This easy Szechuan chicken recipe is completely loaded with daring, delicious flavors! Crispy pieces of chicken and spicy Szechuan peppercorns are cooked in a tangy sauce with only a touch of sweetness, while chopped bell peppers and whole cashews add somewhat crunch. Your favorite takeout dish, cooked right in your kitchen in less time than it’d take to have it delivered!
🥘 What Makes This Recipe So Good
- Szechuan chicken is stuffed with delicious aromatics like garlic, ginger, and scallions! They give this recipe a delicious fresh taste and in addition make your kitchen smell .
- This recipe includes only a tiny little bit of sweetness to assist balance out all of those spicy Szechuan peppers. It’s very well-rounded, allowing you to enjoy the entire flavors that Szechuan chicken has to supply.
- You could make it as mild or as spicy as you’d like! The recipe below makes a reasonably mild Szechuan chicken. If you favor it spicier, then add a pair more dried Szechuan chilies.
👩🏼🍳 Chef’s Tips
- Fry your chicken in batches to avoid overcrowding your pan. It took me three batches to fry all of my chicken. The couple of additional minutes were value it to get my chicken as crispy as possible!
- My favorite strategy to serve this Szechuan chicken is over rice. I just love letting the rice absorb a few of that Szechuan sauce – YUM! If you’re low-carb, you then can serve this recipe over cauliflower rice for a simple dinner.
- Work with whatever vegetables you’ve gotten on-hand. Chopped carrots, broccoli, or cauliflower would taste great with the sautéed bell peppers!
🍜 Other Easy Asian-Inspired Recipes
Szechuan Chicken
This Szechuan chicken stir-fry packs a ton of daring flavor into a brilliant easy dish!
Equipment
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medium mixing bowl
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Spoon
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Large plate
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Paper towels
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Large skillet or wok
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Tongs
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Large picket spoon
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small mixing bowl
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whisk
Instructions
For the Chicken
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Add 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts pieces, 3 tablespoons cornstarch. and ½ teaspoon salt to medium mixing bowl. Toss or stir ingredients together until chicken pieces are evenly coated in cornstarch and salt. Set aside.
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Line large plate with 2 to three layers of paper towels. Set aside.
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Place large skillet on stovetop over medium heat. When skillet is warm, add ¼ cup neutral-flavored oil then swirl and tilt pan as needed to distribute oil across entire surface of pan. Continue heating skillet until oil is hot and shimmery.
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When oil is prepared, place chicken pieces in skillet in a single even layer, working in batches as needed to avoid overcrowding pan.
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Cook chicken 3 to 4 minutes or until calmly browned, then flip chicken pieces over and cook 3 to 4 minutes more, until chicken is cooked through.
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Transfer fully cooked chicken pieces to large plate lined with paper towels and put aside. Repeat process with any remaining chicken until all chicken has been cooked.
For the Veggies
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Return skillet to medium heat. If needed, add 1 tablespoon neutral oil to skillet and warmth pan until oil is hot and shimmery.
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Add 1 tablespoon Szechuan peppercorns, 15 dried Szechuan red chili peppers, 1 large red bell pepper, 1 large green bell pepperand 1 small white onion to skillet. Stir to include, then sauté vegetables 4 to five minutes or until barely softened.
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Add 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger, 3 scallionsand ½ cup unsalted cashews to skillet. Stir to include, then sauté mixture 1 minute.
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After 1 minute, return chicken to skillet and stir to include.
For the Sauce
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Add 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 packed tablespoon brown sugarand 1 teaspoon sesame oil to small mixing bowl. Whisk ingredients together until fully combined.
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Pour prepared sauce mixture into skillet. Stir to include, then reduce heat under skillet to medium-low. Simmer mixture 2 to 4 minutes or until sauce has thickened barely.
Notes
- Unsalted Cashews: You can use unsalted peanuts when you’d prefer, or omit the nuts completely.
- Make it Paleo: Use arrowroot starch as a substitute of cornstarch. Replace the soy sauce with lite tamari or coconut aminos. Replace the brown sugar with coconut sugar.
Nutrition Information
Serving Size: 1serving, Calories: 578cal, Protein: 34g, Fat: 36g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 73mg, Sodium: 1258mg, Potassium: 863mg, Total Carbs: 30g, Fiber: 11g, Sugar: 6g, Net Carbs: 19g, Vitamin A: 1627IU, Vitamin C: 96mg, Calcium: 54mg, Iron: 3mg