An Authentic Szechuan Sauce Recipe! Use as a flavorful stir-fry sauce for veggies or noodles, or as a flavorful 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! With a Video!
Here’s an amazingly delicious and authentic recipe for Szechuan Sauce that we’ve been using ever since our trip to Shanghai a few years ago!
I’m a huge fan of Szechuan Sauce but hate all the preservatives, sugars and msg that go into store-bought versions, so we make our own at home. So fast and easy!
This version of Szechuan Sauce is FULL of flavor and can be made very spicy or kept very mild. It has a multitude of uses, but mainly we’ve been using it for quick and easy stir fry or as a marinade for meat or tofu. You’ve seen a version of it in the Sheet Pan Szechuan Chicken and Brussel Sprouts recipe a while back and so many of you have commented on the recipe, I thought it deserved a post of its own!
Authentic Szechuan Sauce | 60-second video
This version of Szechuan Sauce has Szechuan Peppercorns in it – but if you don’t have them, don’t fret! Just use black pepper or peppercorns!
The Szechuan peppercorns give the sauce a really authentic “zingy-ness” that is hard to replicate, but it also tastes just fine without!
Wonderful for meal prep, you can use this scratch-made sauce in this flavorful stir-fry as well!
Always remember to go lightly at first with Szechuan peppercorns they are definitely an acquired taste, perfumy and complex, while having a 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!
When I first tried Szechuan peppercorns, I have to admit, I was not a fan. But after I went to China, and had them in moderate doses, I actually grew to love them. So be sure start conservatively! Remember you can always just plop one in your mouth to get the gist of it. 😉
Whether you add the Szechuan peppercorns or not, the Szechuan Sauce is still delicious and worth making so I hope you give it a try. It’s especially great on tofu – either baked tofu or crispy tofu!
Szechuan Sauce
- Prep Time: 10
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: ½ cup
- Category: sauce, condiment
- Method: Whisked
- Cuisine: Chinese
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
- ½ –1 teaspoon Szechuan Peppercorns (or sub black peppercorns)
- 1/4 cup soy sauce ( of Gluten-Free Liquid Aminos) see notes.
- 3 tablespoons honey (or sub maple syrup, coconut sugar, brown sugar or sugar alternative)
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar (or black vinegar)
- 1 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine (shaoxing) or mirin (both optional)
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced (use a garlic press)
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, finely minced ( or use ginger paste)
- 1 tablespoon garlic chili paste (or sambal oelek) more for more spicy or sub 1 teaspoon chili flakes
- ½ teaspoon Chinese Five Spice
- optional- 2-3 teaspoons corn starch, to thicken, see notes.
Instructions
- Toast szechuan peppercorns in a hot dry skillet over medium heat, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Crush.
- Place all ingredients in a medium bowl or small jar and whisk until well combined.
- If using as a stir-fry sauce, and you would like to thicken it, whisk in 2 teaspoons cornstarch.
- 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.
- If making a stir-fry, 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. 😉
Notes
Makes a little over ½ a cup and will keep for 10 days in the fridge.
If you prefer a thicker sauce when stir-frying, add corn starch.
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.
Keywords: how to make szechuan sauce, szechuan sauce recipe, szechwan sauce, authentic szechuan sauce, szechuan stir fry sauce, stir fry sauce, chinese stir fry sauce,
Very well demonstrated and explained. I hope to try and see how this turns out. The Chinese pepper corns are an interesting ingredient that I did not know about but I have encountered them in the Chinese grocery store. They were mixed with spicy roasted peanuts and I was not a fan as there were too many mixed along with the peanuts.
★★★★★
Cecil- give it a try and see. It is a very pungent zingy flavor- I actually didn’t like it the first time I tried it. But in small amounts, it can be quite pleasant.
I made this recipe with the coconut sugar and black vinegar options, left out the 5 spice as i didn’t have any. Marinated chicken thigh in it for a few hours then stir fried it. Omg delicious! Thankyou for sharing!
★★★★★
This was amazing as a vegetarian stir fry sauce. Thanks for sharing. Will definitely make again!
★★★★★
Awesome Halie!
You say this is gluten free but say don’t use Tamari. Soy sauce isn’t gluten free, and tamari is the usual substitute. How do you make this gluten free?
You can dilute the tamari with water (see recipe notes, I just adjusted it) or use gluten-free amino acids like Bragg’s brand.
Got it, thank you for the quick response! Gonna try it out tonight 🙂
★★★★★
I tried this sauce with the Szechuan tofu and veggies recipe, also by Sylvia, and it was incredible. The two pair so well together and I’m sure this sauce tastes just as well separate! Thank you Sylvia!
★★★★★
Im out of cornstarch, but I do have some tapioca starch laying around. Do you think I could use that?
I have never tried that, so not sure Louise- sorry!
