Food World Cuisines East Asian Cuisines Chinese Cuisine 15 Spicy Sichuan Recipes From Stir-Fries to Szechuan Shrimp Sichuan food is not for the faint of heart, but there's a lot to love about the Chinese region's intensely flavorful fare. By Jodie Kautzmann Jodie Kautzmann Jodie Kautzmann is an editor, baker, and confectioner with more than 15 years of experience in content creation, recipe development, and pastry production. She's obsessed with the fine details and ingredients that take dishes from tasty to outright otherworldly. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on October 28, 2024 Close Photo: Food & Wine / Photo by Hannah Hufham / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle It's true — Sichuan food is spicy. After all, this southern Chinese province is the namesake of the Sichuan peppercorn, a tingling, mouth-numbing spice pervasive in dishes across the region. But we'd be remiss to define Sichuan (or Szechuan) cuisine so narrowly; it's not simply hot for hot's sake, nor can it be categorized as one-note. Our palates might be quick to perceive the heat, but the best Sichuan dishes are actually a symphony of flavors, a well-orchestrated intersection where salty, sour, bitter, smoky, and spicy meet. Mala seasoning, which is commonly used in Sichuan stews, stir-fries, and soups alike, features not only peppercorns and chiles, but also warm spices like cinnamon, cloves, black cardamom, star anise, ginger, and fennel. Ready to get acquainted? Cook your way through this collection of recipes — from Kung Pao Chicken and Mapo Tofu to Dan Dan Noodles and Cumin Lamb — to experience the complex, deep flavors of Sichuan food. 01 of 15 Dry-Fried Sichuan-Style Green Beans with Shrimp Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Missie Neville Crawford Blistered green beans mingle in the wok with chopped shrimp, garlic, scallions, fish sauce, pickled ginger, and just a touch of sugar for this balanced, verdant dish. Have it on the table in just 20 minutes. Get the Recipe 02 of 15 Mala Stir-Fried Paneer Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christine Keely Chef Jonathan Kung's lively stir-fry uses tender, mild-tasting paneer to showcase the intricacies of mala spice. His blend combines Sichuan er jing tiao chiles, Sichuan peppercorns, and sansho peppercorns for a tingling, numbing sensation that’s layered with smoky flavor and bright, citrusy notes. Get the Recipe 03 of 15 Szechuan Shrimp Food & Wine / Photo by Hannah Hufham / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle Stir-fries make for easy dinners any night of the week, and this recipe is no exception. It comes together largely from pantry staples, and though traditional Sichuan dishes are often rather fiery, this one runs on the tamer side — with only half a teaspoon of red pepper flakes, it's friendly for most palates. Get the Recipe 04 of 15 Ma Po Tofu Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Barrett Washburne Legendary Chinese-American chef Martin Yan's version of this Chengdu classic stays true to the original with cubes of tofu and ground pork. His irresistibly spicy sauce is what makes the dish special: Sichuan peppercorns provide plenty of deep heat, while the inclusion of chile-garlic sauce and black bean garlic sauce add flavor complexity. Get the Recipe 05 of 15 Vegan Mapo Tofu Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell "In this vegan version of mapo tofu, instead of ground pork, finely chopped eggplant and mushrooms cook down to a meaty consistency that absorbs a richly savory blend of broad bean paste and mushroom seasoning — two umami-packed ingredients that quickly add long-cooked flavor," says Jocelyn Law-Yone, executive chef and co-owner of 2020 F&W Best New Restaurant Thamee in Washington, D.C. Get the Recipe 06 of 15 Kung Pao Chicken Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell At Brooklyn's Birds of a Feather, chef Ziqiang Lu's stellar Kung Pao Chicken pairs tingly-hot Szechuan peppercorns with slightly sweet dark soy sauce and Shaoxing wine to build deep flavor. "It's a well-rounded dish, with a heavy dose of spice that's balanced with a bit of sweetness," says former F&W editor Oset Babür-Winter. "There are tons of peanuts involved, and they play especially well with the vibrant Szechuan peppercorns and crunchy bits of garlic." Get the Recipe 07 of 15 Chongqing Chicken Wings To give these wings their signature Sichuan flavor, they're dredged in a fragrant shiitake mushroom-based spice mix perfumed with dried Tianjin chiles after they've been fried until golden and crispy. (These peppers are only meant to impart flavor, do not eat them.) Get the Recipe 08 of 15 Sichuan Negroni Sichuan Negroni from Jing Bar at the Temple House in Chengdu In Sichuan, even the drinks are spicy. To make this zippy version of the classic Italian aperitivo, Chengdu mixologist Frank He infuses Campari with Sichuan peppercorns. Get the Recipe 09 of 15 Sichuan Racks of Lamb with Cumin and Chile Peppers © John Kernick This lamb dish from chef Sang Yoon has incredible depth of flavor thanks to both a toasted spice rub and an equally complex, complementary sauce that gets drizzled over the roasted chops. A garnish of scallions, sliced red chiles, and crispy shallots rounds it all out. Get the Recipe 10 of 15 Sichuan-Style Hot-and-Sour Cabbage © John Kernick If you've ever thought cabbage is boring, this is the dish to make. With plenty of Sichuan peppercorns and hot chiles, as well as two types of soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and Chinese black vinegar, this spicy side makes a compelling case for the leafy brassica. Get the Recipe 11 of 15 Pan-Seared Sichuan Shrimp with Mung Bean Noodles © Tina Rupp Quick-cooking mung bean noodles are stir-fried with ginger, scallions, and Sichuan peppercorns and tossed with shrimp. The dish is seasoned with white pepper, which packs more punch than earthy black pepper. Get the Recipe 12 of 15 Spicy Sichuan-Style Lamb with Cumin © Johnny Miller This recipe contains no mouth-numbing Sichuan peppercorns, but don't mistake it for anything close to tame — red pepper flakes are responsible for the dish's incendiary quality. Cooking pieces of lamb shoulder in a super-hot cast-iron skillet makes them wonderfully browned and tender. Get the Recipe 13 of 15 Sichuan Peppercorn Shrimp © David Tsay This dish was inspired by Sang Yoon's frequent visits to Monterey Park, California — what he dubs the "real" Chinatown of Los Angeles. Coated with Sichuan peppercorns and stir-fried with two kinds of chiles, these shrimp have all kinds of heat. A squeeze of fresh lime juice helps balance the flavors. Get the Recipe 14 of 15 Ma Po Eggplant in Garlic Sauce © Madeleine Hill Chef Andrew Zimmern stir-fries spicy pork with ginger and garlic, then spoons it over silky broiled eggplant and serves it with rice to create a balanced, deeply flavorful dish. Get the Recipe 15 of 15 Dan Dan Noodles © Quentin Bacon Dan dan noodles originated in the late 1800s as a street food in the Sichuan province. Like authentic Chengdu recipes, Joanne Chang's Chinese-American version is served without broth; however, instead of enlisting Sichuan peppercorns for heat, she uses a combination of sriracha and jalapeño. She also prepares the dish vegetarian, though ground pork is a typical ingredient. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit