Chinese Chicken with Garlic Sauce
This Chinese Chicken with Garlic Sauce is a quick, flavorful stir fry made with tender chunks of chicken, and a savory, garlicky sauce. It comes together in 30 minutes and pairs perfectly with rice for an easy weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Marinade
- 1 ⅓ lb boneless chicken cut into 2 cm cubes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose soy sauce or light soy sauce
- ¼ teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons sriracha
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or 2 teaspoons white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1½-2 cups cups water start with 1½ cups add more if needed
- ½ chicken bouillon cube
Stir Fry
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 5-6 garlic cloves finely diced
- 1 teaspoon ginger minced
- 4 scallions white parts sliced, green parts cut into 1-inch stems
Garnish
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix the chicken with salt, white pepper, soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Let it marinate for 15–20 minutes.
- In a small bowl prepare the sauce, whisk together soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, sriracha, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, cornstarch, brown sugar, water, and bouillon cube. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a wide pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add the marinated chicken and stir-fry until fully cooked and lightly golden, about 5–6 minutes. Remove to a plate and set aside.
- In the same pan, add the garlic and ginger to the remaining oil. Sauté for 30–45 seconds until fragrant and just starting to turn golden (do not brown fully). Add the sliced white parts of the scallions. Stir-fry for 1–2 minutes.
- Pour in the sauce mixture. Bring it to a simmer and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring often, until it thickens. Taste and adjust salt if needed.
- Return the chicken to the pan. Toss to coat and cook for 1–2 minutes until heated through.
- Add the green scallion stems and turn off the heat. They will soften in the residual heat without turning mushy.
- Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on top. Serve hot with garlic rice or plain steamed rice.
Video
Notes
- You can add vegetables like bell peppers, carrots, baby corn, broccoli, or snow peas for extra color and texture. Just sauté them after the aromatics until slightly tender, then continue with the recipe.
- If the sauce gets too thick, add a splash of water or broth.
- Soy sauce and bouillon already add salt, so taste the sauce before adding any extra.
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