Sichuan Chicken, Roasted Squash and Greens

Name: Rukmini Iyer Sichuan Chicken Recipe | Easy Chicken Traybake
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: Serves 2–3
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 3 tsp Sichan peppercorns; 1½ tsp (less or more as needed) chilli flakes; 600g butternut squash, cut into 1cm wedges; 600g free-range skinless, boneless chicken thighs; 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped; 2 tbsp sesame oil; 1 tbsp soy sauce; 1 tbsp honey; 2 big pinches of sea salt flakes; 200g pak choi, quartered; 1 tbsp soy sauce; 1 tbsp rice vinegar; ½ tbsp sesame oil

by Rukmini Iyer from The Roasting Tin Around The World

This sweet and spicy Sichuan traybake chicken is packed full of flavour for an all-in-one dish perfect for weeknights.

Dairy-Free Tray Bake

Serves 2–3

Total 55 min

Prep 10 min

Cook 45 min

Easy

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Introduction from Rukmini Iyer

Sichuan peppercorns are one of my favourite kitchen staples – stir-fried through hot rice, in a marinade for roast pork – and here, they work beautifully with chicken, squash, chilli and honey for a sweet and spicy traybake. Don’t overdo the Sichuan peppercorns – they’re mouth-numbing in large quantities, but if you’re a fan of chilli, by all means increase the amount – Sichuan chicken is traditionally very spicy.

Ingredients

3 tsp Sichan peppercorns

1½ tsp (less or more as needed) chilli flakes

600g butternut squash, cut into 1cm wedges

600g free-range skinless, boneless chicken thighs

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

2 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp honey

2 big pinches of sea salt flakes

200g pak choi, quartered

For the dressing:

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp rice vinegar

½ tbsp sesame oil

Essential kit

You will need: a pestle and mortar.

Method

Preheat your oven to 180°C fan/200°C/gas 6.

Tip the Sichuan peppercorns and chilli flakes into a pestle and mortar, then coarsely pound them together for 30 seconds or so – you just want to break up the larger peppercorns.

Pop the squash, chicken, garlic, sesame oil, soy sauce and honey, along with the ground spices, into a roasting tin large enough to hold everything in one layer, and mix well so that everything is evenly coated. Scatter over the sea salt flakes, then transfer to the oven and roast for 30 minutes.

Remove the tin from the oven, scatter over the pak choi, then return to the oven and cook for a further 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk the soy sauce, rice vinegar and sesame oil together. Spoon the dressing over the cooked chicken, pak choi and squash as soon as they come out of the oven, and serve hot.

Note: If you are a fan of chicken wings, this dish can easily be adapted wings instead of thighs.

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