A real Eatsë dinner

Crispy Szechuan Chicken with Scallions and Chili Oil

Name: Crispy Szechuan Chicken with Scallions and Chili Oil
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 600 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs; 20 g (about 3 tbsp) cornstarch; 5 g Szechuan peppercorns, roughly crushed; 6 g kosher salt, divided; 3 g garlic powder; 2 g white pepper; 60 ml neutral oil, divided; 10 g gochugaru (Korean chili flakes); 8 g toasted sesame seeds, divided; 3 g sugar; 30 ml soy sauce; 20 ml rice vinegar; 15 ml toasted sesame oil; 10 ml honey; 4 garlic cloves, minced; 60 g scallions, thinly sliced on the bias

Chinese · 35 min · Serves 2

Crispy Szechuan chicken strips topped with sliced scallions, sesame seeds, and chili oil on a white plate — A real Eatsë dinner — air-fried, not deep-fried

Per serving 524 kcal · 53g protein · 18g carbs · 30g fat

Ingredients

600 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs
20 g (about 3 tbsp) cornstarch
5 g Szechuan peppercorns, roughly crushed
6 g kosher salt, divided
3 g garlic powder
2 g white pepper
60 ml neutral oil, divided
10 g gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
8 g toasted sesame seeds, divided
3 g sugar
30 ml soy sauce
20 ml rice vinegar
15 ml toasted sesame oil
10 ml honey
4 garlic cloves, minced
60 g scallions, thinly sliced on the bias

Steps

Pat the chicken thighs dry. Toss them with the cornstarch, crushed Szechuan peppercorns, 4g of the salt, the garlic powder, and white pepper until evenly coated.
Arrange the thighs in a single layer in the air fryer basket and brush all over with 15ml of the neutral oil. Air fry at 400°F (200°C) for 18 to 20 minutes, flipping once, until deeply golden and 165°F (75°C) at the thickest point. Rest 5 minutes on a wire rack.
Make the chili oil: combine the gochugaru, 5g sesame seeds, sugar, and 2g salt in a heatproof bowl. Heat 45ml neutral oil until it just begins to smoke, then pour it over the chili mixture — it will sizzle. Stir and set aside.
In the same small pan over medium heat, combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey, and minced garlic. Cook 2 minutes until fragrant and just thickened, then stir in 30ml of the chili oil.
Slice the rested chicken against the grain into 2cm strips, arrange on a plate, and spoon the soy-chili sauce generously over the top.
Scatter the scallions over everything, drizzle with another 15ml of the chili oil, and finish with the remaining sesame seeds.

That is the whole thing.

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On the plate

The air fryer is the trick here. You get the deep, craggy crust of fried chicken without a pot of oil to heat, watch, and clean up after. The cornstarch and crushed Szechuan peppercorns do the work — a coating that shatters, with that slow tingle behind it.

Crispy Szechuan chicken strips on a white plate, scattered with scallions and pooled chili oil

Make the chili oil once and you will reach for it all week — over eggs, rice, noodles, whatever is in the fridge. The soy-garlic sauce goes on hot so it soaks in, and the scallions and sesame land at the very end so they stay sharp.

No planning, no hunting, no scrolling past anyone's life story to find the recipe. The week's plan said tonight is Szechuan chicken, the recipe was right there, and dinner came together while the air fryer did the hard part.

Leftovers and reheating

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat on a sheet pan in a 375°F (190°C) oven for 8 to 10 minutes to bring back the crisp — the microwave makes it soggy.
Keep the chili oil and scallions separate until serving so they stay sharp and fresh.