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    Schezwan Chicken Recipe

    Last Updated On: Apr 6, 2025 by Aarthi

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    Schezwan chicken, a crispy fried chicken tossed with fiery, sweet, sour schezwan sauce is a family favorite. Once you have a batch of schezwan sauce on hand, then making this take-out style Indo-chinese schezwan chicken, fried rice and noodles is a breeze. Learn how to make schezwan chicken with step by step pictures and video.

    Schezwan Chicken Recipe

    Schezwan chicken 

    Spicy Schezwan Chicken with step by step pictures. This recipe is a delicious chicken preparation that tastes hot and spicy with a unique aroma of schezwan sauce.

    My love for spicy foods have taken over my cooking too. Couple weeks back i was in a spicy mood, so decided to try out some schezwan cuisine. And i am telling you, this has become one of my favorite foods in the world. 

    Jump to:
    • About Schezwan chicken 
    • Watch Schezwan Chicken Video
    • Schezwan Chicken Ingredients
    • Homemade Schezwan Sauce Recipe
    • Tips for best Schezwan chicken
    • How to Make Schezwan Sauce (Stepwise Pictures)
    • How to Make Schezwan Chicken (Stepwise Pictures)
    • Expert Tips
    • Serving with Schezwan Chicken
    • FAQ
    • 📖 Recipe Card

    At first i made my homemade schezwan sauce. And then made couple of dishes from the sauce. I tried a schezwan fried rice and noodles . Both of them turned out to be absolutely delicious. It was love at first bite.

    About Schezwan chicken 

    Schezwan is also pronounced as sichuan. Sichuan is a province in China which is known for its spicy foods. While dishes from sichuan cuisine uses sichuan peppercorn, but we use locally available chilli peppers instead of peppercorn. 

    Schezwan chicken is made by marinating chicken with garlic, soy sauce, cornstarch, salt and pepper. This marinated chicken is fried till crispy and tossed in homemade schezwan sauce. Another version is my schezwan fried chicken which is made with marinated chicken fried with a sesame coating. 

    Traditionally Schezwan foods are fiery and spicy, but Chinese restaurants in India has modified the recipe to suit Indian taste palate. Schezwan chicken is one of the most loved take out food from Chinese restaurants. It is equally popular in street foods around India. 

    These days you can easily find readymade schezwan sauce at stores, but when you can whip up the sauce your own, then why would you go for those stuffs. I strongly recommend you to try out schezwan sauce at home and then make your dishes. Because the sauce is what makes this so flavourful. 

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    Watch Schezwan Chicken Video

    YouTube video

    Schezwan Chicken Ingredients

    ingredients for Schezwan Chicken Recipe

    Chicken - You can use boneless chicken thighs instead of chicken breast which makes this dish super juicy. Also the amount of sauce totally depends to your taste. 

    Garlic - I like to add lots of crushed garlic when making schezwan chicken. It adds aroma also removes the chicken smell. 

    Seasonings- as far as seasoning, I used soy sauce, salt, chilli flakes and pepper. 

    Cornstarch - this makes a crispy coating over the chicken. Also prevents the chicken from drying out when frying. 

    Schezwan sauce - I used homemade Schezwan sauce which is easy to make and taste at its best. If you don’t have the time to make homemade Schezwan sauce, you can use store bought. 

    Homemade Schezwan Sauce Recipe

    Homemade Schezwan Sauce Recipe

    Schezwan sauce is one of the most popular sauce from the sichuan cuisine. Not only in sichuan cusine, it is getting more popular as Indo-Chinese in restaurants. Some of the most popular dishes include schezwan chicken, schezwan noodles and spicy schezwan fried rice. Schezwan sauce is made with dry red chillies, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sugar and tomato ketchup cooked down to make a thick sauce like texture. 

    Schezwan Sauce Ingredients

    • 30 no Dry Red Chillies
    • ¼ cup Garlic peeled and crushed
    • 4 tbsp Ginger peeled and grated
    • ¼ cup Tomato ketchup
    • 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
    • 2 tsp Salt
    • 1 tsp Black Pepper Powder if you have sichuan pepper use them
    • 3 tbsp Sugar
    • ¼ cup Oil
    • ¼ cup Vinegar

