Szechuan Chicken Recipe

🧂 Ingredients

• 1 pound chicken breast

  chopped into bite-sized pieces (you can also use chicken thighs if you'd like)
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup corn starch

  (use 1-2 tablespoons for a thinner consistency)
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil

  or use olive oil
• 1 large bell pepper

  chopped
• 2 serrano pepper

  chopped (optional for extra spicy!)
• 10 dried chile de arbol peppers

  optional for extra spicy, or use other dried peppers you love
• 1 tablespoon Szechuan peppercorns

  or use black peppercorns
• 1/4 cup peanuts

  chopped (plus more for garnish - cashews are great here, too!)
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger

  fresh minced ginger is good too
• 1 tablespoon honey

  or more for sweeter
• 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

  fresh minced garlic is good too
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1-2 tablespoons cornstarch

  for thickening
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon szechuan peppercorns

  lightly toasted and ground (or use Chinese 5 Spice, or both!)
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice
• 1/2 cup chicken stock

  (optional, for a slightly thinner sauce)
• 1 teaspoon sriracha

  (optional, for extra spicy)
• Cooked white rice or noodles, spicy chili flakes

Instructions

• 1 Add the chopped chicken to a large bowl. Add soy sauce, salt and pepper and toss
  to coat. Marinate for 10 minutes.
• 2 While the chicken is marinating, whisk all of the ingredients except the
  cornstarch together in a small pot.
• 3 Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes.
• 4 To thicken the sauce, dissolve 1 tablespoon cornstarch in 2 tablespoons of water
  until well mixed. Stir it into the Szechuan sauce and stir until it thickens up,
  2-3 minutes. For thicker Szechuan sauce, use 2 tablespoons cornstarch and skip
  the chicken stock. Remove from heat and set aside.
• 5 Heat the oil in a large pan to medium heat.
• 6 Toss the chicken with 1/2 cup corn starch to coat. Add it to the pan and cook,
  stirring, 5-6 minutes, or until it is cooked through. Remove the chicken and set
  it aside.
• 7 Heat the pan back to medium-high heat and add the peppers. Cook for 5 minutes to
  soften.
• 8 Add the chiles de arbol, peppercorns and chopped peanuts and cook another 2
  minutes, stirring.
• 9 Add the chicken back to the pan along with the homemade Szechuan sauce. Reduce
  the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
• 10 Serve with rice or noodles. Garnish with extra chopped peanuts and spicy chili
  flakes.

Nutrition Info