How to Make Schezwan Sauce

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: March 29, 2019 References Tested

Perhaps the heart of Indo-Chinese cuisine, Schezwan sauce is an incredibly popular sauce made with large amounts of red chili, garlic, and ginger. It’s packed with a variety of flavors—sweet, spicy, and slightly tangy—and therefore is pretty versatile as an addition to a dinner dish or as a dipping sauce for your favorite snack. If you’re looking to spice up your next meal (or you’re a die-hard Rick and Morty fan), homemade Schezwan sauce is within your reach.

Ingredients

20 dried red chilis, seeded
236.59 mL (1.0000 c) of hot water
118.29 mL (0.5000 c) of olive oil
100 g (1 cup) of chopped garlic
50 g (1/2 cup) of ginger
25 g (1/4 cup) of chopped celery
44.36 mL (3.000 US tbsp) of white vinegar
Salt to taste

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:
Making the Chili Paste

1
Choose a red chili variety with the level of hotness you want. Chilis vary in their level of spiciness, so ask the grocer at your local store or do some online research to figure out which red chili will be best-suited for you!
- The Kashmiri or Bedgi chili varieties are not overly-spicy, but still very rich in color and flavor.^{[1]
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- Remove the seeds of the chilis if you want them to be less spicy.^{[2]
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2
Soak the red chilis in a bowl of hot water for 30 minutes. Add the chilis and 236.59 mL (1.0000 c) of hot water to a bowl and let soak for 30 minutes. The chilis will absorb the water and take on a lighter red color.^{[3]
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3
Drain the water out of the chilis using a strainer. Check that the chilis are relatively dry before you put them into the food processor. The water that they soaked in is no longer needed.
4
Blend the chilis into a paste using a food processor. Transfer the chilis to a food processor using a spoon, and add another 29.57 mL (2.000 US tbsp) of water to the mixture. Then, blend it up until it turns into a smooth paste.^{[4]
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- If you don’t have a food processor, place the chilis in a plastic bag and grind them up using a meat tenderizer or your fist.^{[5]
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- You may need to add more or less water, depending on if you want the paste to be thicker or thinner.
- To add a variety of flavors to the paste, some possible additions are cubed red bell peppers, sugar, or Sichuan peppers.^{[6]
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  Research source} Sichuan peppers add a wonderful citrus aroma to the sauce.^{[7]
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5
Store your paste in the fridge for up to 3 days if needed. If you’re not ready to cook right away, keep your chili paste in the refrigerator for 3 days maximum before it starts to go bad. Pour 14.78 mL (1.000 US tbsp) of refined oil over it, though, so that the top does not dry out.^{[8]
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- Refined oils are more processed than unrefined oils. They include canola oil, rice bran oil, soybean oil, and sunflower oil.^{[9]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:
Concocting the Sauce

1
Smoke 118.29 mL (0.5000 c) of olive oil in a skillet. Heat your olive oil over very high heat until it starts to produce wisps of smoke. It should form a thick layer of oil on the bottom of the pan. ^{[10]
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2
Add 100 g (1 cup) of chopped garlic to the hot oil and cook until it’s lightly golden. Once the oil is hot, add 100 g (1 cup) of chopped garlic to the oil and stir it gently with a rubber spatula so it cooks evenly. Cook it until it’s lightly golden before adding the next ingredient.^{[11]
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Stir in 50 g (1/2 cup) of ginger and cook for about 1 minute. Incorporate in the ginger, keeping your heat on high so it fries. It usually only needs about a minute to cook.^{[12]
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Add 25 g (1/4 cup) of chopped celery to the mix. Finely chop the celery sticks first. Then, throw in your chopped celery and stir it around. ^{[13]
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5
Pour your prepared chili paste into the skillet and stir it in well. Pour in between 100 g (1 c) and 150 g (1.5 c) of the chili paste you prepared earlier. Keep stirring the chili paste, using your spatula to scrape around the side of the pan to prevent the chili paste from sticking.
- If you want your sauce to be thinner, you can thin out the consistency by adding water 14.78 mL (1.000 US tbsp) at a time. However, keep in mind that thicker sauce tends to work best with fried rice or noodle dishes.^{[14]
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6
Pour in 44.36 mL (3.000 US tbsp) of white vinegar. Pour it so it’s pretty evenly distributed throughout the pan and stir the mixture.^{[15]
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Research source} If you don’t have white vinegar, rice or apple cider vinegar are suitable alternatives.^{[16]
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7
Sprinkle in salt to taste. Add your desired amount of salt, and then carefully taste the sauce (using a different spoon than the one you’re stirring with) to see if it’s the right amount for you. Season until you’re satisfied with the taste.
8
Cover the sauce and cook it for 15 minutes on medium heat. The lid will steam up, but you’ll know that it’s ready when the oil in the sauce pulls away from the sides of the skillet. It's done when it has a smooth consistency.^{[17]
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9
Continue cooking the sauce for another 3-4 minutes on medium heat. Keep stirring the sauce to ensure that it cooks evenly. Turn off the heat after 3-4 minutes have passed and enjoy your schezwan sauce!^{[18]
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:
Adding the Sauce to Meals

1
Chill the sauce in an airtight container for up to 15 days. In a refrigerator, schezwan sauce keeps for up to 15 days.^{[19]
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Research source} Store it if you’re not going to eat it right away.
2
Stir-fry the sauce with rice and veggies to make schezwan fried rice. Stir-fry cooked rice, finely chopped veggies, 29.57 mL (2.000 US tbsp) of any vegetable oil, 2-3 finely-chopped garlic cloves, and 29.57 to 44.36 mL (2.000 to 3.000 US tbsp) in a skillet or wok to make a zesty schezwan fried rice.
- Some potential veggies you could include are carrots, spring onions, peas, and celery.^{[20]
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3
Coat manchurian balls in schezwan sauce to spice them up. Manchurian balls, which consist of cabbage, carrots, and other vegetables rolled with spices and flour, are deep-fried Indo-Chinese delicacies.^{[21]
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Research source} Coat them in a layer of schezwan sauce to add additional flavor!
4
Add schezwan sauce to chili potatoes for a flavorful side dish. Coat sliced potatoes in corn flour, salt, and pepper and fry them in a wok until they are browned and crisp. Drain them, and then coat them in schezwan sauce for a side dish that will spice up any meal.^{[22]
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