This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.

This Szechuan Sauce recipe is punchy, flavorful, and authentic.  It’s the perfect combination of spicy, savory and subtly sweet with lots of umami depth and flavor! Use it in stir-fry recipes, as a flavorful marinade, or as a delicious dipping sauce – it’s easy to make at home in just five minutes.  Includes a video.

Amazing and Authentic Szechuan Sauce! Use as a flavorful stir-fry sauce for veggies or noodles, or use it as a marinade for tofu, chicken, shrimp or beef!  Healthier than store-bought versions with no preservatives or msg, It is gluten-free adaptable and vegan! Can be made in 5 minutes flat and keeps for 10 days in the fridge! 

Here’s an amazingly delicious, authentic recipe for Szechuan Sauce (or Sichuan sauce) that we learned how to make in Shanghai. After taking a few cooking classes there, I’ve become a little obsessed with Szechuan recipes. This Szechuan Chicken is one of my favorites! Turns out, homemade schezwan is easy to make at home, from scratch without all the preservatives!

But first, what is Szechuan Sauce?

Szechuan Sauce (or Sichuan sauce) is a bold and flavorful sauce originating from the Sichuan province of China. It is known for its spicy and complex flavors: spicy elements from red chili peppers, savory notes from garlic and ginger, a touch of sweetness, and the distinct numbing sensation from Szechuan peppercorns. A beautiful balance of flavors perfect for stir-fry recipes, as a marinade for meat or tofu, or as a dipping sauce.

Our version of Szechuan Sauce is FULL of flavor and can be made spicy or mild. It has a multitude of uses!

Szechuan Sauce Ingredients

  1. Szechuan Peppercorns: These peppercorns are a key ingredient in Szechuan sauce, known for their zingy and numbing effect on the tongue. If unavailable, substitute black peppercorns.
  2. Chinese Five Spice: Chinese five spice blend aromatic spices like star anise, cloves, cinnamon, Szechuan peppercorns, and fennel seeds. It adds depth and complexity to the Szechuan sauce, elevating its flavor profile. Buy it or make your own Chinese Five Spice.
  3. Soy Sauce (or Gluten-Free Liquid Aminos): Soy sauce adds a savory and umami flavor to the Szechuan sauce. You can use regular soy sauce or opt for a gluten-free version like liquid aminos.
  4. Honey (or Maple Syrup, Coconut Sugar, Brown Sugar, or other sweetener): The sweetness of honey balances the spiciness and tanginess of the sauce. You can choose your preferred sweetener to add a touch of sweetness.
  5. Sesame Oil: Sesame oil imparts a toasty, nutty and aromatic flavor to the Szechuan sauce, enhancing its overall taste profile.
  6. Rice Vinegar (or Black Vinegar): Rice vinegar gives a tangy and slightly acidic taste, adding a refreshing element to the sauce. If you prefer a deeper flavor, you can substitute it with black vinegar.
  7. Chinese Cooking Wine (Shaoxing) or Mirin (Optional): Chinese cooking wine or mirin can be added to the sauce for an extra layer of complexity and depth. This is optional but can enhance the overall flavor.
  8. Garlic Cloves: Minced garlic brings a pungent and aromatic element to the sauce. You can use fresh garlic cloves or substitute with garlic powder or granulated garlic if needed.
  9. Fresh Ginger: Finely minced ginger adds a hint of warmth and brightness to the Szechuan sauce, complementing the other flavors. Alternatively, you can use ginger paste as a substitute.
  10. Chili Garlic Sauce (or Sambal Oelek, Sriracha): Chili garlic sauce provides the signature spiciness to the Szechuan sauce. You can use chili garlic sauce directly or opt for substitutes like cayenne, red pepper flakes, or dried red pepper. Sambal oelek or sriracha also work.

Note: Cornstarch can also be optionally added to thicken the sauce, depending on your desired consistency.

