• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Nicky's Kitchen Sanctuary logo

  • > Start Here
  • The Recipes
    • Browse all categories
    • Asian
    • Dinner
    • Pasta
    • Roast Dinner
    • Curries
    • Sides
    • Soups
    • Big Batch
    • Quick Dinner Recipes
    • Skinny Recipes
    • Street Food
    • Lunch
    • Gluten Free
    • Vegetarian
    • Cakes & Treats
    • BBQ
    • Breakfast & Brunch
    • Drinks
    • Appetizers
    • Sauces and Dips
  • My New Book
  • Blogger Resources
    • Living The Blog
    • How to start a food blog
    • Income Reports
  • About
    • About
    • Contact
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy
  • Sign-Up
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • > Start Here
  • All Recipes
  • Never miss a recipe!
  • 20 Minute Meals
  • Appetizers & Party Food
  • Asian
  • Curries
  • Dinner
  • One Pot
  • Pasta
  • Roast Dinner
  • Sides
  • Slow Cooked
  • Soups
  • Street Food
  • Terms and Conditions
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home > Asian

    Szechuan Chicken

    Published: May 13, 2021 · Modified: May 24, 2021 by Nicky Corbishley

    Go to Recipe Go to Video Print Recipe

    Not for the faint-hearted, this Spicy Szechuan chicken stir fry is made with Szechuan (Sichuan) peppers for that tongue-tingling heat. Plus plenty of dried red chillies too!
    If you like heat you're gonna love this one!

    Szechuan chicken stir-fry in a black bowl on a dark surface. Little spoon and bowl of szechuan peppers in shot

    Jump to:
    • 📋 What do we need?
    • 📋 What are Szechuan Peppercorns?
    • 🔪 How to make it
    • 🍽️ What to serve it with
    • 🍲 More fantastic stir fry recipes
    • Szechuan Chicken Recipe
    • 💬 Reviews

    Szechuan chicken, also known as Sichuan chicken, Mala Chicken or Laziji, is a beautifully spiced stir-fried chicken dish, usually served dry, rather than saucy, and characterised by the use of Szechuan peppercorns and lots of dried red chillies.

    Originating in Chongqing (in Southwest China) it's a hugely popular dish. Often the chicken is deep-fried (I shallow-fry mine) and the amount of dried chillies in the dish tends to far outweigh the amount of chicken.
    I'm going a fair bit lighter on the chillies for my recipe. However, if you leave them whole, they don't actually add too much heat anyway. It's when they're chopped and those chilli seeds are released that the heat level starts to increase!!
    For my recipe, I'm leaving most of the chillies whole and just chopping up a few of them.

    📋 What do we need?

    Full recipe with detailed and measurements at the end of this post.

    For the Chicken & Marinade:

    Labelled ingredients for marinating chicken thighs

    I recommend using chicken thighs for this recipe as they stay tender when you shallow fry them after marinating however you can replace with Chicken breast if you prefer.

    For frying:

    Ingredients for frying Szechuan chicken

    Chilli Bean Paste - known as toban djan or doubanjiang – if you can’t find this, you can replace with Gochujang (a Korean Chilli paste that’s little sweeter, but still good), or at a push, hoisin sauce mixed with a good pinch of chilli flakes.

    📋 What are Szechuan Peppercorns?

    Szechuan peppers scattered on a grey background with a little blue spoon in shot with a wooden handle
    Szechuan Peppercorns

    Szechuan or Sichuan peppercorns are actually berries from a type of prickly ash tree, rather than pepper. They give a tingly-numbing effect on the tongue when eaten (which goes away pretty quickly).
    You can buy them in most larger supermarkets, and when ground up they have a highly floral and citrusy scent.
    You can buy red or green szechuan peppers. The red are stronger in flavour, but the green have more of a numbing effect. You can use either for this dish.

    Szechuan chicken stir fry in a wok

    🔪 How to make it

    Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post.

    1. First we marinate chicken thigh pieces in soy sauce, rice wine, white pepper and cornflour. It only needs to marinate for a short period of time - 30 minutes is enough, but you can marinade for longer (up to overnight) if preferred.
    2. Then we fry the chicken in oil until golden and remove from the pan.
    3. Next up we fry the dried chillies in a little sesame oil, before adding in the ground Szechuan peppers, garlic, ginger and spring onions.
    4. Add in a little more soy sauce along with rice wine, chilli bean paste and some sugar to balance out the spice and salt.
    5. Add the chicken back in a toss together before serving.
    YouTube video

    👩‍🍳PRO TIP If you like it hot, chop up 5-10 of the dried chillies. If you want it a little milder, use fewer dried chillies and don't chop them up.

    Serve over a big pile of fluffy boiled rice.

