Szechuan chicken is world-famous and there is a good reason for that: once you try it you instantly get hooked on the aromatic, fiery, numbing, and deeply flavorful chicken. If you don’t like your food too spicy, you can adjust the amount of heat in this recipe to your liking, from mildly spicy to fiery hot. Szechuan chicken is chicken prepared using techniques and ingredients from southwestern China’s Sichuan province. The most prominent features of this cuisine are garlic, chili peppers and, of course, Sichuan pepper. In contrast to black or white pepper, Sichuan pepper does not create heat in the mouth. Instead, it numbs the mouth. It’s this mouth-numbing sensation that distinguishes Szechuan dishes from the rest. Szechuan chicken is no exception, with its distinct, bold flavors and characteristic aromatics.
There are many different ways to prepare Szechuan chicken, including deep-frying and stir-frying, the most well-known of them being Kung Pao chicken. This particular recipe is a fairly common version that is based on several excellent recipes that I tried and combined together to come up with a recipe that is easy to make, tastes exceptionally well and that stays true to authentic flavors.
The single most important ingredient in this recipe is Sichuan pepper, and it cannot be substituted. It gives the dish it’s numbing sensation and the peculiar flavor that no other pepper is able to imitate. Sure, you can use ordinary black peppercorn as a substitute but it will not be even close in the flavor department. If you are looking for that authentic flavor, do your yourself a favor and get the real deal. Sichuan peppercorns are sold at most, if not all, Asian supermarkets. They are about the same size as their black brethren but have a dark reddish-brownish tint to them. At my local Asian grocery store they are labeled simply as ‘dried pepper’, but you will recognize them immediately just by looking at them.
Chilies or chili oil is what gives the Szechuan chicken it’s spiciness. I like using chili oil as it allows for a very even heat distribution. No chance of biting into a chili pepper by accident. One teaspoon of chili oil results in a very mild, pleasant spiciness that is appropriate even for those who don’t like spicy food.
Two-three teaspoons will kick the heat up to medium and so forth. Adjust to your taste. While stir-frying is definitely an option, my preferred way to cook chicken for this dish is by deep-frying. Only deep-frying gives me the most ‘crispy on the outside, super tender and juicy on the inside’ chicken meat.
This recipe is inspired by Easy Chinese Recipes.
