Spicy Sichuan Chicken Stir Fry with Garlic and Chilies

Looking for a bold and flavorful stir fry? This Spicy Sichuan Chicken Stir Fry is packed with juicy marinated chicken, smashed garlic, dried red chilies, and savory chili bean sauce. It's fiery, tingly, garlicky-and comes together fast in a wok!

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• About The Ingredients
• How to cook Sichuan Chicken (Step by Step)
• Spicy Sichuan Chicken Stir Fry with Garlic and Chilies Recipe
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• More Delicious Spicy Asian Recipes!

My grandma on my mom's side is from Sichuan, and I've had a strong love for Sichuan cuisine ever since I was little. This chicken stir fry is how my mom always made it at home - spicy, garlicky, and packed with flavor. It's one of those comforting dishes that always reminds me of family dinners growing up.

About The Ingredients

Here are some ingredient highlights to help you make this dish as delicious as possible:

Light vs. Dark Soy Sauce

I use both light soy sauce (生抽, sheng chou) and dark soy sauce (老抽, lao chou) in this recipe.

• Light soy sauce is saltier and thinner. It's what most recipes mean when they just say "soy sauce," and it's used mainly for seasoning.
• Dark soy sauce is thicker, darker, and a bit sweeter. It's often used to add rich color and depth to dishes, rather than saltiness.

If you only have light soy sauce, you can still make this dish-but it may come out a bit saltier and lighter in color. You can use a touch of brown sugar or molasses if you want to replicate the color and sweetness of dark soy.

Rice cooking wine

You can use either Shaoxing wine or Michiu. Both are Chinese cooking wines-Shaoxing is a bit darker and lower in alcohol, while Michiu is drier and stronger. Either one works here to add depth and umami to the marinade.

If you can't find this - feel free to substitute with rice vinegar.

Chili Bean Sauce (Doubanjiang, 豆瓣酱)

Chilli Bean sauce or paste or Dou Ban Jian 豆瓣酱, is a chunky sauce that is spicy and savory. It's traditionally made from fermented broad beans, chili peppers, soybeans, salt and flour.

This ingredient is very often used in Sichuan food (such as mapo tofu), and of course the dish we are making today.

The one I usually use is Har Har La Doubanjiang (the one pictured on the left) but I use the spicy one:

I've made this recipe many times over the years, and one thing I've noticed is that the flavor (and color!) can vary a lot depending on the brand of chili bean paste you use.

Most recently, I used a different brand of doubanjiang than usual-and it turned out noticeably darker and richer in color. Still super tasty, just a little deeper in flavor!

Here's one time I used Pixian Chili Bean Paste:

So don't worry if yours looks a little different than my photos-it's all about finding the balance that works for your taste buds and what's in your pantry.

Pro tip: If your chili bean paste is on the saltier side, you may want to go easy on added salt or soy sauce.

Sichuan Peppercorn

This one's optional but recommended if you like that classic mala (numbing + spicy) flavor. Sichuan peppercorn adds a slight citrusy tingle and numbing sensation-super fun if you've never tried it before.

You can use them whole but just know you'll bite in to them and get a blast of mala! Or you can use the ground Sichuan pepper corn as well. Or as mentioned - you can skip it all together.

Dried red chili

You will need some dried red chili, Sichuan food is known to be spicy! Depending on the one you buy it could be spicy vs. not that spicy - there's literally thousands of varieties.

The most common one I use is Tianjin pepper, aka Chao Tian Jiao, which actually directly translate to facing the sky because they grow pointing upwards!

You can definitely use as much or as little of this ingredient as you wish! It depends on how spicy you like it!

Pickled red chili (Optional)

These add another layer of tangy heat! Store-bought or homemade both work-my version comes from my Chinese pickled cucumber recipe. Totally optional, but worth trying if you like a little complexity.

Sichuan chili powder (Optional)

If you want to kick up the heat and add even more depth, you can sprinkle in a bit of Sichuan chili powder -it's usually made from roasted Chinese dried chilies and adds a rich, slightly smoky spice. Not the same as regular chili powder! A little goes a long way, and it gives the stir fry that extra Sichuan edge. Totally optional, but delicious if you love it spicy.

How to cook Sichuan Chicken (Step by Step)

Gather all your ingredients! Here they are below, I've split them up in the the marinade vs. the rest of the recipe:

Chicken Marinade

• 1 lb boneless chicken thigh, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon rice cooking wine (or rice vinegar)

Stir Fry

• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon chili bean sauce (doubanjiang)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorn (optional)
• ½-1 teaspoon Sichuan chili powder (optional)
• 4-6 dried red chili peppers
• 4-6 pickled red chili peppers (optional)
• Salt, to taste
• 2 green onions, chopped

Marinate the Chicken:
In a mixing bowl, combine chicken with cornstarch, light soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice wine (or rice vinegar). Mix well and let marinate for at least 30 minutes (or up to overnight in the fridge).

Sauté the Garlic and Chilies
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and dried red chilies. Stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Cook the Chicken:
Add marinated chicken to the pan along with chili bean sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, Sichuan peppercorn (if using), Sichuan chili powder (if using). Stir-fry until the chicken is mostly browned and nearly cooked through.

Add Pickled Chilies (Optional):
Stir in the pickled red chilies if using. Cook for 1 more minute or until chicken is fully cooked through. Avoid overcooking the pickled chilies to preserve their tang.

Season and Finish
Add chopped green onions and salt to taste. Stir everything together until cooked thoroughly, then remove from heat.

Serve:
Serve hot over steamed rice or noodles. Enjoy that spicy goodness!

Here's one time I used a different brand of doubanjiang, and you can see it gave the dish a much darker color-but it's just as tasty! Depending on the brand you use, your stir fry might look a little lighter or darker, but don't worry-it'll still be packed with flavor.

Pin for later!

More Delicious Spicy Asian Recipes!

If you love bold, spicy flavors, here are more recipes you'll want to try next:

• Spicy Kimchi Pork Stir Fry with Gochujang
  Packed with sliced pork, kimchi, gochujang, and gochugaru for a fiery Korean-style stir fry. Done in under 20 minutes!
• Spicy Wontons in Chili Oil
  Juicy wontons drenched in a rich, flavorful sauce made with chili oil, garlic, soy sauce, and sesame oil. An addictive Chinese appetizer!
• Jalapeño Chicken Stir Fry
  Juicy chicken thighs stir-fried with jalapeños, garlic, and chili bean paste for a quick and spicy kick. One of my all-time favorites!
• Garlic Chili Crisp Salmon
  Pan-seared salmon topped with spicy chili crisp, garlic, and soy sauce. Super easy and full of flavor.