Spicy Hunan Chicken Stir-Fry (Printable)
Spicy Chinese stir-fry with tender chicken, crisp vegetables, and bold chili sauce. Ready in 35 minutes.
# What You'll Need:
→ Meat
01 - 1.1 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced
→ Marinade
02 - 1 tablespoon soy sauce
03 - 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
04 - 1 teaspoon cornstarch
→ Vegetables
05 - 1 red bell pepper, sliced
06 - 1 green bell pepper, sliced
07 - 1 cup broccoli florets
08 - 1 carrot, sliced thin
09 - 3.5 oz snow peas
10 - 3 scallions, sliced
11 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
12 - 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
→ Sauce
13 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce
14 - 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
15 - 1 tablespoon black bean sauce
16 - 2 teaspoons chili paste or chili garlic sauce (adjust to taste)
17 - 1 teaspoon sugar
18 - 1/2 cup chicken broth
19 - 1 teaspoon cornstarch
→ For Stir-Frying
20 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
21 - 6-8 dried red chilies (or to taste)
# Directions:
01 - In a mixing bowl, combine the thinly sliced chicken breast with soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and cornstarch. Toss to coat evenly and let rest for 10 minutes.
02 - In a separate bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, oyster sauce, black bean sauce, chili paste, sugar, chicken broth, and cornstarch until smooth and well combined. Set aside.
03 - Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large wok or skillet over high heat. Add the marinated chicken in a single layer and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
04 - Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the wok. Toss in the dried red chilies, minced garlic, and ginger. Stir-fry for about 30 seconds until fragrant and the chilies darken slightly.
05 - Add the sliced bell peppers, broccoli florets, carrot, snow peas, and most of the scallions to the wok. Stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes, keeping the vegetables crisp-tender with a slight char.
06 - Return the cooked chicken to the wok. Give the sauce a quick stir and pour it over the chicken and vegetables. Toss everything together vigorously and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes until the sauce coats everything evenly and thickens to a glossy finish.
07 - Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with the reserved scallions, and serve immediately over steamed jasmine or brown rice.
# Cooking Tips:
01 -
- The sauce clings to every piece of chicken and vegetable like it was made for them, because honestly it was.
- You can dial the heat up or down depending on who is sitting at your table.
- It comes together faster than delivery and tastes like you spent hours over a flame.
02 -
- Overcrowding the wok is the fastest way to steam your chicken instead of searing it, so cook in batches if your wok is small.
- Adding the sauce before the wok recovers its heat will leave you with a watery mess instead of that beautiful clinging glaze.
03 -
- Heat your wok until a drop of water evaporates within one second before adding oil, because a properly hot wok is the entire secret to restaurant quality stir fry.
- Keep all your sauce ingredients pre mixed and your vegetables chopped before the first flame touches the pan because once you start cooking there is no pausing.