Sichuan Peppercorn Chicken Thighs is a dish we make quite often, as it is not only tasty but also super easy to make! Add ingredients to chicken thighs, let it soak it in, pan fry and serve!

Sichuan Peppercorn

Sichuan pepper, also known as Szechuan pepper, Szechwan pepper, or mala pepper, is a spice commonly used in the Sichuan cuisine. It is interesting because it will add a ‘numbing’ factor in to the food. It may come as a surprise if you’ve never had it before.

You can find them in your local Chinese supermarket or even online such as Amazon:

Sichuan Peppercorns 4 Oz.

Soeos Sichuan Peppercorns 4oz (113g), Mala Pepper, Grade A Red Szechuan Peppercorns, Tingle Numbing Effect, Less Seeds, Strong Flavor Sichuan Peppercorns

52USA Szechuan Peppercorns(4OZ), Sichuan Red Peppercorns, Tingly Numbness Whole Szechuan Peppercorns, Key Ingredients for Mapo Tofu and Scihuan Dishes

If you like this ingredient – check out my recipes that use it:

Mapo Tofu (Easy Recipe)

Cumin Lamb Stir Fry

Stir Fry Cabbage with Sichuan Peppercorn

Dark Meat vs. White Meat

I use Chicken Thighs for this recipe. But you could use chick breast instead of chicken thighs depending on your preference. Usually, you can use them interchangeably ad then for some recipes, depending on the thickness of the chicken you may need to adjust the timing.

Basically – just make sure that the chicken is thoroughly cooked before serving!

If you’re curious about the differences between the two, here’s an article all about it.

With all that said, I do recommend Chicken Thighs though because it is a lot more tender.

How to make Sichuan Peppercorn Chicken Thighs

First gather your ingredients:

• 1 lb chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorn
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil

Rub salt, cornstarch, Sichuan peppercorn to chicken thighs and coat well. Place in ziplock bag or a bowl and allow to marinade for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator (up to overnight – which is what I normally do, the longer the tastier.)

When ready to cook, heat up the vegetable in a skillet on medium high heat. Place chicken thighs in one layer in the pan, avoid crowding.

Allow it to cook on one side for about 4 minutes or until the under side is browned, then turn over and fry the other side for about another 4 minutes or until browned and chicken is cooked thoroughly.

Remove from heat and serve!

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