By Krista Teigen
Published Jun 13, 2025
When I want a hot and spicy stir fry, this Szechuan Chicken recipe is my go-to. The homemade Szechuan sauce—packed with sweet, savory, and fiery flavors—comes together with simple, everyday ingredients. Fresh bell peppers, onions, Thai chilis, and tender chicken are stir-fried to perfection and then tossed with crunchy peanuts for the ultimate texture and taste.
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As a family that loves Chinese takeout, recreating restaurant favorites at home is always exciting, and this Szechuan chicken recipe has quickly become a star in our kitchen. I used my homemade Szechuan sauce to coat the tender chicken and crunchy vegetables and added peanuts for a crunchy texture. This recipe makes the perfect Chinese stir-fry chicken right at home.
Tips For Beginners
- When making a stir-fry, it’s essential to have all your ingredients prepped and ready before turning on the stove. Stir-fries are cooked at high heat and come together in minutes, leaving little room for multitasking.
- Adjust the balance of sweet, savory, and spicy to suit your palate. Add more sugar to the sauce if you prefer a sweeter sauce, or increase the Thai chilies for extra heat.
Ingredients1x2x3x
- ▢ ¼ cup soy sauce
- ▢ 2 tbsp cornstarch
- ▢ 1 tbsp mirin
- ▢ 1 tsp sesame oil
- ▢ 1½ lbs chicken breast* sliced into bite-sized pieces
- ▢ 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- ▢ ½ onion sliced
- ▢ 1 green bell pepper** sliced
- ▢ 1 red bell pepper sliced
- ▢ 10-15 dried Thai red chilis substitute 1-2 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
- ▢ 3 cloves garlic minced
- ▢ 1/3 cup peanuts
- ▢ 1 batch of homemade Szechuan sauce
- ▢ Chopped green onion
Video
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, cornstarch, mirin, and sesame oil. Add in the chicken, and let it sit for 20-30 minutes. ¼ cup soy sauce, 2 tbsp cornstarch, 1 tbsp mirin, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1½ lbs chicken breast*
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Once heated, add in the chicken pieces, and cook for 2-3 minutes per side until cooked through. Place the cooked chicken on a plate. 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- Make sure all veggies are dry before adding them to the wok to avoid steaming instead of stir-frying. Add the onion, bell peppers, and Thai chilis to the same skillet, and cook for a few minutes until browned and softened. Add in the garlic and cook for another minute. ½ onion, 1 green bell pepper**, 1 red bell pepper, 10-15 dried Thai red chilis, 3 cloves garlic
- Add the chicken back to the skillet along with the peanuts, and toss with the vegetables. 1/3 cup peanuts
- Pour in the Szechuan sauce and stir to combine. Cook for another 1-2 minutes until the sauce thickens. 1 batch of homemade Szechuan sauce
- Sprinkle with chopped green onion, and serve with rice. Chopped green onion
Equipment
- 1 Dutch Oven or Wok
Becky’s Tips
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to Cook Szechuan Chicken Step by Step
Marinade the Chicken: In a large bowl, whisk together ¼ cup soy sauce, 2 tbsp cornstarch, 1 tbsp mirin, and 1 tsp sesame oil. Add 1 ½ pounds of chicken breasts sliced into bite-sized pieces. Marinate for at least 30 minutes.
Cook the Chicken: Heat a wok or large skillet with 3 tbsp vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the marinated chicken pieces and cook for 2-3 minutes per side until cooked through. Once cooked, place the chicken to the side.
Fry the Vegetables: Make sure all veggies are dry before adding them to the wok to avoid steaming. Add onion, bell peppers, and Thai chilis to the same skillet, and cook for a few minutes until browned and softened. Add in the garlic and cook for another minute. Add ½ cup sliced onion, 1 sliced green pepper, 1 sliced red pepper, and 10-15 dried Thai red chilis. Cook for a few minutes until browned and slightly softened. You still want a little crunch. Add 3 minced garlic cloves and cook for 1 more minute until the garlic is fragrant.
Add the Chicken and Peanuts: Add the cooked chicken back into the pan and add ⅓ cup of peanuts. Toss the chicken and peanuts with the stir-fried vegetables.
Add the Sauce: Pour in 1 batch of the homemade Szechuan sauce and stir to fully combine. Cook for another 1-2 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken.
Finish and Serve: Finish each serving with a sprinkling of chopped green onion, serve over rice or noodles, and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
I usually serve this spicy Chinese chicken over fluffy basmati rice or toss it with cooked lo mein or rice noodles for a comforting, low-carb meal. Szechuan chicken is the perfect one-pan meal for your busy weeknights or for dinner parties.
