Chinese Chicken Recipe For Quick Weeknight Meals
A healthier twist on a Far Eastern-style quick chicken dish, this recipe skips the usual step of coating the chicken in flour or starch and deep-frying it.
As you know, dishes like General Tso’s chicken or sweet and sour chicken are typically coated in flour or starch and deep-fried in plenty of oil. Yes, they turn out wonderfully crispy, but they are also quite high in calories and less healthy. In this version, both the coating and frying steps are eliminated. Only one teaspoon of starch is used to slightly thicken the sauce.
To give the dish a mild heat, I added some homemade chili sauce. If you don’t like spicy food, you can skip it. If you love heat, you can increase the amount. And if you prefer a sweet-and-spicy flavor, you can also add a bit of brown sugar.
You might say, “I kept the dish light, I’ll serve it with a salad,” or “Chicken isn’t complete without rice, I’ll make some steamed rice on the side.”
Soy sauce is probably a pantry staple, but fish sauce might not be. If you don’t have it, you can substitute it with the same amount of soy sauce. You can also use freshly grated ginger instead of ground ginger in the same quantity.
When serving, you can sprinkle sesame seeds or chopped fresh green onions on top.
Enjoy the recipe...
Ingredients
- 600 g chicken breast,
- 1 onion,
- 1 red bell pepper,
- 3 tablespoons sesame oil,
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce,
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce,
- 1 teaspoon starch,
- 1 tablespoon chili sauce,
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger.
Preparation
- Cut the chicken breast into small, thin cubes and place them in a deep bowl,
- Add the soy sauce, fish sauce, and starch, and mix well,
- Cover and let it marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes,
- Heat the sesame oil in a large pan,
- Add the chicken and sauté until cooked through and lightly browned in places,
- Add the onion (sliced into half-moons) and the bell pepper (cut into small squares), and cook, stirring frequently, until softened,
- Add the ginger and chili sauce, mix well, and remove from heat.
Enjoy your meal!