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Chinese Chicken and Broccoli

by Katerina

4.91 from 10 votes

May 01, 2022

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Treat yourself to the epic combo of spicy, sweet, and tangy flavors with our Chinese Chicken and Broccoli. Tender chunks of chicken are marinated in a classic Asian marinade, sizzled to perfection, and paired with vibrant stir-fried broccoli and peppers.

I love remaking my favorite takeout meals at home, from salt and pepper chicken to saucy kung pao chicken and Mongolian chicken. This chicken broccoli stir fry always hits the spot!

Sweet And Spicy Chinese Chicken Broccoli Stir Fry

What do you get when you pair juicy, tangy, spicy cubes of chicken with sweet and savory stir-fried veggies? Our family’s favorite takeout-fakeout, also known as Chinese Chicken and Broccoli. This wholesome stir-fry lunch or dinner is served on top of fluffy rice and garnished with green onions and sesame seeds. I’ll usually add an easy appetizer like firecracker shrimp or shrimp shumai, and it’s like we’re transported to our favorite Asian restaurant!

As long as you plan ahead with marinating the chicken, you’ll have this dish on the table in less than 30 minutes. It usually disappears from everyone’s plates in five! If you’re looking for something filling and nutritious with loads of flavors, then you’ve just found your hidden treasure.

Chinese Chicken And Broccoli Ingredients

This recipe uses simple ingredients and a delicious sweet-savory homemade Asian marinade.

• Egg White: The yolk can be discarded.
• Cornstarch: This is a useful thickener that won’t affect the flavor of the dish.
• Dry Sherry: I’m all about the zing that this fully fermented wine provides.
• Soy Sauce
• Chili Powder: Feel free to add more or less according to your heat tolerance.
• Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast: Or chicken thighs.
• Chicken Stock
• Rice Vinegar
• Sugar
• Vegetable Oil: For frying.
• Red Bell Pepper: Thinly sliced.
• Broccoli Florets
• Fresh Minced Garlic
• Ground Ginger Powder: Not to be confused with dried, candied ginger.
• Red Pepper Flakes
• Chopped Green Onions: Some will be sautéed with the veggies, and some will serve as a topping.
• Cooked Rice: Use any kind you like.
• Sesame Seeds: Optional, to garnish the dish.

How to Make Chinese Chicken and Broccoli

1. Make Marinade: Fill a mixing bowl with the egg white, chili powder, cornstarch, dry sherry, and soy sauce. Whisk until everything is well combined. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Cover the bowl and let the chicken marinate for 2 hours.
2. Chicken Stock Sauce: Add a tablespoon of cornstarch and one tablespoon of chicken stock to a mixing bowl. Whisk until smooth. Add the remaining chicken stock, sugar, rice vinegar, dry sherry and soy sauce. Whisk until combined, then set the sauce aside.
3. Heat Oil: Heat vegetable oil to 350°F in a large pot. Remove the chicken from the marinade and slide it into the hot oil.
4. Cook Chicken: Heat the oil and fry the chicken, flipping it over once, until it’s golden brown and cooked through. Remove the chicken from the heat and drain it on a plate lined with paper towels.
5. Cook Veggies: Add the red bell pepper and broccoli. Cook until the veggies are tender. Add the garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, and green onions.
6. Add Sauce & Stir-Fry: Continue to cook for a few seconds, then add the chicken stock sauce. Bring it to a boil and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens. Remove the broccoli mixture from the heat.
7. Assemble: Arrange the cooked chicken on a platter and pour the sauce over it. Serve the chicken and broccoli over rice and garnish it with sesame seeds and/or more green onions.

Tips for Success

• Season to Taste: If you’re not the biggest fan of spicy food, you can use less chili powder. There’s enough amazing flavor going on to make up for it!
• It All Starts With the Marinade: In order to fully appreciate the flavor of this marinade, you have to soak your chicken in it for 2 hours. Since there’s alcohol in the marinade, avoid letting it soak for longer than 4 hours.
• Use Tongs to Flip the Chicken: I recommend using tongs to flip your chicken. Hot oil has a tendency to spark up, and this keeps your hands out of the danger zone.
• Goodbye Grease: You don’t technically have to drain your chicken after you fry it, but I prefer to get rid of that extra grease.