How to make Szechuan Sauce

  1. Toast szechuan peppercorns in a hot dry skillet over medium heat, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Crush.
  2. Place all ingredients in a medium bowl or small jar and whisk until well combined. It is ready to use as a stir-fry sauce or marinade.
  3. If using this as dipping sauce, place it in a small pot over medium-low heat and simmer for just a few minutes. Feel free to add cornstarch to thicken.
Authentic Szechuan Sauce! Use as easy delicious stir-fry sauce or flavorful marinade - gluten-free adaptable, vegan and full of amazing flavor! Can be made in 5 minutes! #stirfrysauce #szechuan #sauce #stirfry #chinese #recipe #marinade #szechuansauce #szechuanrecipe

The Szechuan peppercorns give the sauce a really authentic “zingy-ness” that is hard to replicate, but it also tastes just fine without!

TIP: Always remember to go lightly at first with Szechuan peppercorns they are definitely an acquired taste, perfumy and complex, while having an unusual numbing effect on the tongue.

Some people looooooove this. Some do not. The best thing to do is just try one! We all taste things differently!

Spicy Szechuan Sauce -an easy delicious stir-fry sauce and flavorful marinade, infused with the flavors of China! #stirfrysauce #szechuan #sauce #stirfry #chinese #recipe #marinade #szechuansauce

How to use Szechuan Sauce

Wonderful for meal prep, you can use this scratch-made sauce in this flavorful stir-fry as well!

  1. Use as a spicy stir-fry sauce: whisk in 2 teaspoons of cornstarch to thicken it. try adding a few dry  Chinese or Arbol chilies (5-10) to the stir-fry, right before adding the Szechuan Sauce. Do not eat the chilis. 😉
  2. Use as a marinade; forgo the cornstarch and make sure to season what you are marinating (chicken, tofu, beef) with salt. The marinade alone will probably not be salty enough.
  3. Use as a dipping sauce. Simmer it on the stovetop and whisk a little cornstarch to thicken it. My husband loves this with breaded chicken or shrimp.
Authentic Szechuan Sauce! Use as easy delicious stir-fry sauce or flavorful marinade - preservative-free, msg free, gluten-free adaptable, vegan and full of amazing flavor! Can be made in 5 minutes! #stirfrysauce #szechuan #sauce #stirfry #chinese #recipe #marinade #szechuansauce #szechuanrecipe

Storage

Szechuan Sauce will keep up to 7 days in the fridge or can be frozen.

Authentic Szechuan Sauce! Use as easy delicious stir-fry sauce or flavorful marinade - preservative-free, msg free, gluten-free adaptable, vegan and full of amazing flavor! Can be made in 5 minutes! #stirfrysauce #szechuan #sauce #stirfry #chinese #recipe #marinade #szechuansauce #szechuanrecipe

Ways to use Szechuan Sauce

Use szechuan sauce as a flavorful marinade for sheet pan dinners, or as a flavorful stir fry sauce!

Authentic Szechuan Sauce! Use as easy delicious stir-fry sauce or flavorful marinade - preservative-free, msg free, gluten-free adaptable, vegan and full of amazing flavor! Can be made in 5 minutes! #stirfrysauce #szechuan #sauce #stirfry #chinese #recipe #marinade #szechuansauce #szechuanrecipe

I hope you enjoyed this as much as we have… it’s one of my favorite Chinese recipes and has many uses in the kitchen! Let us know what you think in the comments below!

xoxo

Sylvia

Authentic Szechuan Sauce | 60-second video

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Amazing Szechuan Sauce! Use as easy delicious stir-fry sauce or flavorful marinade - preservative-free, msg free, gluten-free adaptable, vegan and full of amazing flavor! Can be made in 5 minutes! #stirfrysauce #szechuan #sauce #stirfry #chinese #recipe #marinade #szechuansauce #szechuanrecipe

Szechuan Sauce

★★★★★ 4.9 from 49 reviews
  • Author: Sylvia Fountaine
  • Prep Time: 10
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: ½ cup 1x
  • Category: sauce, condiment
  • Method: Whisked
  • Cuisine: Chinese
  • Diet: Vegan
Print Recipe

Description

AMAZING Authentic Szechuan Sauce! Use as an easy delicious stir-fry sauce or flavorful marinade – preservative-free, msg free, gluten-free adaptable, vegan and full of amazing flavor! Can be made in 5 minutes! Keeps for 10 days in the fridge!

