Are Sichuan peppercorns the same as red peppercorns?

No. Sichuan peppercorns are actually the berries of the prickly ash tree and not peppercorns. They have a fragrant citrusy flavor and make your tongue and lips tingle a little. Red peppercorns are most similar to black peppercorns. In fact, they are essentially peppercorns but in a different stage of ripening. When peppercorns are left to fully ripen, they turn red or pink. In terms of flavor, they are mildly spicy with a hint of sweetness and similar to black peppercorns.

Where to buy Xiao Mi La dried chilies?

In Asia, you sometimes can find them in small sealable zipper bags that are sold at stalls in wet markets. This is where I purchase mine. You could also order it online. The Mala Market stocks high quality Sichuan ingredients that they source from farmers and manufacturers in China. They have both Xiao Mi La dried chilies and Sichuan red peppercorns and ship within the US and to select international countries.

Can I substitute rice vinegar for Shao Xing wine?

Dry sherry is the best substitute for Shao Xing rice wine. Rice vinegar alone would make this dish too acidic. For a non-alcoholic substitute, use chicken or veggie stock and add a small pinch of brown sugar and a little rice vinegar to yield a similar savory-sweet flavor profile. Mirin (a sweet Japanese cooking wine) can also be substituted, but omit the white sugar in the recipe if using it.

Sichuan Garlic Chicken Stir-fry

Name: Sichuan Garlic Chicken Stir-fry
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Sichuan
Ingredients: 200 grams / 7 ounces Chicken Thigh Fillets, skinless – excess fat trimmed, cut into bite-sized pieces; 1/8 TSP Kosher Salt (use half the amount if using iodized table salt); ½ TBLS Low Sodium Light Soy Sauce; 1 TSP Shao Xing Rice Wine (substitute dry sherry if unavailable); ¼ TSP Sesame Oil; ¾ TSP Potato Starch (or Corn Starch); ½ TSP Potato Starch; ¾ TSP Kosher Salt; ¼ TSP ground White Pepper; 1.5 TSP White Sugar, to taste (note 1); ½ TBLS Shao Xing Rice Wine; ½ TSP Dark soy Sauce; 79ml / ⅓ cup Water; 2-10 Dried Red Chilies, to taste (note 2) – snipped into ½-inch pieces; 1 Spring Onion (Scallion/Green Onion) -finely chopped, white and light green parts separated from dark green parts; ½ medium Red Bell Pepper (note 3) – deseeded, diced; 3 Garlic cloves – minced; 1 – 3 fresh Red Chilies (Thai Bird’s Eye or any other small hot red chilies – note 4) – finely chopped; ½ TSP Sichuan Red Peppercorns – only husks, twigs and seeds removed and discarded (note 5); 2 TBLS Peanut Oil (or other neutral cooking oil with a high smoke point); 1.5 TBLS Lao Gan Ma Pickled Chilies Sauce (note 6) – strained; ½ TSP Sesame Oil

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Tender chicken pieces, plenty of garlic, red bell pepper, Sichuan red peppercorns and chilies come together in a mouthwatering and fragrant sauce in this quick and easy Sichuan Garlic Chicken Stir-fry!

Author: Lavina
Prep Time: 15
Cook Time: 10
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 2 1x
Category: Dinner
Method: Stir-fry
Cuisine: Sichuan

Ingredients

Scale

For the Chicken Marinade:

200 grams / 7 ounces Chicken Thigh Fillets, skinless – excess fat trimmed, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/8 TSP Kosher Salt (use half the amount if using iodized table salt)
½ TBLS Low Sodium Light Soy Sauce
1 TSP Shao Xing Rice Wine (substitute dry sherry if unavailable)
¼ TSP Sesame Oil
¾ TSP Potato Starch (or Corn Starch)

For the Sauce:

½ TSP Potato Starch
¾ TSP Kosher Salt
¼ TSP ground White Pepper
1.5 TSP White Sugar, to taste (note 1)
½ TBLS Shao Xing Rice Wine
½ TSP Dark soy Sauce
79ml / ⅓ cup Water

For the Stir-fry:

2–10 Dried Red Chilies, to taste (note 2) – snipped into ½-inch pieces
1 Spring Onion (Scallion/Green Onion) -finely chopped, white and light green parts separated from dark green parts
½ medium Red Bell Pepper (note 3) – deseeded, diced
3 Garlic cloves – minced
1 – 3 fresh Red Chilies (Thai Bird’s Eye or any other small hot red chilies – note 4) – finely chopped
½ TSP Sichuan Red Peppercorns – only husks, twigs and seeds removed and discarded (note 5)
2 TBLS Peanut Oil (or other neutral cooking oil with a high smoke point)
1.5 TBLS Lao Gan Ma Pickled Chilies Sauce (note 6) – strained
½ TSP Sesame Oil

