This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my privacy policy.
Szechuan Scallops - juicy and succulent scallops stir fry with San-J Szechuan sauce. So good and best served with rice.
Chinese New Year falls on February 8 and marks the arrival of the Red Fire Monkey, a year which is sure to bring lots of happiness and prosperity to many people. Chinese New Year is the grandest of all the celebrations for my family.
To me, Chinese New Year is all about spending time with the family, having a wonderful reunion dinner on New Year’s eve, and eating the endless array of delicious food, cookies, cakes, and snacks.
It’s the happiest time of the year as everyone greets with a happy smile, plus giving away red packets with money!
When it comes to food, we are very careful and selective about what we eat during the festivities. Chinese believe in food symbolism and the significance of each ingredient.
Hence, Chinese New Year’s menus should be auspicious or mean good. Dishes such as dumplings, noodles, fish, shrimp, seafood are widely enjoyed to bring good luck and fortune to the family. I am a firm believer of this tradition.
One of my favorite Chinese New Year recipes is Szechuan Scallops. Scallops are round in shape and signifies wholesome and togetherness, which is a perfect dish to serve during reunion dinner on the eve of Chinese New Year.
As fiery food is usually red in color, it symbolizes prosperity, plus it complements the arrival of the Red Fire Monkey. This is the ultimate recipe that showcases the spirits of Chinese New Year.
Cooking for the entire family can be daunting but I have the perfect ready-to-use cooking sauce from San-J that I absolutely love. The Szechuan sauce is hot and spicy and sure to tingle your palate.
It’s made from gluten-free San-J Tamari, spices, ginger, sesame and delivers an authentic Chinese flavor to every dish you make. Choose your favorite protein: scallop, shrimp, fish, chicken or a combination of all your favorite ingredients.
Spend less time in the kitchen prepping and cooking so you can spend more quality time with your loved ones. To buy San-J products, please check out the store locator.
This conversation is sponsored by San-J. The opinions and text are all mine.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe is only 401 calories per serving.
What To Serve With Szechuan Scallops
For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for new updates.
Other Recipes You Might Like
Szechuan Scallops
Ingredients
- 12 oz (350g) scallops
- Water for boiling
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 oz (60g) red bell pepper, cut into pieces
- 2 oz (60g) yellow pepper, cut into pieces
- 2 oz (60g) green pepper, cut into pieces
- White sesame for garnishing
Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons San-J Szechuan Sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- ½ teaspoon corn starch
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to boil. Cook the scallops for 30 seconds. Remove the scallops from the boiling water with a strainer. Drained and set aside.
- Mix all the ingredients of the Sauce in a small bowl. Mix well.
- Heat up a wok or skillet with the oil. Add the garlic and stir-fry until aromatic. Add in the bell peppers, stir fry until you smell the aromas of the bell peppers. Transfer the scallops into the wok or skillet, stir to combine well with the bell peppers.
- Add in the sauce mixture and continue to stir-fry the scallops. As soon as the sauce thickens, turn off the heat. Transfer the scallops to a serving platter and garnish with the white sesame. Serve immediately with steamed rice.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi what type of scallops do you use? The ones I bought always shrink when cooked..
Look for “real” scallops without water being added. Check the ingredients if you use frozen scallops.
I would like to prepare this dishes for my family. my kids love scallop very much. I can easily get the ingredients excep for the san-j sichuan sauce. I am not sure if I can find it at any leading supermarket in Singapore. What other sauce would you recommend to replace the San-J sichuan sauce. Can I use the Lee Kum Kee sichuan noodle spicy sauce?
I couldn’t find the San-J sauce either, but the recipe was too tempting to not attempt an approximation. I improvised a sauce mixing Hoisin sauce and La Doubanjiang (Japanese fermented bean paste with chilies). I adjusted the mix to taste and left out the sugar as the hoisin I had on hand was plenty sweet. Not implying it’s as good as Bee’s recipe but it came out great. If you can’t tolerate any heat use Doubanjiang (no chilies) instead of the La Doubanjiang. I’m thinking these should be available in Singapore; San-J products are made in the US.
Hi, I would like to cook this for my family CNY dinner. If I am not able to find the Szechuan sauce u recommended in Sungapore, what other sauce can I substitute with? Will the Szechuan sauce spicy as my niece can’t take too spicy food. Thank you ! I am a fan of your recipe. Have been cooking a number of them, my kids love them.
This is such a wonderful dish – easy to prepare and packed with flavor, what could be better than that?! I really loved reading about how different ingredients and their qualities hold significant meaning, particularly during the New Year. Thanks for this lovely recipe and happy New Year, Bee!
Thanks Kathleen.
Hi Bee
One of my favorite cookbook writers, Susan Fuller Slack, preceded you as a recipe developer for San-J. Only one of her San-J recipes made it into a cookbook but it was really great, a snack mix like Chex Mix. I find it amazing that the food world works in such a circular and connected way! I loved your Mizkan recipes and can’t wait to see what you come up with next from San-J!
Hi Tadon – thanks so much for your support. This Szechuan Scallops recipe is very good, you should try it out.
Are there ingredients you can recommend to use in place of the pre-made Szechuan sauce?