Ingredients

Units Scale
  1. 1/2 –1 teaspoon Szechuan Peppercorns (or sub black peppercorns)
  2. 1/4 cup soy sauce ( of Gluten-Free Liquid Aminos) see notes.
  3. 3 tablespoons honey (or sub maple syrup, coconut sugar, brown sugar or sugar alternative)
  4. 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  5. 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar (or black vinegar)
  6. 1 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine (shaoxing) or mirin (both optional)
  7. 3 garlic cloves, finely minced (use a garlic press)
  8. 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, finely minced ( or use ginger paste)
  9. 1 tablespoon garlic chili paste (or sambal oelek) more for more spicy or sub 1 teaspoon chili flakes
  10. 1/2 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice
  11. optional- 2-3 teaspoons corn starch, to thicken

Instructions

  1. Toast szechuan peppercorns in a hot dry skillet over medium heat, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Crush.
  2. Place all ingredients in a medium bowl or small jar and whisk until well combined.
  3. If using as a stir-fry sauce, and you would like to thicken it, whisk in 2-3 teaspoons cornstarch. Try adding a few dry Chinese or Arbol chilies (5-10) to the stir-fry for a bit of heat, right before adding the Szechuan Sauce. Do not eat the chilies. 😉
  4. If using as a marinade, forgo the cornstarch and make sure to season what you are marinating (chicken, tofu, beef) with salt. The marinade alone will probably not be salty enough.
  5. If using as a dipping sauce, place in a small saucepan, whisking in 2-3 teaspoons cornstarch to thicken, and bring to a simmer for 1 minute.

Notes

Makes a little over ½ a cup and will keep for 7 days in the fridge.

Using Tamari Soy Sauce will make this way too salty! So either Stick with regular or Gluten-free Liquid Aminos. Or dilute Tamari: use 2 1/2 tablespoons tamari and 1 1/2 tablespoons water.

Szechuan Peppercorns add a unique flavor, but using too much will overpower. If unfamiliar, start with ½ teaspoon. If you’ve never tired one, just plop one in in your mouth and taste it. It has a very strong perfumy flavor and numbing effect on the tongue, adding interesting complexity!  A little goes a long way. This may be very pleasant, or very unpleasant to you. This, for me was an acquired taste. You can absolutely leave these out and sub black peppercorns.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 88
  • Sugar: 6.5 g
  • Sodium: 83.7 mg
  • Fat: 6.8 g
  • Saturated Fat: 1 g
  • Carbohydrates: 7.1 g
  • Fiber: 0.1 g
  • Protein: 0.2 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg

Keywords: schezwan sauce, szechuan sauce, szechuan sauce recipe, szechwan sauce, sichuan sauce, authentic szechuan sauce, szechuan stir fry sauce, stir fry sauce, chinese stir fry sauce,

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Don't Forget to RATE THE RECIPE!

We appreciate your feedback! Our readers LOVE to read your reviews, adaptations, and suggestions! Have a question? We’ll personally respond within 24 hours.

Subscribe
to get recipes via email

Share this with the world

Pin

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating ★ 5 Stars ☆ ★ 4 Stars ☆ ★ 3 Stars ☆ ★ 2 Stars ☆ ★ 1 Star ☆

Comments

  1. Tried it just now with some modifications – used ground ginger for the lack of fresh one, added same amount of water as soy sauce, used black pepper and no mirin. It was amazing! And I am sure with all the proper ingredients it would have been even better. I will now look for the mirin and szechuan peppercorns specifically so I can try this sauce as it ws intended.

