Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Not for the faint-hearted, this Spicy Szechuan chicken stir fry is made with Szechuan (Sichuan) peppers for that tongue-tingling heat. Plus plenty of dried red chillies too!
If you like heat you’re gonna love this one!
Ingredients
Chicken and marinade:
8 boneless chicken thighs chopped into bitesize chunks
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp Chinese rice wine
¼ tsp white pepper
2 tbsp cornflour cornstarch
For Frying:
240 ml (1 cup) neutral oil (such as avocado oil)
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 onion peeled and chopped into chunks
25 dried red chillies chop 5 of them into small pieces and leave the rest whole
1 ½ tsp Sichuan peppercorns ground using a pestle and mortar (the 1 1/2 tsp is measured BEFORE grinding)
3 cloves garlic minced
2 tsp minced ginger
5 spring onions scallions roughly chopped
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp Chinese rice wine
1 tbsp chilli bean paste
1 tbsp sugar
Instructions
✅Place the chicken pieces in a bowl with the rest of the marinade ingredients. Stir together, cover and marinade for 30 minutes (or up to a couple of hours – place in the refrigerator if marinating for more than 30 minutes).
✅Heat the oil (reserving 1 tbsp for later) over a medium-high heat in a large frying pan.
✅Add the chicken, a piece at a time (you may need to work in 2 batches), and cook for 4-5 minutes, turning a couple of times, until golden.
✅Remove from the pan and place on a plate.
✅Heat the reserved 1 tbsp of sunflower oil along with 1 tbsp of sesame oil in a wok over a medium-high heat.
✅Add the onion and dried chillies and stir fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring often, until the onion starts to soften slightly.
✅Add in the ground Sichuan peppers and fry for a further minute.
✅Add in the garlic, ginger, and spring onions and stir fry for a further 30 seconds.
✅Add in the soy sauce, rice wine, chilli bean paste, and sugar. Stir together and fry for another minute.
✅Add in the cooked chicken and toss everything together, heating for a further minute or two until the chicken is hot.
✅Serve with boiled rice.
Not for the faint-hearted, this Spicy Szechuan chicken stir fry is made with Szechuan (Sichuan) peppers for that tongue-tingling heat. Plus plenty of dried red chillies too!
If you like heat you’re gonna love this one!
Ingredients
Chicken and marinade:
8 boneless chicken thighs chopped into bitesize chunks
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp Chinese rice wine
¼ tsp white pepper
2 tbsp cornflour cornstarch
For Frying:
240 ml (1 cup) neutral oil (such as avocado oil)
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 onion peeled and chopped into chunks
25 dried red chillies chop 5 of them into small pieces and leave the rest whole
1 ½ tsp Sichuan peppercorns ground using a pestle and mortar (the 1 1/2 tsp is measured BEFORE grinding)
3 cloves garlic minced
2 tsp minced ginger
5 spring onions scallions roughly chopped
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp Chinese rice wine
1 tbsp chilli bean paste
1 tbsp sugar
Instructions
✅Place the chicken pieces in a bowl with the rest of the marinade ingredients. Stir together, cover and marinade for 30 minutes (or up to a couple of hours – place in the refrigerator if marinating for more than 30 minutes).
✅Heat the oil (reserving 1 tbsp for later) over a medium-high heat in a large frying pan.
✅Add the chicken, a piece at a time (you may need to work in 2 batches), and cook for 4-5 minutes, turning a couple of times, until golden.
✅Remove from the pan and place on a plate.
✅Heat the reserved 1 tbsp of sunflower oil along with 1 tbsp of sesame oil in a wok over a medium-high heat.
✅Add the onion and dried chillies and stir fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring often, until the onion starts to soften slightly.
✅Add in the ground Sichuan peppers and fry for a further minute.
✅Add in the garlic, ginger, and spring onions and stir fry for a further 30 seconds.
✅Add in the soy sauce, rice wine, chilli bean paste, and sugar. Stir together and fry for another minute.
✅Add in the cooked chicken and toss everything together, heating for a further minute or two until the chicken is hot.
✅Serve with boiled rice.
