American Style Sichuan Chicken
SpiceBreeze
A look at McDonald’s Szechuan sauce reveals that it consists basically of high fructose corn syrup, water, tomato paste, different kinds of vinegar, soy sauce, oil, garlic, chili peppers, “spices”, and artificial flavors and colors. We took on the challenge to make our own Szechuan aka Sichuan sauce healthy with ingredients and seasoning.
Hands-on Time 30 minutes mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Chinese
Shopping List
- 1.5 lb skinless chicken breast, cut into thin strips or chicken wings
- 2 cup bread crumbs for instance, panko, or substitute with almond meal
- 1 frisee lettuce
- 2 cups jasmine rice
Pantry Items
- 1 orange for juice
- tamari or soy sauce
- vinegar (rice, balsamic or else)
- agave syrup or sugar
- tomato paste
- oil recommended: sesame oil
- salt & pepper
Sichuan Culinary Spice Kit Ingredients
- Pouch [1] Tangerine peel, garlic, ginger, smoked paprika, Sichuan pepper (don’t use during pregnancy), star anise
- Pouch [2] Bird’s eye chili pepper
Szechuan aka Sichuan sauce
In a small POT, heat 1 tbsp oil on medium-low heat.
Fry Sichuan [2] spices for 30 seconds.
Take the spices out, if you prefer a mild sauce.
Careful of splatters, add 2 tbsp syrup, 2 tbsp tamari, 2 tbsp vinegar, 1 cup water, and Sichuan [1] spices.
Stir in 1 tsp tomato paste.
Cook for 3-5 minutes until sauce thickens.
Add salt, syrup or vinegar to taste.
Breading
On a PLATE, beat the egg.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Coat the chicken thoroughly.
On a different PLATE, spread bread crumbs and coat the chicken thoroughly.
Fry
In a PAN, heat 1 inch of oil.
Fry the chicken over medium-high heat until it’s cooked through and turned crispy.
Variations:
Substitute the chicken with mozzarella sticks, vegetable sticks, boneless pork cutlets (cut into 1-inch squares), or shrimp.