    How to Make Schezwan Sauce

    • Take dry chillies and cut the top open. Remove the seeds out of it. Now take the chillies and add it to a sauce pan. Add 1 cup of water and bring it to boil. Simmer it for 5 mins. By this time the chillies must have plumped up. Drain chillies. Reserve the water, you need that for grinding. Take the chillies in a blender add the reserved water slowly and make them into a paste. Set aside till use.
    • Now heat oil in a sauce pan. Add in garlic and ginger. Fry it for couple of mins.
    • Now add in the chilli paste and mix well. Now add in ketchup, soya sauce, salt, sugar and pepper. Mix well. Simmer this sauce for 10 to 12 minutes on very low heat. Cook until oil separates on top.
    • Now the sauce is done. Cool this and store in a clean air tight container refrigerated.
    schezwan chicken

    Schezwan chicken (sichuan chicken) dry or gravy 

    Like all popular Chinese foods like chilli chicken, chicken manchurian, dragon chicken and garlic chicken, you can make this dish gravy or dry. While dry Schezwan chicken is perfect as an appetizer and gravy is best to serve with fried rice or noodles. 

    Schezwan chicken can be made dry or gravy as per your liking. You can adjust the consistency of Schezwan chicken to your liking. If you prefer it to be saucy side, add a cup of water to the sauce before adding chicken. You can thicken the sauce with some cornstarch slurry. 

    Make sure to toss the chicken with the sauce in a wok on high heat for wok-hay flavour. You can add lots of green onions, sesame seeds in the end for more presentable look. 

    schezwan chicken piece

    Tips for best Schezwan chicken

    Choosing chicken - You can use boneless chicken thighs instead of chicken breast which makes the chicken super juicy. If you are using chicken breast, fry the chicken for less time. So it stays juicy. 

    Adjust sauce - the amount of sauce totally depends to your taste. You can add more or less of the Schezwan sauce to suit the taste. 

    Add-ons vegetables - you can include vegetables like bell peppers, onions, bamboo shoots, mushrooms for added texture. Stir fry the veggies on high heat in the wok before adding the sauce and chicken. 

    Dry or Gravy - Schezwan chicken can be made dry or gravy as per your liking. You can adjust the consistency of Schezwan chicken to your liking. If you prefer it to be saucy side, add a cup of water to the sauce before adding chicken. You can thicken the sauce with some cornstarch slurry. 

    Schezwan chicken served with fried rice

    How to Make Schezwan Sauce (Stepwise Pictures)

    Making Chilli Paste

    1)Take your dry red chillies. Schezwan sauce flavour mainly depends on chillies. Since it has good amount of chillies, I removed all seeds from it before making it into a paste. If you don't like spicy foods, you can use milder variety of dry red chillies like Kashmiri chillies.

    take dry red chillies

    2)Remove the stalk of the dry red chillies. Remove all the seeds from the dry red chillies.

    remove seeds from chillies for making Schezwan Sauce

    3)Take water in a sauce pan. Bring it to a full boil. Add the dry red chillies into the water. Reduce the flame to low and cook for 5 minutes to soften the chillies.

    boil them on low heat

    4)Strain the chillies in a sieve.

    strain chillies

    5)Take the chillies in a blender. Add water and grind it into a puree.

    take chillies in a blender

    6)This is your dry red chilli paste. You can use the strained water from boiling water to grind it into a paste.

    puree for making Schezwan Sauce

    Sauteing Ginger and Garlic

    7)Heat oil in a sauce pan. I used neutral cooking oil.

    heat oil for making Schezwan Sauce

    8)Add in crushed or puree garlic in the oil and cook on low heat.

    add garlic

    9)Add in peeled crushed ginger. You can either chop the ginger or grind into a puree.

    add ginger

    10)Fry the ginger and garlic on low heat till golden brown. The ginger and garlic will get fragrant.

    cook till golden

    Making Schezwan Sauce

    11)Add in red chilli paste into the oil and mix well.

    add blanched chilli paste

    12)Add in tomato ketchup. Instead of ketchup, you can use tomato paste.

    add tomato ketchup

    13)Add in soy sauce.

    add soy sauce

    14)Add in salt, sugar and black pepper. If you have access to sichuan pepper, you can add crushed sichuan peppercorn.

    add salt, pepper and sugar for making Schezwan Sauce

    15)Cook the schezwan sauce on low heat for 10 to 12 minutes until oil separates on top.

    cook sauce till thicken

    16)Now the schezwan sauce is ready. Once sauce is made, allow it to cool completely. Store in a clean dry air tight jar in fridge upto a month. 

