20 Flavor Packed Szechuan Dishes You Need To Try

The best and most iconic Szechuan dishes to be found in and around Los Angeles.

1. Mapo Tofu

Soft and silky tofu with flecks of beef or pork in a rich and spicy gravy. An iconic Chinese dish for a reason.

2. Fuqi Feipian

Fuqi Feipian translates to husband and wife lung pieces. Don't fret, it's actually tender slices of beef, tendon, and tripe in a spicy chili oil sauce topped with spices, peanuts, scallions, and cilantro.

3. Rabbit Heads

For the adventurous eaters. Rabbit is surprisingly popular in China, but difficult to find in Los Angeles. A good substitute is the Rabbit dry pot at Szechuan Impression.

4. Chuanbei Liangfen

Slippery Mung Bean (a type of green bean) jelly noodles swimming in a sauce of chili oil, soy, and vinegar. Always topped with peanuts, garlic, and scallions. A perfect summertime dish!

5. Dan Dan Mian

Egg noodles in a sauce of chili oil, soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar. Topped with braised beef sauce (ESSENTIAL), sesame seeds, peanuts, and scallions. This dish is a MUST ORDER at any Szechuan restaurant.

6. Shuizhu Yu

Boneless fish fillets boiled in broth, chilies, and chili oil. While this dish always looks like a 1000/10 on the spice scale, its closer to 7/10 on the spice scale. This dish is a personal FAVORITE. Eat it with lots of rice.

7. Fen Zheng-Rou

Steamed beef (or pork) with rice flour. This dish looks strange, but steaming the meat with rice flour creates one of the most tender meat dishes you could imagine. Steaming them together also makes the rice oh so flavorful. There's a reason this is a special occasion dish.

8. Twice Cooked Pork

Tender and fatty slices of pork belly sauteed with leeks, chilies, and peanuts. This is a classic Szechuan dish that falls on the less spicy side of the spectrum.

9. Kung Pao Ji

Everybody and their grandma knows this one. Typically thought of as a Chinese-American dish, Kung Pao Chicken originates from Szechuan and traditional versions taste even better!

10. Gan Guo

Gan Guo translates to Dry Pot. It's like the spices from hot pot but instead of a broth, the spices are sauteed into the ingredients. Dry pots can consist of chicken, beef, pork, frog, shrimp, rabbit. You name it they dry pot it.

11. Garlic String Beans

You will see green beans on just about every table. The heat from the wok and aroma from the garlic will surely convince you to eat your vegetables.

12. Garlic Pork Slices

If you don't like pork belly you don't like bacon and I don't like you. Tender slices of pork belly topped with chili oil (heavy on the fried chilies) and garlic. This dish is a great test of a Szechuan restaurant's chili oil.

13. Tea Smoked Duck

Finally! A non spicy dish. Perfect for the people in your party that can't handle the heat. Salted, smoked, and succulent pieces of duck. Expect crispy skin and juicy meat. Szechuan barbecue? Sure!

14. Ma La Huo Guo

HOT POT IS MY FAVORITE MEAL. What sounds better than sitting around a boiling cauldron of broth and chilies with your closest family and friends? Personally, absolutely nothing. The broth is accompanied by thing slices of meat, vegetables, meatballs, fish balls, and more types of tofu you ever knew existed. Protip: don't sleep on the dipping sauces.

15. Sauteed Potato Slices

Yes, potatoes in a traditional Chinese dish! Spicy and vinegary, this dish is a staple throughout households in Asia. Definitely worth a taste.

16. Kou Shui Ji

Translates to mouth drooling chicken because this silky tender chicken swimming in a special blend of sauces will make you droooool!

17. Garlic Eggplant

Looks good? Absolutely not. Taste, however, is fantastic. Creamy eggplant with a slightly spicy, slightly sweet, and slightly sour sauce. My favorite way to eat eggplant. Goes great with rice. VEGETARIANS TAKE NOTE.

18. Shredded Garlic Pork

Thin shreds of pork sauteed with garlic, bamboo, and various vegetables. Goes great with rice and a perfect dish for kids.

19. Hong You Chao Shou

All of my friends love this dish. Wontons (yum) swimming in a complex sauce of chili oil, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger, sugar, and (probably) msg. If you like dumplings and you like sauce you will like this dish.

20. Cold Noodles

Similar to Dan Dan Mian, except cold and without the braised meat sauce. This dish is simple, refreshing, and down right tasty. Do yourself a favor and order it at Szechuan Chef in Alhambra.