Easy Szechuan Chicken (30 Minutes)

Easy Szechuan Chicken (30 Minutes)

Crispy, juicy chicken tossed with bell peppers and onions in a sweet, savory, and spicy Szechuan sauce. This easy Szechuan chicken recipe is ready in just 30 minutes. I shallow-fry the cornstarch-coated chicken and let the crust set before flipping so it stays crispy.

5 from 6 votes

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 10

Total Time 30

Course Main Course

Cuisine Chinese

Servings

Calories per serving 574 kcal

Ingredients

1 lb chicken breast
⅔ cup red bell pepper diced into 1-inch pieces
⅔ cup green bell pepper diced into 1-inch pieces
½ cup onion diced into 1-inch pieces
20 whole dried Sichuan red chilies
1 teaspoon ginger thinly sliced
¼ cup cornstarch
¼ cup vegetable oil or any neutral oil

Chicken Marinade

1.5 tablespoon cornstarch
1.5 tablespoon water cold
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon vegetable oil or any neutral oil

Sauce

3 garlic cloves minced
4 tablespoon hoisin sauce
2 tablespoon regular soy sauce or light soy sauce
2 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoon sesame oil toasted kind
1.5 teaspoon sichuan peppercorn powder
1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ cup chicken broth low-sodium

Instructions

Dice the chicken breasts into uniform 1.5-inch pieces and transfer them to a large bowl.
Add all the chicken marinade ingredients to the bowl and mix well to coat evenly. Marinate for 15-20 minutes.
Combine all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Mix well until the sugar dissolves and set aside.
Just before frying, add cornstarch to the marinated chicken and toss until evenly coated. Add another 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch if any pieces remain uncoated.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat until it reaches 350°F. Fry the chicken in a single layer, working in small batches, for about 6-8 minutes in total per batch. Leave the chicken undisturbed until the bottom is golden and the crust has set before flipping. Cook until both sides are golden and the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Transfer the chicken to a wire rack to keep it crispy. Let the oil return to 350°F between batches.
Remove excess oil from the pan, leaving about 1 tablespoon, and reduce the heat to medium. Add the dried red chilies and stir-fry for about 20 seconds. Add the onions, ginger, and bell peppers, and stir-fry for another 30 seconds.
Stir the prepared sauce again and pour it into the pan. Simmer until thickened and glossy.
Return the fried chicken to the pan and toss until evenly coated in the sauce. Remove from the heat and serve immediately.

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