Szechuan chicken
When it comes to a great Sichuan dish like Szechuan chicken, there are so many things to consider, from the spice level to which style of Szechuan sauce to use, or even if you should skip it all together and cook it in the right way from the start. No matter what your preference, there’s a recipe for you. I’m sharing my personal recipe for Sichuan chicken, which is the basis of this blog.
Szechuan chicken is a dish from the Sichuan province of China, and it is known for its fiery spice. Because of its spicy nature, the dish is often eaten with chopsticks rather than a fork and spoon. Chicken is marinated in a sauce made of soy sauce, chili peppers, and garlic and is then cooked in a wok. This dish can also be served in a steamer, or on a grill.
My husband and I often frequent a Szechuan restaurant in the south hill neighborhood of our city. The restaurant is small and dark and it is owned by a family of three. My husband and I both love their food and we always try to go when they are open. The menu is limited, but it’s not hard to guess what they serve. The sesame chicken is great, but the highlight is their szechuan chicken. It’s a Szechuan dish that has been popular in China for hundreds of years.
Szechuan chicken is a famous restaurant dish that may be found on the menu of any Indo-Chinese restaurant. It is not to be confused with Szechuan peppers. With my home-made Szechuan sauce made with celery, I created Szechuan chicken in my own way. The szechuan sauce was excellent and gave me a vibrant color similar to what you’d get in a restaurant. To make it brighter, I did not add any color. I adjusted the heat and spiciness to my preference, and this time I did not make it too hot. It was delicious and, in my view, superior to what you can get in a few places, which they term Szechuan but is really a Manchurian dish with a red color. I made the Szechuan chicken gravy rather than dry. Szechuan sauce may be made at home and stored in the refrigerator or freezer for use in a variety of meals. You may use it in fried rice, noodles, stir-fries, soups, and a variety of other dishes. Szechuan chicken goes well with any stir-fried noodles or fried rice.
Time to prepare: 25 minutes (does not include time to marinate)
Time to cook: 30 minutes
Szechuan, Indo-Chinese cuisine
2 to 3 people
Medium-hot spiciness
Ingredients
Marinade
-
- 200 gms chicken
- a single egg white
- 1 1/2 tbsp corn flour
- a pinch of salt (to taste)
- a pinch of pepper powder
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
Sauce
- 2 tbsp. oil
- 1 tbsp. dry chilli (sliced or diced)
- 2 to 3 garlic cloves (chopped)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon ginger (chopped)
- 1 green chilli, chopped
- 3 spring onions
- 1 tbsp onion
- 1/4 teaspoon (or a bit more) MSG or ajinomoto
- 2 to 2 1/2 tbsp Szechuan sauce (homemade)
- 2 1/2 tablespoons Maggi chilli garlic sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper powder
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 1/3 cup water
- quartered onion (chunks)
- 2 green chillies (sliced)
- quartered red capsicum (chunks)
- quartered green capsicum (chunks)
- Cornstarch (cornflour 2 tsp + 1/2 cup water)
Method
Notes
- It’s completely up to you whether or not to use the chilli garlic sauce. Instead, add 3 tbsp Szechuan sauce, white pepper powder, and a pinch of chilli powder, keeping the rest of the ingredients the same. It has a distinct flavor. Both have been produced by me.
- Optional: I add chilli oil to the sauce on occasion.
- Taste the sauce first, then add the veggies and chicken last, so that if anything has to be added, you may do it according to your preferences.
- I used medium-sized garlic cloves, around 3/4 teaspoon each garlic clove, rather than tiny garlic cloves. Toss in the veggies to taste.
- I cooked it on medium and high heat; if the heat is too high and it’s burning, turn it off or lower the heat.
- If the sauce gets too thick and dry, dilute it with a little water before adding corn starch, or don’t add it at all.
- After adding corn starch, I believe it creates a custard-like texture, which explains why the chicken pieces are adequately coated.
- Reduce the amount of water and cook the garlic chicken if you want it dry or semi-gravy.
- The corn starch may be added first, followed by the chicken pieces and capsicum.
Szechuan chicken is a delightfully spicy, juicy, and fiery dish that I have always wanted to try. I first heard of it in the movie The Joy Luck Club, but since then it has been hard to find a recipe that fits the bill. However, I’ve finally come up with a really good one that is easy to make and leaves you with a spicy, delicious dish!. Read more about szechuan chicken wiki and let us know what you think.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is typically in Szechuan chicken?
Typically, Szechuan chicken is a dish made with a spicy sauce that contains chilis and other spices. It can be served over rice or noodles.
What is Szechuan chicken vs General Tso?
Szechuan chicken is a spicy dish that originated in China and General Tsos chicken is a dish made from marinated chicken, sweet peppers, and garlic in a sauce of soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, five-spice powder, ginger root and minced fresh hot red chiles.
What does Szechuan chicken taste like?
Szechuan chicken is a spicy dish that originated in China. It typically includes red chile peppers, garlic, ginger, and soy sauce.