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Instructions

Prep:

Marinate the chicken: Trim the excess fat from the chicken thighs and cut into bite-sized pieces. Add to a medium-sized bowl, followed by the kosher salt, low sodium light soy sauce, Shao Xing rice wine, sesame oil and potato starch. Mix to coat and set aside for 15 minutes to marinate.
Make the sauce: Whisk together the potato starch, kosher salt, ground white pepper, white sugar, Shao Xing rice wine, dark soy sauce and water in a small measuring cup or bowl until throughly combined.
Prepare the dry and fresh ingredients: Prepare the dried red chilies, spring onion, garlic, red chilies and Sichuan red peppercorns as indicated in the ‘Ingredients’ section.

For the Sichuan Garlic Chicken Stir-fry:

Cook the chicken: Heat 2 tablespoons peanut oil in a large wok (or heavy bottomed deep edged skillet) over high heat. Once hot, add the chicken and immediately spread out the pieces in the wok. Allow to sear for 20-30 seconds, then stir-fry for 30 seconds or until the chicken is 80% cooked. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken to a fine mesh strainer held above the wok, letting the oil drip back in. Tip the chicken into a clean bowl and set aside.
Sauté the picked chilies sauce: Heat the oil in the wok over medium heat. Add the pickled chilies sauce and sauté for 15-20 seconds.
Stir-fry the aromatics: Add the spring onion white and light green parts and garlic. Stir-fry for 20 seconds until fragrant.
Add the bell pepper: Add the red bell pepper and toss for 30 seconds to combine.
Add the chilies and peppercorns: Add the dried and fresh red chilies and the Sichuan red peppercorns. Stir-fry until the dried chilies have slightly darkened, taking care to not let them or the peppercorns burn – about 20 seconds.
Add the chicken and sauce: Give the sauce a quick stir with a spoon to loosen up the starch at the bottom. Then add the chicken into the wok and pour the sauce over everything. Turn the heat up and stir-fry for 1 minute, until the sauce thickens slightly and coats everything well.
Stir through spring onion greens and sesame oil: Stir through most of the spring onion dark green parts (reserve a few pieces for garnish) and remove the wok from the heat. Stir in the sesame oil.
To Serve: Transfer to a serving plate/dish and garnish with the reserved spring onion dark green parts. Serve immediately with warm steamed rice.

Chinese dried red chilies

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Notes

White Sugar. Feel free to use more or less to taste. If using less dried chilies or fresh red chilies, you may not need as much sugar to balance out the heat.
Dried Red Chilies. I’ve used Chinese Xiao Mi La dried red chilies which are fiery hot. You can use any type of Chinese or Thai dried red chilies that are easily available to you. If using Thai dried red chilies, use less as they tend to be hotter than most Chinese dried red chilies. Shake out some or all of the seeds after snipping the dried chilies to make this dish milder. You can also leave the dried chilies whole to get the fragrant aroma but without too much heat.
Red Bell Pepper. This adds a delicious crunchy texture and more color to this stir-fry. But any crisp, stir-fry friendly veggies like celery and bamboo shoots will work. You’ll need ½-¾ cup diced celery or ½ cup thinly sliced bamboo shoots.
Fresh Red Chilies. For a milder dish, omit or use less and deseed if desired.
Sichuan Red Peppercorns. These fragrant peppercorns have a citrusy and numbing flavor. They aren’t incredibly spicy hot, but they do make your lips and tongue buzz and tingle a little. Discard the twigs and seeds and use only the husks – they carry the flavor and won’t add a gritty texture to the dish. Look for them in an Asian supermarket or order it online. If you’re based in Asia, you might find stalls in your local wet market selling small quantities in sealable zipper bags.
Lao Gan Ma Pickled Chilies Sauce. In traditional Sichuan dishes that call for pickled chilies, pickled fresh er jing tiao chilies (pao la jiao – 泡辣椒) is used. However, since it isn’t available easily outside of China, I use Lao Gan Ma Pickled Chilies sauce. This condiment has a highly addictive hot and tangy flavor profile! Look for it an Asian or Chinese supermarket, or purchase a jar it online. In a pinch, substitute with chopped Mexican or Thai pickled red chilies or sambal oelek to yield a similar flavor. I don’t recommend omitting or reducing the quantity of this as doing so will significantly alter the flavor of the dish.
Double the recipe. This recipe as written makes enough for 2 servings. To make four servings, click the ‘2x’ button at the top of the recipe card to show double the ingredients amounts. Just make sure to use a large enough wok. If you don’t have a very large wok, stir-fry in two batches.