    Szechuan chicken and boiled rice on a blue-green plate

    🍽️ What to serve it with

    • Boiled Rice
    • Egg Fried Rice
    • Cauliflower Fried Rice
    • Oven Baked Chips

    Check out the full recipe in the recipe card below. I really hope you love this dish. If you try it I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments 😊

    🍲 More fantastic stir fry recipes

    • chicken stir fry in a bowl with rice
      Quick Chicken Stir Fry
    • Ginger beef and broccoli in a bowl with rice
      Spicy Ginger Beef Stir Fry plus video
    • Firecracker Chicken on a blue plate against a dark background
      Copycat Firecracker Chicken
    • beef and broccoli stir fry in a pan with a wooden spoon
      Beef and Broccoli
    • Square image of kung pao chicken with rice
      Kung Pao Chicken
    • Mongolian Beef and spring onions on top of rice in a white bowl
      Easy Mongolian Beef Recipe

    Stay updated with new recipes!
    Subscribe to the newsletter to hear when I post a new recipe. I’m also on YouTube (new videos every week) and Instagram (behind-the-scenes stories & beautiful food photos).

    Szechuan chicken stir fry in a wok

    Szechuan Chicken Recipe

    By: Nicky Corbishley
    Spicy Szechuan chicken stir fry made with Szechuan (Sichuan) peppers for that tongue-tingling heat and plenty of dried red chillies!
    5 from 12 votes
    Rate this Recipe Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Marinating time 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 55 minutes mins
    Course Dinner
    Cuisine Chinese
    Servings 4
    Calories 428 kcal

    Ingredients
     

    Chicken and marinade:

    • 8 boneless chicken thighs - chopped into bitesize chunks
    • 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
    • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
    • 1 tbsp Chinese rice wine
    • ¼ tsp white pepper
    • 2 tbsp cornflour - cornstarch

    For Frying:

    • 240 ml (1 cup) sunflower oil
    • 1 tbsp sesame oil
    • 1 onion - peeled and chopped into chunks
    • 25 dried red chillies - – chop 5 of them into small pieces and leave the rest whole
    • 1 ½ tsp Sichuan peppercorns - ground using a pestle and mortar (the 1 ½ tsp is measured BEFORE grinding)
    • 3 cloves garlic - minced
    • 2 tsp minced ginger
    • 5 spring onions - scallions roughly chopped
    • 2 tbsp light soy sauce
    • 1 tbsp Chinese rice wine
    • 1 tbsp chilli bean paste - *See Note
    • 1 tbsp sugar

    INSTRUCTIONS
     

    • Place the chicken pieces in a bowl with the rest of the marinade ingredients. Stir together, cover and marinade for 30 minutes (or up to a couple of hours – place in the refrigerator if marinading for more than 30 minutes).
    • Heat the oil (reserving 1 tbsp for later) over a medium-high heat in a large frying pan.
    • Add the chicken, a piece at a time (you may need to work in 2 batches), and cook for 4-5 minutes, turning a couple of times, until golden.
    • Remove from the pan and place on a plate.
    • Heat the reserved 1 tbsp of sunflower oil along with 1 tbsp of sesame oil in a wok over a medium-high heat.
    • Add the onion and dried chillies and stir fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring often, until the onion starts to soften slightly.
    • Add in the ground Sichuan peppers and fry for a further minute.
    • Add in the garlic, ginger and spring onions and stir fry for a further 30 seconds.
    • Add in the soy sauce, rice wine, chilli bean paste and sugar. Stir together and fry for another minute.
    • Add in the cooked chicken and toss everything together, heating for a further minute or two until the chicken is hot.
    • Serve with boiled rice.

    Video

    YouTube video

    ✎ Notes

    Note 1:
    Chilli Bean Paste - known as toban djan or doubanjiang – if you can’t find this, you can replace with Gochujang (a Korean Chilli paste that’s little sweeter, but still good), or at a push, hoisin sauce mixed with a good pinch of chilli flakes.
    Nutritional information is approximate and is per serving NOT including rice.
    I've accounted for 60ml (¼ cup) of oil being absorbed during the cooking process.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 428kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 31gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 137mgSodium: 1142mgPotassium: 563mgFiber: 3gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 1022IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 48mgIron: 2mg
    Keywords spicy, stir fry
    Tried this recipe?Mention @KitchenSanctuary or tag #KitchenSanctuary on Instagram!

    Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.

    Hi I’m Nicky

    I love to cook and I want to share with you my favourite, delicious family friendly recipes. I want to inspire you to create fantastic food for your family every day.

    Read More

    More Asian Inspired Recipes

    • Square overhead image of crispy salt and pepper chicken wings on a white plate on a rustic metal surface. There is a green napkin and a small gold dish with some of the chilli-salt-pepper topping in it.
      Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings
    • Square image of salt and pepper pork ribs on a black plate. The ribs are topped with chopped chillies and spring onions. The plate is on a dark background. There is a red chilli pepper and blue napkin at the top of the frame.
      Ultimate Salt and Pepper Ribs
    • Overhead square image of 3 marinated and cooked lamb cutlets on a dark blue plate next to a side salad. The lamb cutlets are sprinkled with sesame seeds and chopped spring onions.
      Korean Style Lamb Cutlets
    • Beef in black bean sauce stir fry with boiled rice in a bowl, topped with spring onions and sesame seeds. There is a pair of black chopsticks next to the bowl.
      Beef in Black Bean Sauce

