Chinese Sweet Chicken

This is a simple way to prepare chicken, or any meat really, like pork, beef, or even fish and tofu. The sauce is what makes the dish delicious. It is sweet, sour, spicy, salty, all kind of flavors mingle together to gently coat the lightly pan fried protein of your choice. Sometimes, I make double or triple batches of the sauce and prepare different quick meals for several days 🙂

Chinese Sweet and Spicy Chicken

Author: Daily Cooking Quest

Cuisine: Chinese

Prep time:

Cook time:

Total time:

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 500 gram skinless boneless chicken breast/thigh, bite sizes
• ½ teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoon corn starch
• 2 tablespoon oil
• 2 tablespoon cilantro leaves, roughly chopped (optional)

Sauce

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 inch ginger, minced
• 3 dried red chilies, thinly sliced
• 3 scallions, separate whites and greens, thinly sliced
• ¾ cup chicken stock
• 3 tablespoon tomato ketchup
• 3 tablespoon soy sauce
• 3 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sambal oelek
• corn starch solution (2 tablespoon corn starch + 2 tablespoon water, mix well)

Instructions

1. In a mixing bowl, combine chicken with sesame oil, soy sauce, and corn starch. Let it marinate for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, let's make the sauce.
2. Heat oil in a sauce pot, then sauté garlic, ginger, red chilies, and the white parts of scallion until fragrant. About 3 minutes.
3. Add chicken stock, stir to mix well, and bring to a boil.
4. Add tomato ketchup, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and sambal oelek. Bring to a boil again. Adjust taste as needed.
5. Thicken the sauce by adding corn starch solution, stir the sauce for another 2 minutes. Then take off the heat.
6. Now, let's cook the chicken. Heat the 2 tablespoon oil in a wok/frying pan on high heat. Add the marinated chicken and fry until golden brown and fully cooked.
7. Pour the sauce to the wok and quickly toss to coat the chicken.