Sichuan Chicken Stir Fry with Spicy Garlic Sauce

This easy restaurant-style Szechuan chicken stir-fry is a perfect weeknight dinner — ready in about 30 minutes. Tender chicken breast tossed with Chinese five-spice and a simple Asian-style sauce, plus plenty of vegetables for a balanced, flavorful meal.

Szechuan-style chicken is one of those takeout favorites that’s sweet, savory, and spicy all at once. The problem with many restaurant versions is the heavy use of oil and refined sugar, which can add unnecessary calories. This homemade version cuts back on oil, skips refined sugar, and adds vegetables so you get a nutritious, protein-packed meal without sacrificing flavor.

Serve this Szechuan chicken with steamed rice or cauliflower rice for a lower-carb option. The recipe scales easily and works well with other proteins or a vegetarian version.

What is Chinese five-spice?

Chinese five-spice powder is a fragrant blend commonly used in Chinese cooking. Typical components include star anise, fennel seed, Szechuan peppercorns (or regular peppercorns), cloves, and cinnamon. It adds a warm, aromatic depth to stir-fries and marinades and is an essential flavor in this recipe. You can buy it at most grocery stores or make a small batch at home.

Five-spice is versatile — once you have it on hand, try it in other chicken or tofu dishes, marinades, or even roasted vegetables.

How to make Szechuan Chicken Stir-fry

Stir-fries cook quickly, so prep everything before you start: chop vegetables, measure the sauce ingredients, and cut the chicken into even pieces. Having everything ready ensures each component goes into the pan at the right time and cooks perfectly.

Make the sauce

Step 1 – Heat a large skillet over medium heat and toast ½ teaspoon whole peppercorns (black or Szechuan) until fragrant, about 1–2 minutes. Crush them coarsely. Tip: if you don’t have a mortar and pestle, place the peppercorns on a cutting board and crush with the bottom of a heavy pan.

Step 2 – In a bowl, whisk together ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce, 3 tablespoons honey (or maple syrup), 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon mirin (optional), 3 cloves minced garlic, 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger, 1 tablespoon chili paste (such as sambal oelek), ¼ teaspoon Chinese five-spice, and 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Set the sauce aside.

Make the stir-fry

Step 3 – Toss 1 lb (about 500 g) boneless chicken breast pieces with 3 tablespoons cornstarch and a pinch of salt so each piece is evenly coated.

Step 4 – In the same skillet used for toasting peppercorns, heat 2 tablespoons oil over high heat. When very hot, add the chicken in a single layer and cook undisturbed for about 3 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Flip and cook the other side. Work in batches if needed to avoid overcrowding. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate.

Step 5 – Add another tablespoon of oil (or less if the pan still has oil), then add 1 large yellow onion (cut into ½-inch pieces) and two large bell peppers (red and green, cut into 1-inch pieces). Stir-fry, stirring frequently, for 3–4 minutes until softened.

Step 6 – Add about 10 small dried red chilies (such as chile de arbol) and stir-fry 30 seconds more. Return the chicken to the skillet, whisk the sauce briefly, and pour it over the chicken and vegetables. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds to 1 minute until the sauce thickens and coats everything.

Serve immediately over rice or cauliflower rice. The dried chilies are for flavor — avoid eating them whole unless you like intense heat.

Ingredients

Stir-fry

• 1 lb / 500 g boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 tbsp cornstarch (for coating chicken)
• 3 tbsp avocado or neutral vegetable oil (divided: 2 tbsp + 1 tbsp)
• 1 large yellow onion, cut into ½-inch pieces
• 1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 large green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 10 small dried red chilies (optional, for heat and flavor)

Sauce

• ½ tsp whole black peppercorns (or Szechuan peppercorns), toasted and crushed
• ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 3 tbsp honey (or maple syrup / coconut sugar / brown sugar)
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp mirin (optional)
• 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 2 tsp fresh ginger, finely minced
• 1 tbsp garlic chili paste (sambal oelek or similar)
• ¼ tsp Chinese five-spice powder
• 1 tbsp cornstarch (to thicken the sauce)

Instructions (summary)

1. Toast and crush the peppercorns. Whisk together all sauce ingredients and set aside.
2. Coat chicken with cornstarch and salt. Fry in a hot skillet in 2 tbsp oil until golden and crispy, working in batches as needed. Remove chicken.
3. Stir-fry onions and bell peppers in remaining oil until softened. Add dried chilies and cook briefly.
4. Return chicken to the pan, add the sauce, and cook until it thickens and coats the chicken and vegetables. Serve hot over rice or cauliflower rice.

Storage and meal prep

This dish is best fresh, but it stores well. Refrigerate in airtight containers for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave. Vary your meals by serving the chicken over rice one day, rice noodles the next, or use it as a filling for lettuce wraps.

Tips

• Swap the protein: beef, shrimp, tofu, or extra vegetables all work well.
• Chicken thighs can be used for more flavor but may need a bit longer to cook.
• Any stir-fry-friendly vegetables can be substituted: broccoli, asparagus, mushrooms, carrots, or green beans.
• Kitchen tongs make it easy to flip chicken and stir-fry ingredients.

Nutrition (per serving)

More Asian-inspired recipe ideas

• Korean ground beef rice bowls
• Asian glazed meatballs
• Cauliflower fried rice
• Asian slaw with ginger-peanut dressing
• Chicken lettuce wraps