Schezwan Sauce recipe

Spicy Indo-Chinese Schezwan sauce is a red chilli sauce made with dried red chillies, Sichuan pepper and soy sauce. It is used as a flavouring in a variety of fusion recipes due to its sharp, lemony and peppery taste. Sichuan pepper is commonly used in Chinese cuisine of China's southwestern Sichuan Province.

Although it is labelled as "spicy", the recipe can definitely be adjusted to be less spicy!

Use it in this Schezwan Fried Rice recipe.

Schezwan Sauce (pronounced shay-zwahn) is a famous sauce from Chinese cuisine made from Sichuan peppercorns, red chillies, ginger and garlic, flavourful Sichuan peppercorns, and salty soy sauce flavours.

It's spicy, umami (savoury), and tangy - with a good slow burn thanks to red heat from the chillies. That's the short answer.

A good Szechuan sauce has a wide range of flavour. It has a fair amount of heat, but it’s balanced by sweetness and has an underlying tangy flavour.

It has some similarity to Indian red chilli sauce but the addition of soy sauce and sesame oil definitely differentiates it from regular chilli sauce.

I have used star anise powder for more authentic Chinese flavours.

Love spicy sauces/dips or chutneys? Take a look at my Rose Harissa Paste Recipe and Asian Zing Sauce.

What can Schezwan Sauce be used for?

This bold and spicy sauce is super versatile and it can be used for a variety of purposes.

Add it to your favourite restaurant or take-out style meals such as schezwan noodles, in restaurant style vegetable fried rice dishes, in Chinese bhel or momos.

I love this sauce best in some of our Indo-Chinese recipes like Schezwan Baby Potatoes.

One of my all-time favourite East-African foods is Mogo and this fusion twist of Chilli Mogo is just incredible.

For day trips, I pack my Schezwan Paneer Wraps which are delicious wraps filled with bright peppers, salad and szechwan paneer. I also add it to my Schezwan Paneer Puff Pastry Pinwheels.

Using schezwan sauce just doesn't stop at Indo-Chinese recipes, it's a versatile condiment that has uses in this Indian street style Tawa Burger (vegan) too!

Schezwan Sauce Ingredients

full measurements in recipe card below

The heat

Dried Whole Red Chilli:  I've used normal dried red chilies (not Kashmiri). You can also use kashmiri dried chillies because they have a bright red color and are not too spicy. You can also use a mix of regular dried red chilies and Kashmiri red chilies to have some spice but not too much.

I soaked the chillies in hot water for minimum 1 hour. For best results, soak for 2-3 hours. 

Alternatively, use red pepper flakes or chili paste.

Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder: Kashmiri chilli powder is a blend of milder Kashmiri chillies ground to a vibrant red powder, that adds milder heat and great colour to dishes. Mix the powder with a tablespoon of water to make a paste. 

If you don't have it, use sweet smoked paprika with a little cayenne.

Sichuan Peppercorns - Sichuan pepper has a citrus-esque flavor and induces a tingling numbness (similar to capsaicin). You can find these peppercorns in grocery stores, Asian supermarkets and online. 

As an alternative, you can use white pepper powder. 

The flavours:

Sesame Oil: I love to use toasted sesame oil which gives an incredible nutty flavour.

You could also use regular vegetable oil or sunflower oil as well. 

Garlic and ginger paste: The garlic and ginger-y flavours of this sauce are what make it so unique in flavour. Use fresh ginger and garlic especially if you want the sauce to retain its freshness for longer. 

Star anise powder - Star anise has a distinct liquorice flavour. It provides a warm boost of flavour to this sauce. If you have whole star anise then grind the star anise in a coffee grinder to make powder. As an alternative, you can use Chinese 5 spice powder.

Light soy sauce - made from fermented soybeans and wheat, it is salty with a rich umami aroma. You can use dark also, but add a bit less. 

Brown sugar - brown sugar adds a little sweetness to balance out the spicy, salty flavours. You can leave out the sugar to keep it sugar-free. Alternatively, use white sugar. 

White vinegar - helps to give an extra tang and also aids in preserving the sauce. 

Jain Schezwan Sauce

Jain Szechuan sauce or chutney is made without garlic and ginger. No celery, onion or garlic is added to the schezwan sauce. In this recipe, simply leave out the garlic and ginger paste.

Gluten-free Szechwan Sauce

Make gluten-free schezwan sauce by using tamari instead of soy sauce which contains gluten.

How to make homemade Szechuan Sauce from scratch

Traditionally, a motor and pestle would be used to pound the dried chillies to a paste but a blender will perform the same task. For tips for using a pestle and mortar, see our Gujarati Lasan ni Chutney.

First step - prepare chillies

Remove stem of the dry red chillies and soak in boiling water.

Cover the bowl with a plate and leave it to soak for a minimum one hour.

Whilst the chillies are soaking, make ginger-garlic paste.

Second step - grind the chillies

Once chillies are softened or almost doubled in size, drain the water and place the soaked chillies in a grinder jar.

Add Sichuan peppercorns and little water, grind until you get smooth paste.

In a separate bowl combine kashmiri red chilli powder and little water, keep it aside.

Third step - cook the sauce

Final step of this recipe is to cook the sauce in the pan.

Heat the sesame oil in a wide mouth pan, add ginger-garlic. Cook until light pink then add ground red chilli and Sichuan paste.

Keep stirring and cook the sauce on low heat until oil separates from the paste and is visible on the surface or sides of the pan. This step indicates no moisture is left in the sauce.

Tip in salt and sugar, mix well then add star anise powder and soy sauce. Continue cooking the sauce on very low heat.

Now add Kashmiri red chilli powder paste. Cook another 3-4 minutes or until you see oil separating from the sauce.

Turn off the heat, add white vinegar and mix well. Use in a recipe straight away or let it cool completely before storing.

Storage Instructions for Szechuan Sauce

Fridge - Store schezwan sauce once it reaches room temperature in an airtight container or sterile jar with a good lid. Keep in the refrigerator and use it within a month.

Freezer - To freeze, place sauce in individual small portions in an ice cube tray (or any other container) and freeze. You can just take the amount needed, and use it in your recipe.

Other Indo-Chinese recipes

Dry Chilli Paneer Restaurant Style

Low Fat Soya Veg Manchurian

Baked Tofu Manchurian

Mixed Vegetable Noodles

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Note – This recipe has been updated from our recipe archives with new images and content, but the recipe remains the same. First time published in January 2013.