More Chicken recipes to try
Baked Chicken Tacos Recipe
Melt in Your Mouth Caesar Chicken
Creamy White Chicken Chili
Grilled Salmon with Avocado Salsa
Szechuan Chicken
Equipment
- 1 Dutch Oven or Wok
Ingredients
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1½ lbs chicken breast* sliced into bite-sized pieces
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- ½ onion sliced
- 1 green bell pepper** sliced
- 1 red bell pepper sliced
- 10-15 dried Thai red chilis substitute 1-2 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/3 cup peanuts
- 1 batch of homemade Szechuan sauce
- Chopped green onion
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, cornstarch, mirin, and sesame oil. Add in the chicken, and let it sit for 20-30 minutes. ¼ cup soy sauce, 2 tbsp cornstarch, 1 tbsp mirin, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1½ lbs chicken breast*
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Once heated, add in the chicken pieces, and cook for 2-3 minutes per side until cooked through. Place the cooked chicken on a plate. 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- Make sure all veggies are dry before adding them to the wok to avoid steaming instead of stir-frying. Add the onion, bell peppers, and Thai chilis to the same skillet, and cook for a few minutes until browned and softened. Add in the garlic and cook for another minute. ½ onion, 1 green bell pepper**, 1 red bell pepper, 10-15 dried Thai red chilis, 3 cloves garlic
- Add the chicken back to the skillet along with the peanuts, and toss with the vegetables. 1/3 cup peanuts
- Pour in the Szechuan sauce and stir to combine. Cook for another 1-2 minutes until the sauce thickens. 1 batch of homemade Szechuan sauce
- Sprinkle with chopped green onion, and serve with rice. Chopped green onion
Video
Notes
Nutrition
By Becky Hardin
Published Jul 12, 2017
This Essential Grocery List is an absolute life saver for my family on the busy weeks. When I started this journey to learn how to cook, I quickly realized that the first step in cooking is having staple ingredients on hand. I want to avoid having to run out to the grocery store every single time I prepare a new recipe. Having a well-stocked pantry has made my life in the kitchen so much simpler, because when it’s time to cook, I have what I need.
Essential Grocery List
It’s so helpful to have a basic grocery list to help me remember which foods to buy at the store. This food shopping list is my go-to!
It’s better to stock up on things like grains, seasonings and spices, baking essentials, oils, condiments, canned and frozen foods, etc. so I can just grab them when I need them. These things have a long shelf life , so I keep them in my kitchen for convenience.
However, I do have to go to the supermarket sometimes, and there’s a way to make that trip easy and hassle-free: I keep a grocery list! If I go in blindly, I’ll leave with things I don’t need, and nothing that actually helps me prepare a good meal.
In the list below, I’ve compiled everything I always have on my stock-up grocery list.
I’ve got you covered! I created an easy grocery list filled with all of the essentials. Plus there’s a free printable version that you can take with you to the grocery store. It has everything you need to stock your pantry, your freezer, and your refrigerator.
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List
What to Buy at the Grocery Store
This is the perfect grocery list filled with all the basics and essentials. It should help get you going if you’re new to cooking, or if you’re just left staring helplessly at an empty pantry and don’t know how to fill it.
When I first started cooking, things could seem overwhelming. I quickly realized that they more prepared I could be, the more confident I felt. If you already have the basics in your kitchen, then you can shop stress-free.
So print out our easy grocery list, stock up your pantry and fridge, and you’ll be cooking in no time!
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Fresh Produce
- Apples
- Bananas
- Strawberries
- Avocados
- Bell Peppers
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Garlic
- Lemons/Limes
- Onion
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Basil
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
GRAINS
- Breadcrumbs
- Pasta
- Quinoa
- Rice
- Sandwich Bread
- Tortillas
MEAT/PROTEIN
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Ground Beef
- Sliced Turkey
- Lunch Meat
DAIRY
- Butter
- Sliced Cheese
- Shredded Cheese
- Milk
- Sour Cream
- Greek Yogurt
BAKING GOODS
- Baking powder
- Baking Soda
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Flour
- Honey
- Vanilla Extract
- Dry Yeast
- Chocolate Chips
- Cocoa Powder
- Powdered Sugar
FREEZER
- Fruit and Berries
- Frozen Veggies (Corn, Peas, Broccoli, etc)
- Juice Concentrate
- Pizza or Other Convenience Meals
- Pie Crust
- Cookie Dough
CANNED/DRIED GOODS
- Chicken stock/broth
- Salsa
- Diced Tomatoes
- Jam/Jelly
- Peanut Butter
- Pasta Sauce
- Beans (Black Beans, Chickpeas, Baked Beans, etc)
- Soups
- Tuna
- Green Chiles
- Canned Veggies
- Coffee or Tea
Get more details on the best non-perishable and pantry foods
CONDIMENTS/SPICES
- Black Pepper
- Chili Powder
- Cinnamon
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Cumin
- Garlic Powder
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Mayo
- Nutmeg
- Paprika
- Salt (Course Sea Salt and Kosher Salt)
- Soy Sauce
- Steak Sauce
- Hot Sauce/ Buffalo Sauce
- Salad Dressings
OILS/VINEGARS
- Apple cider vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Coconut Oil
- Olive Oil
- Vegetable/Canola Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- White Vinegar
- Cooking Wine
- White Wine Vinegar
SNACKS
- Crackers
- Nuts
- Quick Oats
- Popcorn
- Tortilla Chips
- Cereal
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Click ☝🏻 for my FREE Grocery List Printable!
I hope this essential grocery list can help you buy what you need and make your home cooking so much easier!
Stock Your Kitchen
Find more ideas for your grocery list, stock up your kitchen, and print more cooking guides and charts to keep handy!
Non-Perishable Foods to Stock Up On
Frozen Vegetables to Stock Up On (and Recipes to Make)
Ultimate List of Cooking Herbs for Your Kitchen
Ultimate List of Cooking Spices for Your Kitchen
Cooking Oil 101: Types of Cooking Oils to Use
26 Types of Pasta and When to Use Them
What Fruits and Vegetables are in Season?
Meat Temperature Chart (Free Printable)
How to Meal Prep (Guide for Beginners)
Basic Cooking Measurements & Kitchen Conversion Chart
