Description
Szechuan chicken mixes numbing Sichuan peppercorns and fiery heat that coats tender chicken pieces in a bold, tangy sauce you can adjust to match your spice tolerance. This dish combines beautifully quickly in your kitchen, making it perfect for weeknight dinners when you’re craving something with serious flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein:
- 1 pound boneless chicken breast, thinly sliced
Sauce and seasonings:
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Szechuan chili paste
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
- Salt, to taste
- Szechuan peppercorns, to taste
Vegetables and serving:
- 1 bell pepper, sliced
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 2 green onions, chopped for garnish
- Cooked rice, for serving
Instructions
- Combine 1 pound of thinly sliced chicken breast with 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, and a pinch of salt in a bowl, then let your chicken sit for 10 minutes to absorb the flavors.
- Pour 1 tablespoon vegetable oil into your skillet or wok and bring it to medium-high heat for about 1 minute until shimmering.
- Add 1 tablespoon minced garlic and 1 tablespoon minced ginger to your hot oil, stirring constantly for 30 seconds until the aroma fills your kitchen.
- Transfer your marinated chicken into the skillet and cook for 5-7 minutes at medium-high heat, stirring frequently until the pieces turn golden brown and cook through completely.
- Toss in your 1 sliced bell pepper, 1 sliced onion, and 1 cup broccoli florets, then stir-fry everything together for 3-5 minutes at medium-high heat until the vegetables soften slightly but stay crisp.
- Stir 2 tablespoons Szechuan chili paste throughout your skillet at medium-high heat for about 1 minute, making sure the paste coats all your ingredients evenly.
- Taste your dish and adjust the seasoning by adding more soy sauce, chili paste, or salt as your preference dictates.
- Take your skillet off the heat and sprinkle 2 chopped green onions and optional Szechuan peppercorns over the top.
- Divide your finished chicken mixture over cooked rice on individual plates and serve immediately while everything stays hot.
Notes
- Toast your Szechuan peppercorns in a dry pan for a minute before sprinkling them on top, which brings out their numbing, citrusy flavor and makes the dish taste more authentic.
- Don’t skip the marinating step even though it’s only 10 minutes, because it helps the chicken stay tender and absorb the salty-tangy base flavors throughout.
- Cut your vegetables into similar-sized pieces so everything cooks evenly and your stir-fry comes together at the same time without anything becoming mushy.
- If the spice level feels too intense for your taste, add a splash of rice vinegar or a touch of sugar to balance the heat and bring back some brightness to the dish.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 9-13 minutes
- Category: Sautéed Chicken
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Chinese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3
- Calories: 235 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 670 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 11 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg