This stir-fried Chinese chicken dish has boneless chicken thighs, which I always prefer over breasts because it has more flavor. It also helps that the breast has to cook right and does not forgive overcooking. It becomes chewy and rubbery. Read some of the recipes that I have shared. You will know that garlic is my favorite aromatic. I love its intense flavor and aroma and believe it lifts any dish that can have it. A few of my favorite garlic-flavored recipes are – Creamy Garlic Shrimp, Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs, Sesame Garlic Ramen Noodles, and Baked Honey Garlic Chicken Wings. The dark color comes from the dark soy sauce used, which has a hint of sweetness and salt to bring out all the other flavors. Brown sugar helps to balance the slaty sauces. The hot sriracha sauce is a trick addition that provides heat and a tangy taste profile from the rice vinegar. Pepper is added for warmth, and cornstarch thickens the sauce. You can substitute the dark soy sauce with an All-purpose or light soy sauce. Remember that light soy sauce can taste saltier, and you might need to increase the sugar to balance it.
Prepare the sauce
Combine all the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl and set aside.
Coat and cook the chicken
Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and place in a mixing bowl. Add dark soy sauce and cornstarch to the chicken. Toss everything well to coat the chicken pieces. On a hot large skillet, heat oil on medium heat. Add the marinated chicken and cook for up to 3 minutes; flip and cook for another couple of minutes. We need the chicken to get crispy from the cornstarch coating without overcrowding. If needed, cook the chicken in batches.
Cook aromatics
Drain the oil from the skillet, leaving only one tablespoon behind. Add minced garlic and ginger and saute them until they turn aromatic. It will take a minute. Add the cooked chicken, sliced bell pepper, and chopped green onion. Pour the prepared sauce and toss well until the sauce coats everything. Let it cook until the sauce thickens further. You are ready to serve. You can safely freeze this, by double-wrapping the container and marking the date, for months. When it’s time to have this, move it to the refrigerator the previous night to thaw. You can stir the contents well and reheat them in the microwave. Otherwise, you may stir fry it a few times while tossing the contents.
Rice – plain steamed rice is the classic pairing with Chinese stir-fry dishes like chicken with garlic sauce. Rice soaks up the delicious sauce and makes the whole dish fulfilling. You can also pair it with fried rice. Noodles – Plain noodles or noodles with other flavors apart from garlic work well with this saucy dish by absorbing the flavors and making it a hearty meal. Stir-fried veggies – Veggies stir-fried offer a crunch and extra fiber, which makes for a satiating meal. To serve with this, you can stir-fry broccoli and green leaves like bokchoy, cabbage, etc..
