Chinese Barbecue Vegetables That Steal the Show

In the sweltering summers of Sichuan, one of my favorite activities is heading out for yèxiāo (夜宵), a late-night feast—almost a second dinner—that defines the region’s nightlife. Known locally as lěngdàn bēi (冷淡杯; “cold cup”) or yè píjiǔ (夜啤酒, “night beer”), these meals take place in backstreets and riverside food stalls that come alive after dark, when vendors set up folding tables and plastic chairs. In the 1990s, these started as simple gatherings with boiled peanuts, braised meats and cold beer. Over time, they evolved into full-blown feasts featuring barbecue (shāokǎo, 烧烤) and stir-fried seafood. We went often when I was a kid. While the adults drank and talked, I loved watching vendors flip skewers over open flames, bamboo fans stirring the smoke. And, of course, I also loved munching on the results.

Shaokao has long been a communal food favorite in Sichuan, a great way to enjoy a meal with friends and family. Even now, it remains a fixture of my visits whenever I return home. While meat often takes the spotlight in barbecue culture, shaokao in Sichuan is surprisingly also vegetable-forward. According to the food delivery platform Ele.me (饿了么), nearly half of the most-ordered shaokao items are vegetables, led by potatoes, green beans and lotus root. And as an omnivore, I find myself increasingly drawn to the textures and flavors of these vegetable skewers. In fact, if you want to, you can make a fantastic meal out of Sichuan-style vegetable shaokao (烤素菜, kǎo sùcài) without any meat at all.

On a recent trip to Ya’an, a city famous for its Shímián shāokǎo (石棉烧烤)—a style named for the now-famous Shimian District that includes a variety of cooking methods, including skewers cooked over open flames, food grilled in baskets, and thin slices of meat sizzled on a fiery iron griddle—I was reminded just how beautiful and abundant vegetable grilling can be. We feasted on thin lotus root and potato slices crisped at the edges; Chinese chives coiled into tight wheels and charred until aromatic; and enoki mushrooms that turned tender and juicy on the grill. Corn was skewered kernel by kernel—a labor of love—and whole eggplants were slow-roasted until meltingly soft, then split open and heaped with chopped garlic and fresh cilantro.

Plant-based meat substitutes shine in this preparation, too. Dòfugān (豆腐干), or five-spiced tofu, develops a blistered, crispy skin. Bāojiāng dòufu (包浆豆腐), a molten tofu with a creamy, almost yogurt-like center, is crisp on the outside and soaks up sauce beautifully. Shāopí (烤苕皮), broad slabs of sweet potato starch noodles, can be grilled until delicately crisp on one side (imagine the texture of a shrimp cracker) and tender on the other; they deliver the irresistible QQ texture that Chinese diners know and love.

Across Sichuan, locals are fiercely passionate about shaokao, and regional styles abound. In addition to the Shimian style, you can also find bǎbǎ shāo (把把烧), a version made up of lots of small skewers; and huǒpén shāokǎo (火盆烧烤), a style where diners sit around a pot of charcoal and grill the meat themselves with long, chunky skewers. These styles, which originated in Yibin and Xichang, respectively, have also made their way into Chengdu and across the rest of the province. Each shaokao stall has its own closely guarded spice blend or signature basting sauce, but they all share a similar flavor philosophy: bold, spicy and addictive. Skewers are lavishly seasoned with ground chiles, often as part of a mixture laced with Sichuan pepper, cumin and, sometimes, toasted soybean flour, sesame seeds or crushed peanuts for a hit of nutty, aromatic depth. 

While shaokao is a staple of street stalls and casual restaurants across China, the concept hasn’t quite made its way onto Chinese restaurant menus in Germany. So, in Berlin, where I live, I’ve learned to recreate it myself with a group of diaspora Chinese friends. Every summer, we gather in parks around makeshift grills and try to capture the smoky vibrance of a Sichuan backstreet.

The preparation for shaokao is simple: Skewer your vegetables (and marinate and skewer your meat if you’re making an omnivorous meal), brush everything with oil and toss the skewers on the grill, turning as needed to cook everything evenly. As they near doneness, sprinkle them generously with one of The Mala Market’s Shao Kao BBQ Spices (made for them in small batches in Chongqing) or your own custom blend (see my optional recipe for a homemade mix below). Once the skewers are done, you can also customize them to your own taste. Our group includes several friends from Sichuan and Chongqing, and, without fail, someone always grabs the spice jar at the last moment to re-season the skewers one more time before we eat, for an extra hit of heat. 