    Other Recipes You Might Like:

    Square image of Asian crispy chicken with broccoli and rice in a stoneware bowl. Blue napkin in background
    Crispy Chilli Chicken with Broccoli
    Square overhead image of crispy salt and pepper chicken wings on a white plate on a rustic metal surface. There is a green napkin and a small gold dish with some of the chilli-salt-pepper topping in it.
    Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings
    Overhead square image of 3 marinated and cooked lamb cutlets on a dark blue plate next to a side salad. The lamb cutlets are sprinkled with sesame seeds and chopped spring onions.
    Korean Style Lamb Cutlets
    Square image of Spaghetti aglio e olio on white plate with stone rim. The plate is on a white background next to a white napkin. There is a little stone jug also in shot.
    Spaghetti aglio e olio

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Rate the recipe




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Lisa says

      July 02, 2023 at 1:04 am

      I made this dish tonight. I improvised because I didn’t have Szechuan peppercorns with red chili pepper flakes and Gochujang paste it came out delicious. I like making Asian dishes for my family. Thank you I will be trying more of your recipes.

      Reply
    2. Dave says

      October 24, 2022 at 9:16 pm

      5 stars
      Took a bit to find some chilli paste in the rural area I am in but well worth it (Gochujang).
      I used less dried chillies just because I didn't have enough, however it was still perfect!
      Thanks very much for what will definitely be an 'oh wow' recipe to pull out when needed 🙂

      Reply
    3. Yaeli says

      October 23, 2022 at 1:21 am

      5 stars
      Delicious receipt!

      Reply
    4. stacey chai says

      August 19, 2022 at 7:04 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious! I used Korean bean paste as well and chilis from my garden I added red and green peppers and marinated my chicken in lemon, soy and homage garlic salt. Magic. My daughter thought it was take out from PF changs. that a compliment!

      Reply
    « Older Comments

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi I’m Nicky

    I love to cook and I want to share with you my favourite, delicious family friendly recipes. I want to inspire you to create fantastic food for your family every day.

    Read More

    Recipes by category:

    • Popular Recipes
    • Asian
    • Curries
    • Quick Dinner Recipes
    • British Classic Recipes
    • BBQ
    • Roast Dinner
    • Street Food
    • Pasta
    Search For a Recipe

    Our Top Trending Recipes:

    • Crispy Sesame Chicken on a bed of rice in a stone bowl
      Crispy Sesame Chicken with a Sticky Asian Sauce
    • honey garlic chicken in a bowl on top of boiled rice
      Honey Garlic Chicken
    • Roast potatoes with salt and fresh thyme leaves
      The Best Crispy Roast Potatoes
    • Cheesy Pasta Bake With Chicken And Bacon - a family favourite (and it makes great leftovers too!).
      Cheesy Pasta Bake With Chicken And Bacon
    • Chicken curry in a white bowl with rice.
      Easy Chicken Curry
    • Satay sauce in a small copper pan topped with peanuts and coriander
      Easy Satay Sauce Recipe
    • Bowl of Korean fried chicken topped with sesame seeds and strips of spring onion.
      Korean Fried Chicken
    • Overhead image of tuna pasta bake in a white dish topped with finely chopped parsley.
      Creamy Tuna Pasta Bake

    FREE recipes direct to your inbox!

    Never miss a recipe and sign up for our completely FREE emails.

      Featured Recipes:

      • Hands holding bowl of Bowl of chilli con carne with rice
        Chilli Con Carne
      • Lancashire hotpot on wooden background
        Traditional Lancashire Hotpot
      • A dish of creamy chicken pie with puff pastry sat on a blue and white striped cloth.
        Creamy Chicken Pot Pie
      • Egg fried rice on a dark bowl on a white background.
        Egg Fried Rice
      • Bowl of Korean fried chicken topped with sesame seeds and strips of spring onion.
        Korean Fried Chicken
      • Firecracker Chicken on a blue plate against a dark background
        Copycat Firecracker Chicken
      • Square image of buffalo chicken pasta in a silver pan on a light grey background.
        Buffalo Chicken Pasta
      • A simple made-from-scratch curry, slow cooked to intensify the heat and flavour.
        Slow Cooker Spicy Chicken Curry
      As Featured On
      brit and co logo
      buzzfeed logo
      cheshire life logo
      country living logo
      beautiful home and life logo
      my fitness pal logo
      Neff logo
      The telegraph logo
      The Kitchn logo
      Vegetarian society logo

      Footer

      Nicky Corbishley is the recipe creator and photographer for Kitchen Sanctuary. Wife to Chris (chief techie and videographer) and mum to Lewis and Gracey. Read More…

      DMCA.com Protection Status

      Most Recent Recipes

      • Easy 4 Cheese Mac 'n' Cheese
      • Chicken Stew and Dumplings
      • Garlic and Coriander Potatoes
      • Air Fryer Roast Potatoes
      • Chicken Breast Recipes

      Copyright © 2023 LoveFoodCreative Ltd - Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy - Terms & Conditions