Spicy Asian Chicken Stir Fry

Ingredients

• 14 g (1 tablespoon)bicarbonate of soda
• 454 g (1 lb)boneless, skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced
• 60 ml (¼ cup)chicken stock
• 30 ml (2 tablespoons)honey
• 30 ml (2 tablespoons), or less for a milder saucesriracha
• 45 ml (3 tablespoons)soy sauce
• 45 ml (3 tablespoons)rice vinegar
• 3 g (1 teaspoon)cornflour
• 45 ml (3 tablespoons)rapeseed oil
• 2 clovesgarlic, diced or grated
• 10 ml (2 teaspoons)grated ginger
• 3spring onions, chopped
• 227 g (8 oz)sugar snap peas
• To tastewhite rice, for serving

Instructions

1. 1

   Velvet the chicken

   Cut the thinly sliced chicken into pieces about 4–5 cm (1½–2 inches) long. Toss it with the bicarbonate of soda and leave for 15 minutes. Rinse thoroughly in a colander, then pat dry.

2. 2

   Mix the sauce

   In a bowl, whisk together the chicken stock, honey, sriracha, soy sauce, rice vinegar and cornflour.

3. 3

   Prepare the vegetables

   Put the chopped garlic, ginger, sugar snap peas and spring onions together in another bowl.

4. 4

   Cook the chicken

   Heat 30 ml (2 tablespoons) of the rapeseed oil in a large frying pan or wok over a medium-high heat. Add the chicken and a splash or two of the sauce, then stir-fry until cooked through and no longer pink. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

5. 5

   Stir-fry vegetables

   Add the remaining 15 ml (1 tablespoon) of oil to the pan, then add the sugar snap peas, garlic, ginger and spring onions. Cook for about 3–4 minutes, until the peas are tender but still crisp.

6. 6

   Finish and serve

   Return the chicken to the pan and pour in the remaining sauce. Cook, stirring, for about 4 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Serve over white rice.

What is Asian chicken stir-fry?

Stir-frying is a quick way to cook small pieces of food over high heat, a technique used in many Asian cuisines. This version brings together chicken, crisp vegetables and a punchy sauce with soy, rice vinegar, honey and sriracha.

The brief bicarbonate-of-soda treatment is intended to give the chicken a tender, restaurant-style texture. Cooking the vegetables separately from the chicken helps keep the snap peas crisp.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 297 calories, 27g protein, 15g carbs, 13g fat.

The rice and honey supply most of the carbohydrates, while the chicken provides most of the protein. The oil and chicken contribute fat, and the soy sauce is a key source of sodium. Serve with a moderate portion of rice and plenty of the chicken and snap peas to balance the plate.

Why velvet the chicken?

Bicarbonate of soda changes the chicken’s texture during its 15-minute rest. Rinsing it thoroughly afterwards and patting the pieces dry are important parts of the method.

Dry chicken also sears more readily in the pan. Cut pieces to a similar size so they cook at roughly the same pace.

Getting the sauce right

Cornflour: whisk it into the cold sauce ingredients before they reach the pan, which helps it disperse evenly.

Heat: the stated sriracha amount gives the sauce a noticeable kick; use less if you prefer a milder result. The honey, vinegar and soy sauce provide sweet, tangy and savoury notes.

Keep the vegetables crisp

Sugar snap peas: cook them for the suggested 3–4 minutes, checking that they have softened slightly but still have a bite.

Garlic and ginger: add them with the peas and spring onions, as the recipe directs, and stir while they cook so they mix through the vegetables.

Timing the stir-fry

Have the sauce and vegetable mixture ready before you heat the pan; stir-frying moves quickly once cooking begins. Cook the chicken until it is no longer pink, then set it aside while the vegetables cook.

Return the chicken with the remaining sauce and allow about 4 minutes for the sauce to thicken. Stir during this final stage so the sauce coats the chicken and vegetables.

Serving suggestions

Serve the stir-fry over white rice, as suggested, so it catches the spicy sauce. For a balanced plate, pair a sensible serving of rice with a generous share of the chicken and snap peas.

Serve soon after the sauce thickens, while the vegetables are still crisp and the chicken is hot.

Recipe notes & tips

• Slice the chicken into similarly sized pieces so they cook evenly.
• Rinse the chicken thoroughly after the 15-minute bicarbonate-of-soda rest.
• Pat the chicken dry before it goes into the hot pan.
• Whisk the cornflour into the sauce until no dry lumps remain.
• Prepare the vegetables and sauce before starting to stir-fry.
• Use less sriracha if you want a milder sauce.

Variations

• Milder sauce: reduce the sriracha to suit your preferred heat level.
• Extra vegetables: add more sugar snap peas while keeping them tender-crisp.
• Garlic texture: use diced garlic for small pieces or grate it for a finer finish.
• Ginger flavour: adjust the grated ginger to suit your taste.
• Rice serving: serve with the white rice amount that suits your appetite.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Skipping the rinse: leftover bicarbonate of soda can affect the chicken; rinse it thoroughly after 15 minutes.
• Wet chicken: excess moisture gets in the way of browning; pat the rinsed pieces dry.
• Overcooking the peas: they can lose their crisp bite; start checking after 3 minutes.
• Adding all the sauce too early: reserve most for the final stage so it can thicken around the cooked chicken and vegetables.
• Guessing the chicken doneness: cook until the pieces are no longer pink before setting them aside.

How to store

Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container and eat within 3 days. Reheat until piping hot, stirring occasionally; the snap peas may soften on reheating.

Frequently asked questions