This stir-fried sesame chicken with broccoli has the classic, sweet, slightly spicy flavor you expect, but is also loaded with fresh broccoli florets. Serve with white or brown rice, or your favorite Asian noodles.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast: 1 piece (cut into 1-inch pieces)
- cornstarch: 2 tsp
- salt: 1 tsp (to taste)
- white pepper: 0.25 tsp (to taste)
- fresh garlic: 2 tsp (minced)
- fresh ginger: 2 tsp (minced)
- plus 1 teaspoon cooking oil of choice: 0.25 cup (divided)
- soy sauce: 0.33333 cup
- hoisin sauce: 0.33333 cup
- rice vinegar: 0.33333 cup
- sambal oelek: 1 tsp (to taste)
- sesame oil: 2 Tbsp
- carrots: 0.5 cup (cut into matchsticks)
- shallots: 0.5 cup (sliced)
- broccoli florets: 4 cups (fresh)
- cornstarch: 1 Tbsp
- soy sauce: 1 Tbsp
- sesame seeds: 1 Tbsp (to taste)
Metric Conversion
Stages of cooking
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Place chicken pieces in a bowl. Sprinkle with cornstarch, salt, and white pepper. Toss chicken to coat evenly and set aside.
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Heat 1 teaspoon cooking oil in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
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Stir in soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, sambal oelek, and sesame oil. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside.
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Heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat in a large nonstick skillet or wok until very hot. Add chicken pieces carefully to the hot oil. Cook, stirring, until chicken pieces are lightly browned on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes total. The chicken pieces will cause spattering, so be sure to use a long-handled spoon or other utensil to move the chicken around.
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Using a slotted spoon, remove chicken from the skillet and add the remaining 2 tablespoons cooking oil. Add carrots, shallots, and broccoli, and stir quickly and continually, 3 to 4 minutes.
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Stir in prepared sauce, and cook until the vegetables are as tender as you like, 2 to 3 minutes.
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Place cornstarch in a small bowl and stir in 1 tablespoon soy sauce. Keep stirring until there are no lumps. Add cornstarch slurry to the skillet and rapidly stir until well combined. Return chicken pieces and cook, stirring often, until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.
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Remove from heat, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and serve hot.