chicken:

1 lb. boneless chicken breasts, cubed
1 tbsp. shaoxing wine or sherry
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1/4 cup corn starch
1 tsp. powdered chile (cayenne, jalapeno, etc.)
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup vegetable oil

  • mix chicken, wine, and soy sauce in a small bowl and marinate for 15 minutes
  • mix dry ingredients in a small bowl
  • drain chicken and toss with dry ingredients to coat
  • heat oil in wok or dutch oven, and stir fry chicken in batches
  • remove chicken and cover

stir fry:

1/2 onion, diced
1 poblano, diced
25 small dried red chilies
1 tbsp. sichuan peppercorns optional
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ginger

  • stir fry onion, poblano, chilies, and peppercorns 3-5 minutes until onion and poblano are softened
  • add garlic and ginger and cook an additional 30 seconds
  • add chicken to the pan and cook while making the sauce

sauce:

3 tbsp. soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp. hoisin sauce
1 tbsp. sesame oil
1 1/2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. corn starch
1/4 cup chicken broth

  • whisk together and add to the pan and bring to a boil
  • cook about a minute, until thickened and serve warm

source: https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/szechuan-chicken/

01/28/2023: made this as written, and it was good, but not really spicy. the peppercorns i used are labeled “pink peppercorns” so they are probably not sichuan. also, frying the chicken left a large patina on the pan. next time, i would use proper sichuan peppercorns and break up a few of the red chilies to increase the heat a bit, and i would try deglazing the pan with the broth and/or some wine before adding the chicken and the rest of the sauce ingredients to the pan.

03/05/2024: deprecating in favor of sichuan chicken with peanuts