Neglect takeout and make Szechuan Hen at dwelling. This traditional Chinese language stir fry is made with tender rooster and dried purple chilis coated in a spicy, savory, ever so barely candy sauce. Prepare for an thrilling pop of taste in each chunk.

Simple Szechuan Hen Stir Fry
There’s something so satisfying about making a takeout favourite in your individual kitchen at a fraction of the fee. AND this Szechuan Hen suits the invoice. Plus, it takes underneath half-hour to make. That’s faster than Doordashing out of your favourite Chinese language meals restaurant!
Spicy, savory, and candy come collectively on this traditional stir fry. It’s full of tender rooster, purple chilis, and bell peppers, all coated in a luscious, flavorful sauce that can have you ever returning for seconds.
What Is Szechuan Hen?
Szechuan Hen (or Sichuan rooster) is a Chinese language takeout traditional. Historically, it’s ready with tender items of rooster thighs sauteed with dried purple chilis. The chilis impart a spicy kick to a savory but barely candy sauce that coats the rooster.

What’s The Distinction Between Basic Tso and Szechuan Hen?
These two spicy Chinese language favorites are sometimes mistaken for each other. Some refined variations set them aside, nevertheless. Szechuan rooster is mostly spicier than Basic Tso Hen. As well as, Basic Tso Hen is extra closely breaded and is deep fried versus being stir-fried, as is Szechuan rooster.
What Is The Taste of Szechuan Hen?
Spicy. Savory. Candy. The dried purple chilies add a major quantity of warmth to this scrumptious entree. Nevertheless, the spice is balanced properly by a deeply savory, hoisin-based sauce and a touch of honey.

Recipe Elements
Hop within the automotive and get to the grocery retailer. Belief me; it’ll be value it. Right here’s what you will have to make this spicy Szechuan rooster. Don’t neglect to scroll to the recipe card beneath for detailed measurements.
For the sauce
- Cornstarch: To thicken the sauce.
- Water
- Soy sauce: Coconut aminos will work right here as properly. Simply do not forget that they’re a tad much less salty, so you could wish to alter by including a little bit of sea salt to style.
- Hoisin sauce
- Toasted sesame oil: Be sure you choose a “toasted” product. Gentle sesame oil is not going to impart the specified taste.
- Rice wine vinegar
- Minced ginger: Be at liberty to make use of jarred ginger or powdered ginger as a substitute. If utilizing powdered ginger, use 1/2 teaspoon.
- Honey
For the Szechuan rooster
- Boneless skinless rooster breasts: Boneless skinless rooster thighs will work fantastically right here as properly.
- Cornstarch
- Avocado oil: Be at liberty to make use of one other impartial, high-smoke level cooking oil.
- Scallions
- Bell peppers: I like utilizing purple and inexperienced bell peppers, however the coloration alternative is as much as you.
- Dried purple chilis: You may often discover these within the produce part on the grocery retailer. In the event that they aren’t there, strive the spice aisle.
- Garlic
- Sea salt and floor black pepper

Tips on how to Make Szechuan Hen
Who knew making a restaurant-quality dish may very well be really easy? In simply 25 minutes, you may have an extremely flavorful Chinese language traditional in your plate. Right here’s an outline of the way to make Szechuan rooster stir fry.


For the sauce
- Whisk collectively the cornstarch, and water till easy.
- Add the rest of the elements for the sauce and whisk till easy.


For the Szechuan rooster
- Toss collectively the rooster in cornstarch.
- Warmth some avocado oil in a big, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high warmth.


- Brown the rooster. Add the rooster to the pan and brown on all sides. Take away the rooster from the pan and put aside.


- Saute the veggies. Warmth the remaining avocado oil within the pan and add the white components of the scallions, bell peppers, and dried purple chilis. Sauté for 10 minutes. Add the garlic and saute till aromatic.


- End it off. Add the browned rooster and the sauce to the pan and prepare dinner till the rooster is cooked by means of and the sauce has thickened. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with the inexperienced components of the scallions.