Do you toast the regular peppercorns or is that step just for the Szechuan variety?
I would toast. 🙂
My fiancé and I LOVE this recipe on pan fried tofu in our fresh spring rolls.
As far as how long it “keeps” in the fridge… why only 10 days? With the salt from the soy sauce, wouldn’t the garlic and ginger preserve for a few weeks at least? I thought it may be out of an abundance of caution but wanted to ask anyway.
The real reason I’m asking… my partner wants to eat this meal once a week (and I’m on board! So many veggies with a cabbage slaw, raw peppers and avocados, etc.) but making the sauce each week could be a time-suck in our teeny kitchen.
Thank you so much for posting and I’ll hope to hear back 🙂
I hear you! It was out of caution. I haven’t tried keeping it longer, but you are right I think it would be fine.
Do you use garlic chili paste or just the regular chili paste that you have linked?
Can’t wait to try this!
You can use either- I prefer garlic chili paste and I updated the link to reflect. 😉
Does this marinade go well with pork tenderloin?
I don’t see why not!
Hi Sylvia, ive noticed that your recipie says msg free. Just out of curiosity, whats the problem with msg? Is it bad for you?
Thanks a lot!
Some people get headaches from it. I don’t know that it is “bad” or “good”, some people just have a reaction from it.
Perfect!
★★★★★
Great sauce! I made it with maple syrup and used it on some crisp tofu. Once again I learned that I absolutely hate tofu. With that said however, I will be using this sauce on a big wok of stir-fried vegetables soon. Thanks, it’s a winner. The tofu…not so much. 😉
★★★★★
Very yummy and spicy! We all loved it! I made the sauce in a stir fry with turkey kilbasa, squash, zucchini, and onions.
★★★★★
This is fabulous sauce.
Since I’m not too keen on Chinese Five-Spice but I recognize its value in Chinese cooking, I decreased the amount to ⅛ teaspoon and really like just the hint of it.
I will definitely make this again.
Thank you!
★★★★★
I always eat the chilis. I’m not sure why you tell people not to.
Love this recipe. Made it less spicy and it had so much flavour.
★★★★★
If you make this, make sure to wear gloves when working with the chiles 😉
I recently got a spice grinder and wanted to make my own Chinese Five spice blend and was looking for more recipes to utilize both the blend and my leftover Szechuan peppercorns – this sauce was absolutely DELICIOUS!!! Layers upon layers of fragrant flavor
★★★★★
yay! Glad you liked it!
This was delicious. Cannot believe it is this easy to make a sauce I always believe I have to order in to get. Fantastic recipe. Used ordinary peppercorns and just a quarter teaspoon. So good. A new weekly recipe for me.
★★★★★
GREAT Sichuan sauce!
If you’re ‘used to’ Sichuan peppers, you can double or even quadruple the peppers.
I’m not sure why the refrigerator shelf life wouldn’t be longer though. There’s really nothing in here that will go bad. Even outside of the refrigerator!
Thanks a BUNCH for this recipe my friend!
I doubled it (making a full pint) and will use it in many recipes.
★★★★★
I really appreciated her sage comments regarding the ingredients. Can’t wait to try this. Can it be frozen in ice cube trays for later than 3 weeks use?
Thanks and I think freezing that way is a great idea!
I’ve made this sauce to substitute a Szechuan garlic paste from a meal kit and not only did my son tell me it tastes exactly the same, I found it delicious by itself. I tripled the recipe, heated it up and added the cornstarch to it. That makes it the perfect marinating sauce and the leftovers will be stored in the fridge to be used in another stir fry or to flavour leftover meat for my poke bowls 🙂
★★★★★
As expected, the Five Spice powder was ‘way too prominent in the cooked dish. Recommend omitting it, or reducing amount to something like 1/8 tsp or a pinch. We found it under-spiced on the pepper side and added chili flakes. In sum, not bad, but not authentic.
★★★★
I made the sauce precisely as directed. On initial tasting, and after 24 hours in the fridge, the overwhelming impression is Chinese 5-Spice. I’ll try it in cooking, but I’m dubious.
★★★
let me know how it turns out.
Fantastic! Absolutely perfect in my hotpot.
★★★★★
I am making this today! Seems to be exactly what I want. I even have ALL the ingredients, no substitutes needed. I just need to buy some protein and veggies. Looking forward to eating this! Thank you for the recipe!
Haven’t used in recipe but just made it and it’s delicious!! Ty !!
★★★★★
On my hunt for great alternatives to traditional stir fry recipes I had a taste for something a bit spicier. This one you have serves perfectly for a spicier flavor. I haven’t acquired the Szechuan Peppercorns but even still using regular black peppercorns and a bit of intuition your sauce came out perfect. I commend you on a well done recipe! I like it.
Thank you so much! Very appreciated Dan!
Is szechuan sauce spicy?
Slightly.
