Szechuan Chicken
Ingredients
For the stir-fry:
1 pound chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup cornstarch
salt, to taste
pepper to taste
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup yellow onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
25 small dried red chilies
1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns, optional
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ginger, minced
For the sauce:
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup chicken broth
Directions
In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with cornstarch, salt, and pepper.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan over high heat on the stove-top.
Place the coated chicken in the pan in a single layer, working in batches if necessary. Cook the chicken until golden-brown, about 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and cover to keep warm.
Add the onions, red bell peppers, and green bell peppers to the pan. Add the chiles and Sichuan peppercorns. Cook until the vegetables soften, about 3-4 minutes.
While the vegetables cook, whisk together the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, cornstarch, and chicken broth in a small bowl.
Add the garlic and ginger to the pan and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Return the chicken to the pan. Pour the sauce over the chicken mixture in the pan.
Bring the sauce to a boil and cook until the sauce has just thickened, for about 30 seconds-1 minute. Serve immediately.