    Schezwan Sauce

    How to Make Schezwan Chicken (Stepwise Pictures)

    Marinating Chicken

    17)Take few boneless chicken, cut them into small pieces. You can use either chicken breast or thigh. Take chicken in a bowl.

    chicken in a bowl for making Schezwan chicken

    18)Add in salt, pepper and red chilli flakes.

    add salt, pepper and chilli flakes

    19)Add in few crushed garlic cloves.

    add garlic into chicken

    20)Add in soy sauce.

    add soy sauce

    21)Now add in cornstarch and mix well. You can add some water and mix.

    add cornstarch for making Schezwan chicken

    22)Let the chicken sit and rest for 5 mins.

    chicken marinating for making Schezwan chicken

    Frying Chicken for Schezwan Chicken

    23)Heat oil for deep frying. Add chicken in hot oil and fry till golden brown.

    fry chicken

    24)Fry chicken till golden brown.

    fried chicken for making Schezwan chicken

    25)Strain the chicken and set aside.

    fried chicken for making Schezwan chicken

    Making Schezwan Chicken

    26)Now in a pan, add few spoons of schezwan sauce. Add little water over the sauce as well.

    heat schezwan sauce

    27)Mix it well and let it get heated through.

    add water and cook

    28)Now add in the fried chicken and toss well.

    add fried chicken

    29)You can easily make this into schezwan chicken gravy. Check my notes section.

    fried chicken coated with schezwan sauce

    30)Add in chopped coriander leaves or spring onions.

    add coriainder leaves

    31)Mix well.

    toss chicken well

    32)Serve hot.

     Schezwan chicken

    Expert Tips

    • You can use chicken thigh or breast for making this dish. 
    • Make sure to cut the chicken into small pieces so it cooks faster. You can slice them into strips. 
    • Add more or less sauce depending on your taste.
    • You can add vegetables like bell peppers, mushrooms, bamboo shoots and onions. 

    Storage Suggestions

    Cooked schezwan chicken taste great when served fresh. It tends lose its crispy texture but the taste remains same. You can store it in fridge upto 2 to 3 days, reheat in microwave for few seconds and serve.

    Serving with Schezwan Chicken

    Schezwan chicken taste great on its own as an appetizer. You can enjoy with fried rice, noodles or soups. 

    This chicken is best served with fried rice, noodles or with soups. We enjoy it with steamed veg momos and chilli garlic momos. Here are few options for you to serve with.

    Fried Rice - choice of fried rice options are veg fried rice, chicken fried rice, egg fried rice, mushroom fried rice and hot garlic fried rice.

    Noodles - my favorite combination with schezwan chicken is veg noodles and hakka noodles and paneer noodles.

    Soups - enjoy with chicken clear soup, hot & sour chicken soup, chicken soup & veg soup.

    FAQ

    What is Szechuan chicken sauce made of?

    Schezwan chicken is made by marinating chicken with garlic, soy sauce, cornstarch, salt and pepper. This marinated chicken is fried till crispy and tossed in homemade schezwan sauce. Schezwan sauce has chillies, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sugar and vinegar. 

    What is the difference between Szechuan and Manchurian chicken?

    Schezwan chicken mainly gets its flavour from dry red chillies and Sichuan peppercorns. It has a unique aroma which makes this special from Manchurian. 

    What is another name for Szechuan chicken?

    Schezwan chicken is also known as Sichuan chicken or Mala chicken. 

    Is Schezwan Chinese or Indian?

    Traditionally Schezwan foods are fiery and spicy, but Chinese restaurants in India has modified the recipe to suit Indian taste palate. Schezwan chicken is one of the most loved take out food from Chinese restaurants. It is equally popular in street foods around India. 

    More Schezwan Recipes to try

    • Homemade Schezwan Sauce
    • Schezwan Noodles Recipe
    • Schezwan Fried Rice Recipe
    • Schezwan Chilli Potatoes Recipe
    • Schezwan Pasta Recipe
    • Schezwan Baby Potatoes Recipe

    📖 Recipe Card

    Schezwan Chicken | Schezwan Chicken Recipe

    Schezwan chicken, a crispy fried chicken tossed with fiery, sweet, sour schezwan sauce is a family favorite. Once you have a batch of schezwan sauce on hand, then making this take-out style Indo-chinese schezwan chicken, fried rice and noodles is a breeze. Learn how to make schezwan chicken with step by step pictures and video. 
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 40 minutes minutes
    Servings: 3 servings
    Calories: 437kcal

    Ingredients

    Schezwan Sauce Ingredients

    • 30 no Dry Red Chillies
    • ¼ cup Garlic peeled and crushed
    • 4 tbsp Ginger peeled and grated
    • ¼ cup Tomato ketchup
    • 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
    • 2 tsp Salt
    • 1 tsp Black Pepper Powder if you have sichuan pepper use them
    • 3 tbsp Sugar
    • ¼ cup Oil
    • ¼ cup Vinegar

