Do you Like the spicy mala (麻辣) taste of Sze Chuan food? I love it! There is something really yummy about that spiciness that lingers on one’s tongue.
I went to a restaurant a while ago with a bunch of girlfriends and ate this Sze Chuan fried chicken dish and it has been on my mind ever since. I wanted to reproduce something similar at home so today, I decided to fry some chicken and cook them with dried chili and Sze Chuan peppercorns as well as Sze Chuan peppercorn oil. Double the heat, double the yumminess!
Here are the instructions on how to cook this super spicy dish – you can adjust the heat level by adding/ reducing the chili.
Before you start cooking, remove the stems of the dried chili. Soak the chili in hot water for 15 minutes. Drain and set the chili aside.
Season the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon white pepper. Add the rice flour and toss to coat.
Fry the chicken, in batches until they turn golden brown and are cooked through.
Drain on kitchen towels and set aside.
When all the chicken is cooked, heat a wok and add Sze Chuan peppercorn oil.
Once the hot is hot, add the Sze Chuan peppercorns, followed by the minced garlic. Cook the garlic for 10 seconds then add the dried chili. Stir to mix.
Add the chicken and stir to coat the chicken with the oil, garlic and chili.
Turn off the heat and serve immediately, with rice.
This was so good I wish I had cooked more. *NOM* *NOM* *NOM* 🙂


- 1.5kg chicken, skin on and cut into bite-sized pieces, seasoned with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 3-4 tablespoons rice flour
- 3-4 tablespoons Szechuan Pepper Oil
- 1 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorns, lightly crushed
- 40g dried chilli
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
- Oil for deep frying
- Before you start cooking, remove the stems of the dried chili. Soak the chili in hot water for 15 minutes. Drain and set the chili aside.
- Season the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon white pepper.
- Add the rice flour and toss to coat.
- Fry the chicken, in batches until they turn golden brown and are cooked through. Drain on kitchen towels and set aside.
- When all the chicken is cooked, heat a wok and add Szechuan Peppercorn oil. Once the hot is hot, add the Szechuan peppercorns, followed by the minced garlic. Cook the garlic for 10 seconds then add the dried chili. Stir to mix.
- Add the chicken and stir to coat the chicken with the oil, garlic and chili.
- Turn off the heat and serve immediately, with rice.