Hunan Chicken
User Reviews
4.7
Hunan Chicken
Description
The recipe begins by coating chicken breast pieces with cornstarch and black pepper, then browning them in sesame oil for a crispy exterior. The stir-fry includes carrot slices, celery, red bell pepper strips, broccoli florets, red onion strips, and whole dried chilies, creating a vibrant vegetable medley. Fresh garlic and ginger add aromatic depth.
The Hunan sauce combines soy sauce, chicken broth, oyster sauce, honey, rice vinegar, cornstarch, and chili garlic sauce, producing a thickened, flavorful coating with mild heat adjustable by the amount of chilies used. After cooking the vegetables, the sauce is added and thickened to a glossy finish before tossing with the chicken and garnishing with chopped peanuts for texture.
This dish suits those who enjoy mildly spicy Chinese-style stir-fries, with crisp vegetables complementing tender chicken. It is ideal served hot over steamed rice or noodles.
Prep work such as cutting ingredients and making the sauce beforehand streamlines cooking. Leftovers keep well refrigerated and reheat easily with added moisture to maintain sauce texture. The recipe also freezes well for meal prepping.
Ingredients
For the stir fry
- 1 pound chicken breast boneless and skinless, cut into bite-sized pieces
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
- 2 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 medium carrot sliced 1/4" thin diagonally
- 1 talk celery sliced into 1/2" pieces diagonally
- 1 red bell pepper sliced into 1/2" strips
- ½ red onion sliced into 1/4" thin strips
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 3-6 dried chilies whole, as per your spice preference
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger minced
- ¼ cup peanuts roughly chopped
For the sauce
- ¼ cup soy sauce low sodium
- ½ cup chicken broth low sodium
- 2 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoon Chili garlic sauce aka sambal oelek
Instructions
- Cook the chicken: Add the chicken, cornstarch, and pepper to a mixing bowl. Toss well to completely coat each piece of chicken. Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces, working in batches if needed. Cook until browned on all sides. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
- Cook the veggies: If needed, add more sesame oil. Add the carrot, celery, bell pepper, broccoli, onion, and chilies to the pan. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the veggies soften, 4-5 minutes.
- Make the hunan sauce: Whisk all the sauce ingredients together in a bowl.
- Incorporate the sauce: Stir the garlic and ginger in with the veggies and sauté for another 30 seconds. Pour the sauce into the skillet and reduce the heat to medium. Stir constantly until the sauce thickens.
- Finish: Add the chicken back to the skillet and toss well to coat in the sauce. Garnish with chopped peanuts and serve over noodles or rice.
Notes
- Prepare all ingredients and the sauce before starting to streamline cooking.
- Adjust dried chilies and chili garlic sauce to control spice level.
- Cook vegetables until softened but still crisp to retain texture.
- Freeze leftovers for up to 2-3 months; reheat from thawed or refrigerated state.
- Add water or broth when reheating if sauce thickens or dries out.
- Freeze chicken briefly before cutting for easier handling.
- Omit added salt initially since soy sauce and other ingredients provide sodium; adjust seasoning after cooking.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 373 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1serving | |
| Calories | 373kcal | 19% |
| Carbohydrates | 30g | 10% |
| Protein | 30g | 60% |
| Fat | 15g | 23% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Cholesterol | 73mg | 24% |
| Sodium | 1080mg | 45% |
| Potassium | 843mg | 18% |
| Fiber | 4g | 16% |
| Sugar | 9g | 18% |
| Vitamin A | 3941IU | 79% |
| Vitamin C | 83mg | 92% |
| Calcium | 58mg | 6% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.7
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