    Schezwan Chicken Ingredients

    • ¼ cup Schezwan Sauce or as needed
    • 4 tbsp Water
    • Oil for deep frying
    • 3 tbsp Coriander leaves or Green Onions

    For Marination

    • 300 grams Chicken Breast Cubed I used Boneless
    • 2 tsp Red Chilli flakes
    • 1 tsp Salt
    • 1 tsp Black Pepper Powder
    • 1 tbsp Garlic minced
    • 1 tbsp Soy sauce
    • 4 tbsp Cornflour | Cornstarch

    Instructions

    How to Make Schezwan Sauce

    • Take dry chillies and cut the top open. Remove the seeds out of it. Now take the chillies and add it to a sauce pan. Add 1 cup of water and bring it to boil. Simmer it for 5 mins. By this time the chillies must have plumped up. Drain chillies. Reserve the water, you need that for grinding. Take the chillies in a blender add the reserved water slowly and make them into a paste. Set aside till use.
    • Now heat oil in a sauce pan. Add in garlic and ginger. Fry it for couple of mins.
    • Now add in the chilli paste and mix well. Now add in ketchup, soya sauce, salt, sugar and pepper. Mix well. Simmer this sauce for 10 to 12 minutes on very low heat. Cook until oil separates on top.
    • Now the sauce is done. Cool this and store in a clean air tight container refrigerated.

    How to Make Schezwan Chicken

    • Take chicken in a bowl and add all the marination ingredients. Give a a mix and let it sit for 5 mins.
    • Heat oil for frying and deep fry the chicken for 5 to 7 mins till golden and completely cooked. Drain on a paper towel.
    • Now heat a wok or frying pan. Add in schezwan sauce and water. Mix that well and let it heat up.Once it is heated add in the fried chicken pieces and toss well in the sauce to coat the chicken. Once the chicken is coated and completely heated, add in the coriander leaves and mix well. Serve with fried rice..

    Video

    YouTube video

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1g | Calories: 437kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 3322mg | Potassium: 624mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 632IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @yummytummyaarthi or tag #yummytummyaarthi!
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    More Chicken Recipes to try

    • Chicken Shepherds Pie Recipe
    • Onion Chicken Fry Recipe
    • Nasi Goreng Recipe
    • Ramzan Nombu Kanji Recipe
    • Clay Pot Chicken Rice Recipe
    • Bihun Goreng (Fried Vermicelli)

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    « Stir Fry Chicken & Vegetables
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    Aarthi

    About Aarthi

    Over the past few years I’ve been on a mission to find and create recipes that I can make from scratch. I hope you enjoy the recipes on this blog as they are tried and true from my kitchen to yours!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Pretend Chef

      at

      Oh my! This sounds amazing!!!!

      Reply
    2. Anonymous

      at

      Tried this last week, didn't come out red like yours (was more brown) but it tasted awesome. Thank you for the recipe, it's a keeper for us.

      Reply
    3. Goodness Robert

      at

      I really love u thanks 4 bringing us out of darkness.

      Reply
    4. Anonymous

      at

      Ur recipes are just awesome aarti....keep it up n keep sharing such wonderful recipes.....

      Reply
    5. Anju

      at

      Which one is better??dragon chi or schzwan chi...pls rely soon..I want to make it ryt nw

      Reply
    6. Aarthi

      at

      @Anjuboth are delicious

      Reply
    7. Anonymous

      at

      Tried out the schezwan rice and chicken..It was yum...so flavourful.. Thank u 🙂

      Reply
    8. Anonymous

      at

      Tried and tasted.. Turned out so yummm... Thanx 🙂

      Reply
    9. Nasima Moideen

      at

      was really grt and delicious...

      Reply
    10. Nasima Parvin

      at

      was really great and delicious..

      Reply
    11. Nasima Moideen

      at

      was really great and delicious..

      Reply
    12. Rajesh Kumar

      at

      This is so simple, thanks for sharing this recipe with pictures which make it easy to know.
      restaurant in satya niketan delhi

      Reply
    13. Sanchna Dev

      at

      Tried it... turned out to be yummy. Ty

      Reply
    14. Vinodh

      at

      Awesome ....yummy.... I just tried but did slight variations....

      Reply
    15. Vinodh

      at

      Awesome ....yummy.... I just tried but did slight variations....

      Reply
    16. Anonymous

      at

      Mam pls upload chicken kothu parrota

      Reply
    5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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