Description
This is one of our favorite Chinese take-out chicken and vegetable stir-fry recipes because it tastes just like delivery (minus the MSG) and it cooks in just 5 minutes flat. Velveted and seasoned chicken is perfectly “slippery” and tender (just like it’s supposed to be). Sub your favorite vegetables (broccoli, peppers, extra carrots, zucchini, snow peas, etc.).
Ingredients
CHICKEN MARINATING (VELVETING) INGREDIENTS
- 3/4 to 1 pound chicken thigh meat sliced into thin strips (335 to 500g)
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (14g)*
- 2 teaspoons oyster sauce (9g)
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce (14g)
- 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce (9g)
- 2 teaspoons raw sugar (10g)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch (5g)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable or grapeseed oil (7g)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons water (20g)
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper (0.5g)
- 2 pinches Chinese Five Spice seasoning, or more to taste
STIR-FRY SAUCE INGREDIENTS
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (place in separate bowl for deglazing the wok) (14g)*
- 1 1/2 tablespoons light soy sauce (20g)
- 1/4 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (1g)
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper (0.5g)
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds, or to taste (optional)
FOR THE CELLOPHANE NOODLES
- 3 1/2 ounces of mung bean noodles (cellophane noodles) (100g)
- 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil (2g)
- 1/2 teaspoon dark soy sauce (2g)
FOR THE REST OF THE DISH
- 4 shallots, sliced (or sub equal amount of scallions or regular onions)
- 3 to 4 slices of fresh ginger
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 to 5 whole (hot) Chinese peppers, seeds removed
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil (for stir-frying) (42g)**
*If you can’t find Shaoxing wine, use dry sherry in a 1:1 ratio. If you’re thinking about using mirin, it’s acceptable if that’s all you’ve got (but it really has a totally different flavor than Shaoxing wine and it’s also a bit sweet which would still taste nice in this dish).
**If stir-frying a full pound of chicken, you may want to increase the stir-frying oil from 3 tablespoons (42g) to 4 tablespoons (56g).
Instructions
- Marinate (velvet) the chicken. Add all of the chicken marinating/velveting ingredients except the chicken to a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Adjust the seasoning to taste and add the sliced chicken. Using your hands, massage the marinade into the chicken until there is no liquid left in the bowl and the chicken has absorbed it all. Marinate for 20 minutes while you prep the remaining ingredients.
- Rehydrate and season the cellophane noodles. Rehydrate the glass noodles according to packaged directions. In this case, the brand I used instructed me to add the noodles to a pot of just boiled water with the heat turned off and allow them to steep for 4 minutes. Strain and rinse with cold water until the noodles are cool, strain again if needed, and add the oil and light soy sauce and stir well to combine, set aside.
- Make the sauce. Add all of the sauce ingredients (except the Shaoxing wine to a small, stir well to combine, and set aside. Add the Shaoxing wine to another small bowl and set aside.
- Stir-fry the chicken and complete the stir-fry. Heat the wok over high heat until smoking, add 3 tablespoons of oil, and the garlic, ginger, and hot pepper, and cook for about 5 to 8 seconds.
- Add the chicken, shallots, carrots, and stir-fry just until the chicken is cooked through about 2 1/2 minutes moving everything around the wok as it cooks.
- Add the Shaoxing wine drizzling it around the perimeter of the wok to deglaze the pan and continue stir-frying for 2 minutes more.
- Add the noodles and the sauce and stir-fry for about 1 minute more and toss everything until well combined, and turn off the heat, Enjoy!
Notes
- If you want to make this a spicy chicken and vegetable stir-fry noodle dish, simply add a more dried, whole peppers, or do not remove the seeds from the single dried chili you use.
- Sub any variety of vegetables you have on hand like broccoli, bell peppers, snow peas, or snap peas.
- This recipe can easily feed more people if you’re serving other dishes to accompany it (like potstickers, dumplings, egg drop soup, or even a big salad).
- See main post for additional tips and techniques for how to make really great stir-fry at home.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Dim Sum + Dumplings
- Method: Wok Stir-Fry
- Cuisine: Chinese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 to 1/3 total recipe
