When that itch for takeout strikes, try out something new with this 30-Minute Szechuan Chicken Stir Fry! Brightly colored veggies and fried chicken, tossed in a sweet and spicy sauce, welcome you to the Far East any night of the week.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ▢2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
- ▢1 teaspoon soy sauce
- ▢1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast sliced into bite-sized pieces
Szechuan Sauce
- ▢¼ cup chicken stock
- ▢2 tablespoons soy sauce
- ▢1-2 tablespoons chili paste such as sambal oelek
- ▢1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- ▢1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ▢2 teaspoons brown sugar
- ▢½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Stir Fry
- ▢½ cup vegetable oil
- ▢1 1- inch piece fresh ginger peeled and grated
- ▢4 cloves garlic minced
- ▢5-6 dried red chilies chopped
- ▢1 cup snap peas
- ▢½ green bell pepper thinly sliced
- ▢½ red bell pepper thinly sliced
- ▢3 green onions chopped into 1-inch pieces, plus more for garnish
- ▢⅓ cup peanuts chopped
- ▢2 cups steamed white rice for serving
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine cornstarch, rice wine vinegar, and soy sauce. Whisk well, then add chicken and toss to coat; set aside to marinate.
Szechuan Sauce
- In a small bowl, whisk together stock, soy sauce, chili paste, vinegar, cornstarch, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes. Set aside.
Stir Fry
- In wok or large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until very hot, about 120 degrees F.
- Fry the chicken in batches until mostly cooked through and browned, about 5-6 minutes for each batch. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
- Drain oil from wok, reserving 2 tablespoons for frying vegetables. Return wok with reserved oil to heat.
- Add ginger, garlic, and red chilies and stir-fry until fragrant, 1 minute. Add peas, bell pepper, green onions, and peanuts and stir-fry for another 1-2 minutes.
- Return chicken to wok and continue stir-frying 2-3 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, pour on sauce mixture, and toss to coat. Simmer until thickened, about 3 minutes.
- Serve over white rice, and garnish with additional chopped green onion.