Chinese Cuisine
Tiger Skin Green Peppers
A classic Sichuan-style vegetable dish featuring blistered green peppers stir-fried with a savory sweet-and-sour sauce and doubanjiang. The peppers develop a characteristic 'tiger skin' appearance and smoky flavor.
- Total
- 10 minutes
Quick Recipe Summary
- Cuisine
- Chinese
- Category
- Chinese Cuisine
- Method
- Stir-fry
- Total Time
- 10 minutes
- Difficulty
- Average
- Main Ingredient
- Green Bell Peppers
About This Recipe
A classic Sichuan-style vegetable dish featuring blistered green peppers stir-fried with a savory sweet-and-sour sauce and doubanjiang. The peppers develop a characteristic 'tiger skin' appearance and smoky flavor.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Ready in about 10 minutes, so it can fit into a busy cooking day.
- Breaks the method into manageable steps instead of assuming you already know the technique.
- Helpful for practicing timing, heat control, and the order of adding ingredients.
- Gives the dish a clear mildly spicy flavor profile without making the method feel complicated.
- Useful as a reference recipe because the steps explain both what to do and what to watch for.
Ingredients
- 200g Green Bell Peppers
- 1 small piece Ginger
- 1 clove Garlic
- 2 stalks Scallion (white part)
- 2 tbsp Cool Boiled Water
- 1 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
- 1/2 tbsp Black Vinegar
- 1/2 tbsp Sugar
- 1 tsp Oyster Sauce
- 1 tsp Doubanjiang (Chili Bean Paste)
- A few drops Sesame Oil
- As needed Vegetable Oil
Ingredient Notes
These notes explain the role of the main ingredients so the recipe is easier to adjust.
Green Bell Peppers
Chilies or peppers add aroma, color, and heat; adjust the amount to fit your table.
small piece Ginger
Ginger adds clean aroma and helps balance meat, seafood, tofu, and fermented flavors.
Garlic
Garlic gives the dish a savory base and becomes most fragrant when cooked briefly in oil or brine.
stalks Scallion (white part)
Scallions add freshness and are useful both as an aromatic base and as a finishing flavor.
Ingredients & Techniques Used in This Recipe
These guides explain the key sauces, ingredients, and cooking techniques used in this recipe, so you can understand the dish instead of only following steps.
Sauce
Doubanjiang
Fermented chili bean paste that gives Sichuan dishes savory heat and depth.
Sauce
Oyster Sauce
A savory sauce for glossy stir-fries, vegetables, marinades, and meat dishes.
Sauce
Light Soy Sauce
The everyday soy sauce for salt, umami, marinades, and stir-fry seasoning.
Sauce
Black Vinegar
A deep Chinese vinegar for dipping sauces, noodles, braises, and sour-spicy dishes.
Sauce
Sesame Oil
A finishing oil that adds nutty aroma to soups, noodles, fillings, and cold dishes.
Technique
How to Stir Fry Properly
Learn heat control, ingredient order, sauce timing, and quick wok cooking.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1
Wash the green peppers thoroughly and pat dry.
Step 2
Remove the stems and seeds, then cut the peppers into large sections.
Step 3
Finely mince the ginger, garlic, and scallion whites.
Step 4
In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, oyster sauce, water, sesame oil, and a few drops of vegetable oil. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
Step 5
Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat with a small amount of oil. Add the pepper pieces.
Step 6
Press the peppers gently with a spatula while cooking until blistered and browned on both sides, creating a tiger-skin appearance. Remove and set aside.
Step 7
Add a little oil to the pan. Stir-fry the doubanjiang, minced ginger, garlic, and scallions until fragrant and the oil turns red.
Step 8
Return the blistered peppers to the pan and toss briefly to coat with the aromatics.
Step 9
Pour in the prepared sauce and cook for 1–2 minutes until slightly thickened and glossy.
Step 10
Transfer to a serving plate and serve hot.
Cooking Tips
- Do not add extra salt because both soy sauce and doubanjiang are already salty.
- Cook the peppers until blistered but not burnt for the best texture and flavor.
- A cast-iron skillet works especially well for creating the traditional tiger-skin appearance.
- Adjust the amount of doubanjiang according to your preferred spice level.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve it with steamed rice when you want a simple Chinese home-cooked meal.
- Add a light soup or cold vegetable side if the stir-fry is salty, spicy, or saucy.
- Keep rice or noodles ready before cooking because stir-fries are best served immediately.
Recipe Card
A classic Sichuan-style vegetable dish featuring blistered green peppers stir-fried with a savory sweet-and-sour sauce and doubanjiang. The peppers develop a characteristic 'tiger skin' appearance and smoky flavor.
Ingredients
- 200g Green Bell Peppers
- 1 small piece Ginger
- 1 clove Garlic
- 2 stalks Scallion (white part)
- 2 tbsp Cool Boiled Water
- 1 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
- 1/2 tbsp Black Vinegar
- 1/2 tbsp Sugar
- 1 tsp Oyster Sauce
- 1 tsp Doubanjiang (Chili Bean Paste)
- A few drops Sesame Oil
- As needed Vegetable Oil
Method
- Wash the green peppers thoroughly and pat dry.
- Remove the stems and seeds, then cut the peppers into large sections.
- Finely mince the ginger, garlic, and scallion whites.
- In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, oyster sauce, water, sesame oil, and a few drops of vegetable oil. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
- Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat with a small amount of oil. Add the pepper pieces.
- Press the peppers gently with a spatula while cooking until blistered and browned on both sides, creating a tiger-skin appearance. Remove and set aside.
- Add a little oil to the pan. Stir-fry the doubanjiang, minced ginger, garlic, and scallions until fragrant and the oil turns red.
- Return the blistered peppers to the pan and toss briefly to coat with the aromatics.
- Pour in the prepared sauce and cook for 1–2 minutes until slightly thickened and glossy.
- Transfer to a serving plate and serve hot.
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