Tender strips of chicken, colorful vegetables, garlic, ginger, and bold Asian sauces come together in a juicy stir-fry full of flavors and varied textures. As a side, you can choose homemade fries, noodles, or rice, making it easy to adapt the dish to any occasion.
Preparation is simple, with most ingredients coming together gradually in a single pan. An important step is letting the meat rest with a bit of baking soda, which helps tenderize the chicken strips. The finished stir-fry just needs to be thickened slightly with instant roux and you can adjust the amount of water and sauces to taste.
What You’ll Need
For the chicken stir-fry:
- chicken meat, cut into very thin strips,
- salt,
- pepper,
- piri piri,
- starch,
- a little baking soda to tenderize the meat,
- oil for frying,
- onion, finely chopped,
- spring onion, finely chopped,
- garlic, finely chopped,
- ginger, finely chopped,
- frozen Chinese vegetable mix,
- red onion, sliced into strips,
- bell pepper, sliced into strips,
- fish sauce,
- dark thick Chinese soy sauce,
- oyster sauce,
- instant roux for thickening,
- water.
For the side:
- fries, noodles, or rice as you prefer.
The original recipe does not specify exact quantities, so adjust according to the number of servings, desired flavor intensity, and the final sauce consistency.
Step-by-Step Preparation:
1. Slicing the meat: Clean the chicken and cut it into very thin strips. The more evenly you cut the pieces, the more evenly they will cook when frying.
2. Tenderizing the chicken: Sprinkle the sliced meat with a little baking soda and let it rest in the fridge. This step helps the chicken strips become tender, but the original recipe does not specify the exact resting time.
3. Seasoning the meat: Season the rested chicken with salt, pepper, and piri piri. Add starch and mix thoroughly so the seasoning and starch coat all the strips evenly.
4. Preparing the vegetables: Finely chop the regular onion, spring onion, garlic, and ginger. Slice the red onion and bell pepper into strips and have the frozen Chinese vegetable mix ready so you can add each ingredient to the pan without delay.
5. Sautéing the aromatic base: Heat oil in a pan and add the finely chopped onion, spring onion, garlic, and ginger. Sauté briefly, stirring regularly so the base becomes fragrant and doesn’t burn.
6. Adding meat and vegetables: Add the marinated chicken strips, frozen Chinese vegetables, red onion, and bell pepper to the aromatic base. Stir-fry for a while, stirring occasionally, so the meat cooks through and the flavors combine.
7. Seasoning with sauces: Add fish sauce, dark thick Chinese soy sauce, and oyster sauce to the pan. Adjust the amount to taste, as all these sauces are quite strong and the original recipe does not specify exact ratios.
8. Thickening the stir-fry: Pour in a little water and thicken the mixture with instant roux. Add water and roux gradually to achieve a lighter sauce consistency, which is especially suitable for serving with rice.
9. Preparing the side: Meanwhile, prepare homemade fries, noodles, or rice, depending on your preference. The original recipe does not specify the method or cooking time for the side, so proceed according to your chosen option.
10. Serving: Serve the finished chicken stir-fry hot with your chosen side. Divide the colorful vegetables and sauce evenly so that each portion has tender chicken strips, vegetables, and flavorful sauce.
How to Adjust the Consistency of the Stir-Fry
Add water in small amounts, as the frozen vegetables may release liquid during cooking. Add the instant roux at the end and stir after each addition. For rice or noodles, a lighter sauce consistency works best, while for fries you can leave the mixture a bit thicker.
How to Work with Bold Sauces
Fish, soy, and oyster sauces are all very strong, so add them gradually and taste as you go. Be careful with salt, as these sauces add plenty of saltiness themselves. Adjust the amount of piri piri to achieve your preferred level of spiciness.
Final Tip
If you want a juicier dish suitable for rice, leave more lightly thickened sauce in the stir-fry. For homemade fries, a thicker mixture works better, as it will stay with the meat and vegetables. Prepare your chosen side so that it is ready at the same time as the chicken, and everything can be served hot.