Variation Ideas

• Gluten-Free Chinese Chicken and Broccoli: If you have gluten sensitivity you can still enjoy this great take-out fake-out dinner, but swap out the soy sauce for gluten-free tamari.
• Crunchy Chicken and Broccoli: If you want a crunchy element, add unsalted nuts to the stir-fry. Water chestnuts and cashews, in particular.
• Vegetable Switcharoo: The bell peppers are amazing in the broccoli sauce, but you can substitute them with carrots and snow peas and still get amazing results.

Serving Suggestions

• Rice: Obvi. You can choose from Instant Pot jasmine rice, cumin-infused jeera rice, and even this jollof rice.
• Asian-Inspired Dishes: Between the chicken, the veggies, and the rice, this dish is a complete meal, but it never hurts to bring some yummy sides to the table! Try this cozy soba noodle soup or a simple side of oyster mushrooms. We also love a starter of Chinese boneless spare ribs to share.
• Veggies: These roasted garlic parmesan carrots or air fryer carrots are another fail-proof choice. They’re easy to make with just a few minutes of prep time.

Storage and Reheating

• Refrigerate: Once cooled, leftovers should be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat the chicken and veggies over medium-low heat, adding a splash of cooking oil to the mixture.
• I don’t recommend freezing this dish.

ENJOY!

More Asian-Style Dinner Ideas

• General Tso’s Chicken
• Szechuan Chicken
• Easy Kung Pao Beef
• Cashew Chicken

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4.91 from 10 votes

Chinese Chicken and Broccoli

by Katerina | Diethood

Chinese Chicken and Broccoli is prepared with tender chunks of chicken soaked in a classic Asian marinade, pan-fried to perfection, then served with stir-fried broccoli and peppers.

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 large egg white
• ▢ 3 tablespoons cornstarch,, divided
• ▢ 3 tablespoons dry sherry,, divided
• ▢ 3 tablespoons soy sauce,, divided
• ▢ 1 to 2 tablespoons chili powder,, or to taste
• ▢ 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts,, cut into cubes
• ▢ ¼ cup chicken stock
• ▢ 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
• ▢ 2 teaspoons sugar
• ▢ vegetable oil,, for frying
• ▢ 1 red bell pepper,, thinly sliced
• ▢ 1 cup small broccoli florets
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic,, minced
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ▢ ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ▢ ⅓ cup chopped green onions,, plus more for garnish
• ▢ cooked rice
• ▢ sesame seeds,, for garnish

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Instructions 

• In a mixing bowl, whisk together egg white, 2 tablespoons of the cornstarch, 2 tablespoons of the dry sherry, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and chili powder; whisk until well combined. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of the chicken stock; whisk until smooth. To the bowl, add the remaining chicken stock, 1 tablespoon dry sherry, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sugar; whisk until combined and set aside.
• In a large pot, heat vegetable oil to 350˚F.
• Remove the chicken from the marinade and drop it into the hot oil. Fry the chicken, turning it once, until golden brown and cooked through, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels. Set aside.
• In a large skillet or wok, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Add the sliced red bell peppers and broccoli; cook until fork-tender, about 3 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes and chopped green onions.
• Continue to cook and stir occasionally for 1 minute; add the chicken stock sauce, bring to a boil, and cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
• Arrange the cooked chicken on a platter and pour the sauce over it.
• Serve over rice and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.

Equipment

• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Mixing Bowls
• Whisks
• Large Skillet

Notes

• Chicken: I used chicken breasts for this recipe, but feel free to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
• Marinade Magic: Let the chicken marinate for 2 hours to soak up all the flavors, but not more than 4 hours due to the alcohol content.
• Flip Safely: Use tongs to flip the chicken and avoid hot oil splatter.
• Less Grease: Drain the chicken after frying to eliminate extra grease if preferred.
• Gluten-Free Option: Swap regular soy sauce with gluten-free tamari for a gluten-sensitive friendly meal.
• Add Some Crunch: Toss in unsalted nuts like water chestnuts or cashews for extra texture.
• Veggie Variety: Swap bell peppers with carrots or snow peas for a tasty twist.
• To Store & Reheat: Refrigerate cooled leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
• To Freeze: Do not freeze the vegetables – they won’t be the same after they thaw. The cooled chicken can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for 2 to 3 months. Thaw it out in the fridge before reheating.

The recipe was slightly adapted from Food Network.

Nutrition

Serving: 6ounces | Calories: 219kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 970mg | Potassium: 717mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1900IU | Vitamin C: 63mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.

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