reheated in a skillet until piping hot.
- You can also freeze this in suitable containers.
Leave a Reply