How to Cut and Skewer Vegetables for Shaokao

For even cooking and the perfect char, most vegetables used in Sichuan shaokao are cut into uniform pieces—either thinly sliced or chopped into manageable chunks—before being threaded onto bamboo or wood skewers. For ingredients cut into thick chunks, you can skewer them just once, all the way through, but for thin slices, you’ll want to skewer them twice, weaving the tip of the skewer in and out of the slice, like you’re sewing, for stability.

If you’re serving the shaokao with bread and other sides, plan for about 1 to 1.5 pounds of ingredients per person. If you’re serving the shaokao on its own, prepare about 2 pounds of ingredients per person, and be sure to include some filling items like potatoes and five-spice tofu. 

Here’s how to prepare some of the most popular ingredients:

• Potatoes: Peel and slice them with a knife or mandoline (put the slices in a bowl of cold water to keep them from oxidizing as you go), then skewer each slice twice. If you’re using small new potatoes, you can also skewer them whole. 
• Zucchini: Choose bigger zucchinis, cut them into thin slices, and skewer each slice twice. 
• Lotus root: Peel the root, then thinly slice it with a knife or mandoline (a mandoline works best) and skewer each slice twice through the root’s natural holes. (The slices will slide around, so be careful that they don’t slide off when you’re grilling.)
• Bell peppers: Grill peppers whole or cut them into bite-size pieces and skewer the squares. 
• Corn: Cut or break each ear into smaller pieces. Skewer each piece lengthwise, through the cob.
• Green beans: Trim the ends and cut the beans into 2-inch segments; skewer each segment crosswise through its middle.
• Enoki mushrooms: Trim off the brown root base but keep the stems of the mushrooms connected. Skewer the stem ends with two skewers, for stability. (Alternatively, you can grill these in aluminum pans.) 
• King oyster mushrooms: Thinly slice the mushrooms lengthwise and skewer each slice twice, vertically. 
• Cauliflower and Broccoli: Cut or break the heads into florets and skewer each floret through the stem. 
•  Chinese chives: Wrap each bunch of chives into a tight wheel and skewer each wheel, poking the tip of the skewer through all the wrapped layers of chives. Alternatively, you could leave the chives long and skewer them through their stem ends, using two skewers, or grill them in aluminum pans. 
• Five spice or smoked pressed tofu: Separate the slabs and skewer each one twice. (If you have pressed tofu that comes in blocks, you’ll need to slice it into thick rectangular slabs first.)
• Konjac (魔芋, móyù): Drain away the liquid in the package and slice the block of konjac into 3.5-inch-long, 1-inch-wide rectangular slabs. Skewer each slab twice, or even three times, depending on its size. 

Making Your Own Shaokao Spice Mix

While pre-mixed spice combinations like the ones sold by The Mala Market are the most convenient way to flavor shaokao (the version I used here, the Fragrant Hot mix, is perfectly calibrated for optimal Sichuan flavor), you can also make your own if you need to—or if you want to leave a particular ingredient out to accommodate allergies or dietary preferences.

I was happy to briefly meet Taylor and Fongchong in Chengdu and had the chance to bring the market’s new shaokao spices back to Berlin. I’ve been taking them to my potluck shaokao parties ever since. They’re especially handy when grilling quick-cooking vegetable skewers, since everything you need is in one bottle. 

When I do need to make my own spice mix, my Sichuan-style version relies primarily on chili flakes, cumin and sesame, with a hint of Sichuan pepper and spices (I use five-spice as a shortcut), plus optional sugar and msg for extra depth. I normally emphasize the chili flakes (aka ground chilies) and use the other spices and seasonings sparingly. I toast the larger ingredients in a dry pan, then grind them into small pieces before mixing in the chili flakes and other ingredients.

Bonus Round: Adding a Brushing Sauce or a Dry Dip

If you already make shaokao regularly, and you want to expand your usual flavor profile, you can also try adding a sweet-savory-pungent brushing sauce to your repertoire. This kind of sauce is ideal for thicker ingredients like tofu and mushrooms as it helps keep them moist and flavored during their longer grilling time. My version is made with garlic, soy sauce, oyster sauce (or vegan alternative), sugar and spices like five-spice powder, cumin and more of the Mala Market shaokao spice. This mix is highly adjustable; you can also add a bit of chili oil or more sweetener to tweak the blend to your liking.

Alternatively (or additionally), you can also give guests the option of dipping their skewers in a dry dip, or gan die, like The Mala Market’s Sichuan Dipping Chilies. This style is especially popular with Xichang-style shaokao in Sichuan. The blend of ground chilies, ground soymeal, peanuts and sesame adds a nutty flavor and a satisfying texture that complements grilled ingredients beautifully.

For more grilling recipes, see Taylor’s Sichuan-Style Shaokao (Chinese BBQ, 烧烤) and Toothpick Lamb From a Sichuan Master Chef (Yaqian Yangrou, 牙签羊肉).