Ideas for Success
Craving that excellent, copycat takeout Szechuan rooster stir fry? Comply with the following pointers and tips and also you’ll by no means order takeout once more.
- Suppose forward. Stir fries go quick. When you begin tossing elements into the pan, you’ll want to be very attentive, consistently holding them shifting. This implies you gained’t have time to slice and cube when you begin cooking. So ensure to prep all of your elements and preserve them near the range.
- Use the fitting pan. It is very important use a heavy-bottomed pan with a big floor space (ideally a wok) when making this scrumptious rooster stir fry. This ensures a good unfold of warmth to all areas of the pan and that all the elements have an equal and ample likelihood of being immediately uncovered to the recent steel.
- Cook dinner on excessive. Get your pan good and scorching earlier than you even take into consideration including something to it. The excessive warmth cooks shortly, permitting the meals to take care of their contemporary, pure flavors whereas nonetheless cooking during.
- Preserve it shifting. Since you are utilizing such excessive temperatures, one second away from the range may imply burnt rooster. So ensure to repeatedly stir the elements in your pan or wok.
- Don’t crowd the pan. When browning the rooster, ensure all the items have sufficient room to make contact with the recent pan. If the pan is crowded, the rooster is not going to brown correctly and can, as a substitute, launch its juices, leaving you with dry meat.

What to Serve with Chinese language Szechuan Hen
Whereas this rooster stir fry is scrumptious by itself, it’s much more pleasant with the addition of a facet or two. Listed here are a few of my favourite methods to serve this traditional takeout dish.

Tips on how to Retailer & Reheat Leftovers
- Chinese language Szechuan rooster makes for fantastic leftovers. Enable the dish to chill utterly earlier than sealing it in an hermetic container and storing within the fridge for as much as 4 days.
- When reheating, warmth a little bit of avocado oil in a big, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium warmth. Add the leftovers to the pan and prepare dinner for five minutes (or till heated by means of), stirring typically.
Extra Chinese language Takeout Recipes:
All of us get cravings for Chinese language takeout each every now and then. Is Szechuan rooster not your factor? No drawback. Listed here are a couple of of my different favourite Chinese language takeout copycat recipes. Let me know which one is your fave.
ENJOY!
For the sauce
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In a small mixing bowl, whisk collectively the cornstarch and water till easy.
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Add the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, toasted sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, minced ginger, and honey, and whisk till easy. Put aside.
For the Szechuan rooster
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Add the rooster and cornstarch to a medium-sized mixing bowl and toss to coat the rooster with the cornstarch.
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In a big, heavy-bottomed pan or wok, warmth half of the avocado oil over medium-high warmth.
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Add the rooster and sauté for 3 minutes, browning the rooster on all sides.
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Take away the rooster from the pan and put aside.
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Add the remaining avocado oil and permit to warmth for about 20 seconds.
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Add the white components of the scallions, sliced bell peppers, and dried purple chilis to the pan and sauté till the chilis begin to hydrate and the bell peppers start to melt, about 10 minutes.
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Add the garlic and sauté for 15 seconds or till aromatic.
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Return the rooster to the pan, stir within the Szechuan sauce, and proceed to prepare dinner till the rooster is cooked by means of and the sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes.
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Season with salt and floor black pepper and garnish with the inexperienced components of the scallions.
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Serve.
- Hen: I used boneless skinless rooster breasts, however boneless rooster thighs are additionally a superb possibility.
- Avocado Oil: I like this oil for high-heat cooking, however you can too use vegetable oil, peanut oil, or different high-smoke level oil.
- Dried Chilis: You may get a bag of those at your native import/export retailer, a well-stocked grocery retailer, Amazon, and so on… Nevertheless, if you happen to can’t discover any, use a few teaspoons (or to style) of purple pepper flakes.
- Use the fitting pan. It is very important use a heavy-bottomed pan with a big floor space – suppose Wok – when making scrumptious stir-fries.
- Don’t crowd the pan when cooking the rooster. If the pan is loaded, the rooster will steam and never brown.
Serving: 8 ounces | Energy: 350 kcal | Carbohydrates: 26 g | Protein: 28 g | Fats: 15 g | Saturated Fats: 2 g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 3 g | Monounsaturated Fats: 8 g | Trans Fats: 0.01 g | Ldl cholesterol: 73 mg | Sodium: 1308 mg | Potassium: 783 mg | Fiber: 3 g | Sugar: 9 g | Vitamin A: 2951 IU | Vitamin C: 155 mg | Calcium: 32 mg | Iron: 2 mg | Internet Carbs: 23 g
Dietary information is an estimate and offered as courtesy. Values could fluctuate based on the elements and instruments used. Please use your most well-liked dietary calculator for extra detailed information.