Easy Healthy Szechuan Chicken is just teeming with amazing flavor! Tangy, spicy, and sweet, Szechuan chicken covers all the flavor bases! Gluten-free, soy-free, and paleo-friendly!
Well. well, well…what a sultry, spicy, sweet little love affair we have here!
Chicken, meet bliss sauce. Bliss sauce…do your magic!
Have you had a chance to check out my Healthy Szechuan Beef ? If not, no worries because we’re recreating a very similar recipe here, making Szechuan Chicken in place of beef.
Let’s get straight to it!
What is Szechuan Chicken?:
Szechuan dishes (specifically, Szechuan Beef) originates from the Sichuan Province in southwestern China. Chili peppers (or chili paste), garlic, ginger, and Szechuan peppercorn are the main ingredients used to flavor the meal.
The sweet and spicy sauce includes complex flavors coming from oyster sauce, Chinese 5 spice, vinegar, soy sauce (in this case, coconut aminos), and sometimes hoisin sauce. It has a sweet, tangy, and spicy complicated taste to win over every single one of your taste buds.
Because oyster sauce contains some additives that I’m not psyched about, I replace it with more coconut aminos and red chili sauce to mimic the flavor.
Where to Get Ingredients for Szechuan Chicken:
If you peruse the recipe card, you’ll notice there are some ingredients you may not have or with which you may not be familiar. Don’t let that discourage you!
Most grocery stores carry the majority of the ingredients needed for this recipe. Sambal Oelek, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, coconut aminos, and tapioca flour are easy to find at most grocery stores.
Soy-Free Gochugang, Chinese 5 Spice, and Szechuan Peppercorns may be a bit more difficult to come by. I found them at my local Whole Foods, but you can buy them online as well.
How to Make Szechuan Chicken:
Marinate the Chicken: Add the sliced chicken and all of the ingredients for the marinade to a zip lock bag. Seal the bag and squish everything around until the chicken is well-coated in marinade. Refrigerate at least 1 hour, up to 24 hours.
Make the Sauce: Add all of the ingredients for the Szechuan sauce to a small blender and blend until well-combined (if you don’t have a small blender, simply whisk the ingredients well in a bowl until they’re combined). Set aside until ready to use.
Stir Fry the Vegetables: Add the avocado oil to a large skillet and heat to medium high. Add the vegetables and cook, stirring occasionally, until they reach your desired done-ness. Transfer the veggies to a plate or bowl and set aside.
Cook the Chicken: Return the skillet to medium-high heat and if need be, add more avocado oil to the skillet. Transfer the chicken with the marinade to the skillet and spread into an even layer.
Allow the chicken to cook undisturbed for a couple of minutes to brown. Stir well then allow the chicken to sit undisturbed again for another couple of minutes. Add the Szechuan sauce and bring to a full boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick and has reduced down a bit and the chicken is cooked through.
Serve!: Add the stir fried vegetables back into the skillet with the Szechuan chicken and stir well to combine.
Serve with your choice of steamed rice, cauliflower rice, or choice of sides!
More Asian-Inspired Meals:
- 30-Minute Paleo Mongolian Beef
- Sweet and Sour Pork
- Paleo General Chicken
- 30-Minute Sesame Ginger Garlic Broccoli Beef Stir Fry
- Teriyaki Salmon
- 30-Minute Chicken Green Curry
Enjoy this spicy little number!
My cookbook, Paleo Power Bowls, is available on Amazon! CLICK HERE to check it out. Thank you for your support!
If you make this recipe, please feel free to share a photo on Instagram and tag @The.Roasted.Root!
Easy Healthy Szechuan Chicken
Ingredients
Chicken & Marinade:
- 1 ½ pounds boneless chicken breasts or thighs cut into thin strips
- 3 tbsp coconut aminos*
- 1 Tbsp rice vinegar or cider vinegar
- 1 tsp sambal oelek
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp fresh ginger grated
- 1 tsp garlic powder
Szechuan Sauce:
- 1/3 cup coconut aminos*
- 2 Tbsp gochugang
- ¼ cup chicken broth or water
- 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 Tbsp sambal oelek
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp szechuan peppercorn
- 3/4 tsp Chinese 5 spice
- 1 Tbsp tapioca flour
Stir Fry:
- 2 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1 red onion sliced
- 1 red bell pepper cut into match sticks
- 1 large carrot grated or cut into match sticks
Instructions
- Marinate the Chicken: Add the sliced chicken and all of the ingredients for the marinade to a zip lock bag. Seal the bag and squish everything around until the chicken is well-coated in marinade. Refrigerate at least 1 hour, up to 24 hours.
- Make the Sauce: Add all of the ingredients for the Szechuan sauce to a small blender and blend until well-combined (if you don’t have a small blender, simply whisk the ingredients well in a bowl until they’re combined). Set aside until ready to use.
- Stir Fry the Vegetables: Add the avocado oil to a large skillet and heat to medium high. Add the vegetables and cook, stirring occasionally, until they reach your desired done-ness. Transfer the veggies to a plate or bowl and set aside.
- Cook the Chicken: Return the skillet to medium-high heat and if need be, add more avocado oil to the skillet. Transfer the chicken with the marinade to the skillet and spread into an even layer. Allow the chicken to cook undisturbed for a couple of minutes to brown. Stir well then allow the chicken to sit undisturbed again for another couple of minutes. Add the Szechuan sauce and bring to a full boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick and has reduced down a bit and the chicken is cooked through.
- Serve!: Add the stir fried vegetables back into the skillet with the Szechuan chicken and stir well to combine. Serve with your choice of steamed rice, cauliflower rice, or choice of sides!
Nutrition
