szechuan marinade

Sheet-Pan Szechuan Chicken (or Tofu) with Brussel Sprouts  takes only 15-20 minutes of hands on time before baking in the oven. A full-flavored weeknight dinner your whole family will love!

Szechuan Chicken and Brussel Sprouts

lbs chicken thighs

– 1 ½ lbs medium brussel sprouts, halved

honey or agave

soy sauce (or use GF soy sauce

rice vinegar

sesame oil

Garlic Chili Paste (more

garlic

fresh ginger, finely minced or ginger paste

salt, more for sprinkling

Make the szechuan marinade by stirring all ingredients together in a medium bowl. Pour half of the marinade over the chicken, either in a bowl or zip lock bag. Let chicken marinate while you prep the brussel sprouts, or marinate overnight ( for even more flavor!) .

Cut the brussels sprouts in half. The brussels sprouts pictured here are ping-pong ball sized, so depending on size, you may need to quarter, or leave them whole. If using very very small brussel sprouts,   leave them whole. If extra- large, like a golf ball,  then quarter.

Place brussel sprouts in a bowl and pour the remaining marinade over brussel sprouts and toss. Add a few dried chilies if you like ( just for looks) and spread them out out on a large, parchment or foil-lined sheet pan. Nestle the chicken thighs (or tofu)  in between, and spoon any remaining marinade over the chicken. ***Season the chicken or tofu with a little salt (especially if not marinating overnight!). 

Bake it in the hot oven, for 30 minutes, checking at 20 minutes, rotating if need be, and spooning a little of the  pan juices over the chicken or tofu. After 30 minutes, double-check for doneness ( either use a thermometer, should read 170 F) or cut into one. Feel free to broil for a few minutes to get the chicken skin deeply golden if need be.

If using a different cut of chicken see notes.

Serve by dividing the brussel sprouts and top with the chicken. Sprinkle with scallions and serve with more chili paste for extra spicy.

Great recipe !! Very easy to prepare using only the oven.  Love the szechuan peppercornns.

I made this the other night and it was delicious. I used a combo of brussels sprouts and cauliflower (because I needed to use up a head of cauliflower) with chicken and it was so so good.  Thanks for the great recipes Sylvia.

This was really good, I used Sambal Olek instead of the garlic chili paste since I have a sensitivity to garlic. I also doubled the marinade since the amount of veggies + rice + protein I cook generally requires it - this recipe probably only really needed about 1.25-1.5x the marinade for 'appropriate sauce level.' The extra sauce can just make the next time I make this faster.

I really liked this recipe. 
I have to double sauces/marinades because I add extra protein+rice+veggies but this one left me with extra after doubling which was nice.
I had to limit the garlic in this recipe due to a sensitivity, would using a pinch or two of hing work here as an alternative?

I really liked this recipe. 
I generally have to double sauces/marinades because I add extra protein+rice+veggies but this one left me with extra which was nice.
I had to limit the garlic in this recipe due to a sensitivity, would using a pinch or two of hing work here as an alternative?

I made this for dinner last night and the flavors were so goood. It has earned a place on my meals to make again pinterest board!

The brussel sprouts were amazing but I thought the chicken was a bit tasteless.  Maybe more spices and longer marinating next time round.  Thanks for the recipe.  Love your site.

I love this blog, and I have cooked many fantastic meals using your recipes. But this one did not turn out well for me - the only time I've had this happen. I've tried this recipe twice - once exactly as written, and a second time using only brussel sprouts and cauliflower (no chicken). The marinade is very flavorful, but the veggies seem to braise in all the liquid instead of carmelizing and roasting as I expected. Did I misuse the recipe, or is this the expected outcome?  I was really hoping for carmelized veggies with a stickier glaze, and that's not how it turned out. 

Any guidance, or maybe this one recipe is just not for me. In any case, I love this blog and will continue expermenting with your other recipes.

This was amazing. All my kiddos loved it. My 10 year old said you can make this kind of chicken every night!!

Another winner of a dinner for a busy weeknight ! I didn’t have time to pre-marinate the chicken but it still turned out super delicious. Will definitely make this again.

This recipe was easy and good. The Brussels sprouts were very tasty, although not caramelized. I marinated the chicken a good hour before baking but wished they could have gone longer. I couldn’t find garlic chili paste so I subbed in garlic chili sauce, using a few teaspoons extra. I also added a teaspoon of brown sugar. I definitely plan to make this again but will probably plan for a longer cooking time to suit our tastes. The chicken was definitely done but overall I would have like more caramelization, and I’ll probably season the chicken with salt and pepper first if I can’t marinate overnight. But honestly a very good dish as-is!

Hi, Sylvia,
Your fantastic receipes have inspired me for making this meal with Black Cod leftover  in the freezer. Does it mean  that after defrosting  the fish can be marinating  overnight or  it is  better to reduce  the time?

I've never tried brussel sprouts before but I was getting sick of broccoli and asparagus sides. This was so good! Made it with chicken breast instead. My partner said its a "definite make again"

Made this a number of times now and have used bok choy when I didn't have brussel sprouts. Very tasty!

Made this recipe with chicken drumsticks and black peppercorns instead of the Szechuan peppers (we LOVE the tingle on your mouth but our kids wouldn't).  My husband who cooks like a Michelin-stared chef only stated that he would have increased the cook time on the drumsticks.  in order to do that, I would have had to put in the drumsticks earlier (without the brussel sprouts) or the brussel sprouts would have deteriorated.  He loved the flavors and the recipe in general though as did my kids! Thank you!

Made this tonight; great flavor and my chicken thighs were so tender! I got great color on the chicken skin, but it was not crispy overall. I did make my 4 thighs in a glass dish vs. a baking sheet, as there was not enough room for the chicken and sprouts (I added baby carrots too) on my baking sheet, so I did them separately. Very good and I will make this again!

This was excellent. My chicken marinated for about 2 hrs and I did not salt it as it was a little salty already due to the soy sauce.  I used dark soy sauce and black vinegar.  I served it with a miso-ginger salad and it was really lovely.

Another wonderful dish, Sylvia. I turned it after 20 minutes and my chicken thigh skin was still quite rubbery, but after another 15 minutes the skin was beautifully crispy and reddish from the marinade. My two year old twins loved the chicken and ate several brussel sprouts (which is a win for us). Your recipes are wonderful for introducing little ones to various flavors, textures, and spices. Will definitely make this again. Did I mention it was so easy?!

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Szechuan Chicken and Brussel Sprout...

Szechuan Chicken and Brussel Sprout...

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