I review a lot of recipes/ products and hardly ever give a 5-star rating. This recipe deserves it! I changed the recipe slightly because I didn’t have 5-spice powder on hand (now on the list for the next Penzeys run), so what I did was warm the mixture a bit, added a dash of cinnamon and a pinch of ground cloves, and a star anise. I allowed it to sit until the mixture cooled then used about a third of the sauce for a stir fry. I let the star anise remain in the mixture, in the refrigerator, until I used the rest of it. Oh, I also subbed dry sherry for the rice wine/ mirin. This is a great sauce to have on hand for quick dinners, and my husband and I do love stir fry dishes. THANK YOU!!
★★★★★
Great to hear Victoria! Thanks for sharing!
Loved it, very authentic taste even though I had to make a couple of substitutions and omitted the wine.A wonderful meal for was created for valentines day, my wife also enjoyed it very much. Thankyou
★★★★★
Thanks Kevin, so glad you liked it!
Hey, I just tried your recipe, with balsamic vinegar and a mix of szechuan and madagascar wild pepper. It was amazing with gyozas. Thanks a lot !
★★★★★
Great to hear! thanks!
Honey is not vegan
Honey is optional here. 🙂
I made this today in preparation for tonight’s dinner and it is very good! Thank for posting this recipe, I’ll definitely be using it again. As soon as I tried it, I shared The recipe link with my Dad & friend to try. Thank you!
★★★★★
Hi I need a information about the difference between schezwan sauce and schezwan chutney
Hi, I personally have never heard of Szechuan chutney- it sounds intriguing though. 🙂
Recipe looks amazing! Before I make this I wanted to clarify something. In the recipe itself, it calls for, 3 tablespoons honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar and brown sugar? 3 TBSP of each?
No just pick one. 3 Tablespoons total of one type of sweetener.
I lived in New York City in the late 1980’s and I had unforgettable memories of the delicious Szechuan Broccoli in Garlic Sauce that one could find all over the city at that time. For decades, I searched cookbooks and then all over the internet to find a good Szechuan sauce recipe — and have not liked a single one — until yours. Your recipe is absolutely WONDERFUL and has filled a huge gap in my repertoire. I can’t thank you enough for developing it and sharing it. This sauce is so superb that I made it two nights in a row. I’m just thrilled and grateful for this recipe. It has become a permanent member of my top favorite recipes of all time. Thank you!
★★★★★
Yay!!! Im so glad you like this one. Happy you found it! Thanks for the comment and rating!
Loved this! Made it with black peppercorns because I couldn’t find szechuan peppercorns. I’m ording some tonight. Can’t wait to try it again with the szechuan.
★★★★★
So glad you liked it Darla!
Hi I need a information what is the exact difference between schezwan sauce and schezwan chutney, can you please tell me
★★★★★
So good! Use this on so many things.
★★★★★
Hands-down the best szechuan sauce I’ve ever made. Bought the szechuan peppercorns on amazon like you said and this was EPIC!
★★★★★
Hands-down, the best stir-fry sauce I’ve ever made. Everyone raved.
★★★★★
Made as stated, adding the cornstarch. Bought the Szechuan peppercorns ( ordered on line) and I’m never using store bought again. Fantastic!
★★★★★
I freakin’ LOVE this. Use it to marinade chicken and in quick stir-frys.
★★★★★
This looks sooo good!! Thank you so much for your detailed breakdown, and for sharing! I was just wondering – do you have any familiarity with freezing this, if I wanted to make a larger batch and keep it for longer? 🙂
I haven’t tried~ please let me know how it goes if you do! Thanks
My young adult daughter flipped when I made this sauce with noodles for her.
★★★★★
I have ground Szechuan pepper. How should I substitute it? it doesn’t seem to have much flavour if I just put some on my tongue
★★★★★
Yes, start with a little less (to be safe) and add more to taste. If it is older, you may want to dry toast it in a pan on the stove first, to bring out the flavor?
I used dark soy sauce because that’s what I have in the cupboard and 1/2 a teaspoon of ground Szechuan pepper. it was fantastic. thank you very much
Easy and delicious. Will make again!
★★★★★
Love the flavor of this sauce. Perfect for quick stir-fry with out all the add preservatives. Simple yet full of flavor.
★★★★★
This szechuan sauce has just the perfect balance, plus the addition of szechuan peppercorns was a nice touch. I’ve made it both ways- with and without the peppercorns, and both turned out good.
★★★★★
This sauce rocks! It pops with flavor. I made this sauce for a stirfry last night, so I thickened it slightly with cornstarch, as suggested – it pefectly coated the chicken, broccoli, bell peppers, and other veggies. I did not have Szechuan peppercorns but will get those for the next batch. This will definitely work into my family’s meal rotation. Thanks so much!
Awesome to hear Tommy! Glad you enjoyed it!