    I loved the simplicity of this recipe and made it using the magic bullet, i find it much easier than doing the mixing and chopping by hand.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  2. Oh my god this is STELLAR!

    Only complaint is that it’s WAY too salty. I would recommend using half the amount of soy sauce, and that’s coming from a guy who literally buys it by the gallon because he loves soy sauce so much.

    DELICIOUS RECIPIE! MAKE IT! I stir fried it with chicken breast, baby corn, and red pepper and it was so good that this is my new default stir fry. FANTASTIC!

    Reply

  4. Quite a tasty sauce! The combo of mirin and shoaxing wine really add nice depth. Highly recommend using both!

    I definitely recommend using 1/2 tsp to start. I used the full tsp and it was a bit too intense for my wife! I’ll reduce next time. It pays to read all the notes in the recipe guide 🙂

    ★★★★★

    Reply

    1. Thanks Chris- glad you enjoyed and yes, Szechuan peppercorns are a different flavor for sure!

      Reply

  5. This sauce is the best stir fry sauce I have ever had and I’ve made and tasted many over the years! I used it with stir fried veggies and crispy tofu! My husband who was skeptical of a tofu dish just loved it! The sauce made the dish!

    Reply

  6. Just made it for the first time but not with Szechuan peppers was nice but where can i get them as I live in a small town in the country

    Reply

    1. Hi Wayne, yes they can be hard to find. I linked them on Amazon if you want to order online? 🙂

      Reply

  7. Really good and nice layers of flavor and heat. It’s my go to for stir fry. Always have some in the fridge now for a healthy delish meal. We like heat so we use the full tsp of szeuchan peppers 😁

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  8. Just made it for the third time just now for stir fry later on. I always make double to have it again a few days later. It’s absolutely delicious. My wife likes it better than any Chinese restaurant we’ve gone to. We both love Chinese food.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  9. Hi! This came out amazing, it was exactly what I was looking for.

    A couple of questions, you say don’t use Tamari unless you dilute, but Soy sauce has pretty much the same sodium content. If I am using normal, non-reduced sodium soy sauce, should I dilute with water? I used reduced sodium today and it came out awesome, I can’t imagine it being much saltier.

    Also you say MSG free but from my shopping experience it appears like all garlic chili paste contains MSG.

    Thanks!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

    1. Hi Ben! Feel free to experiment with Tamari- it is Japanese ( not Chinese) darker, and “thicker”. Some versions are less salty, but I’ve had some that are WAY more salty. Soy sauce is traditional here, so I just stick with that- but no rules, just play around and have fun! This Tuong Ot Toi Viet-Nam Chili Garlic Sauce brand doesn’t have MSG. 🙂

      Reply

  13. So I think MSG is a great tool, and I see no reason to avoid it. Does anyone know if a little MSG perhaps makes this taste a bit better? I’m wondering if I might want to take out a bit of the soy in place of the MSG.

    Reply

    1. Yes, Msg does really amp up the flavor- so if wanting to use it yes, you could go lighter on the soy. Then adjust to taste. 🙂

      Reply

  14. This was easy, delicious, and impressive. I did reduce the Five Spice by half because we’re not fond of the flavor … Had the family over and everyone enjoyed it. I added sliced carrots and broccoli as well.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  15. This is a keeper. I made it for the first time last night for a tofu, broccoli, and green bean stir-fry. My wife and I loved it.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  16. Hi,
    Any advice on how to crush the toasted peppercorns without a mortar and pestle? Can a rolling pin or coffee grinder be used? How fine should the peppercorns be crushed?

    Reply

    1. Yes, Cassie, a coffee grinder works great- or place in plastic bag and use a rolling pin or wine bottle over it. Medium-fine. 😉

      Reply

  17. This is the best Chinese sauce we have ever had. So complex and delicious. Will never stop making this. Many thanks for such a splendid recipe!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  18. This turned out EXACTLY as I hoped it would – absolutely fantastic! Thank you for this recipe!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

Originally Posted

Last Updated

Categories

Our Latest Recipes