Chinese Garlic Chicken Stir-Fry (Printable Version)
Tender chicken wok-tossed in a bold garlic sauce with crisp bell peppers and snow peas, ready in 30 minutes.
# What You Need:
→ Meats
01 - 1.1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized strips
→ Marinade
02 - 1 tablespoon soy sauce
03 - 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
04 - 1 tablespoon cornstarch
→ Vegetables
05 - 1 red bell pepper, sliced
06 - 1 cup snow peas, trimmed
07 - 3 green onions, sliced on the diagonal
→ Sauce
08 - 5 cloves garlic, finely minced
09 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce
10 - 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
11 - 1 teaspoon sesame oil
12 - 1 teaspoon sugar
13 - 1/4 cup chicken broth
→ Cooking
14 - 2 tablespoons neutral oil (canola or peanut oil)
15 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
# How to Make It:
01 - In a mixing bowl, combine the chicken strips with 1 tablespoon soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and cornstarch. Toss to coat evenly and set aside for 10 minutes to marinate.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together the minced garlic, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and chicken broth until well combined. Set aside.
03 - Heat the neutral oil in a large wok or skillet over high heat until shimmering. Add the marinated chicken in a single layer and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes until just opaque on the outside. Remove the chicken from the wok and set aside on a plate.
04 - In the same wok, add the minced garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds until fragrant. Toss in the sliced red bell pepper and snow peas, cooking for 2 minutes while stirring frequently.
05 - Return the chicken to the wok and pour in the prepared sauce. Toss everything together for 1 to 2 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce thickens to a glossy coating.
06 - Add the sliced green onions and freshly ground black pepper, stir briefly to combine, then remove from heat. Serve immediately alongside steamed jasmine rice.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The garlic sauce clings to every strip of chicken like it was born to be there, and honestly it probably was.
- Start to finish in thirty minutes, which means you can have dinner on the table faster than the delivery guy could find your building.
02 -
- Crowding the wok with too much chicken at once drops the temperature and you end up steaming rather than searing, so work in batches if needed.
- Adding the green onions too early turns them limp and muddy colored, so always save them for the final toss off the heat.
03 -
- Get the wok smoking hot before the oil even goes in because that initial blast of heat is the entire difference between stir fry and sad boiled chicken.
- Have every single ingredient prepped and measured before you turn on the stove because once things start moving there is no time to mince more garlic.