String Bean Chicken Breast (VIDEO)
This Panda Express Copycat String Bean Chicken Breast comes together in minutes and is so much better than takeout!
Servings: 4
Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade
- 1 lb chicken breast sliced into 1/4" pieces
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp shaoxing wine
- 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tbsp neutral oil I used avocado oil
Sauce
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce low sodium
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp msg optional
Aromatics & Oils
- 1 cup neutral oil I used avocado oil
- 1 tbsp ginger chopped
- 6 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 medium onion cut into quarters, petals separated
- 1 lb string beans cut into 3" pieces
Instructions
- Slice chicken breast into 1/4" discs against the grain of the chicken. Place the chicken into a mixing bowl and marinate with salt, white pepper, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, cornstarch, and neutral oil. Mix until combined and marinate for 15 minutes.
- In a small bowl, make the sauce by combining chicken stock, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, cornstarch and msg and mix until the sugar and cornstarch is dissolved.
- In a large wok, heat 1 cup of neutral oil over high until just smoking (around 375°F). Cook chicken in the oil for 2-3 minutes, stirring the chicken occassionally to prevent sticking, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken to a bowl and discard all but 2 tbsp of oil in the wok.
- Over medium high heat in the same wok, stir fry the green beans for 1-2 minutes until slightly blistered, then add the onions and stir fry for another 30 seconds. Add in the ginger and garlic and stir fry for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
- Turn the heat to high, then add back the cooked chicken and sauce and mix until combined. Continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes until the sauce has coated the ingredients and thickened slightly. Serve with freshly steamed rice and enjoy!
Video
Notes
I like to use chicken breast in this recipe but you can also use chicken thighs.
If you can't use Shaoxing wine, you can sub with sherry, mirin, or chicken stock!
Make sure your cornstarch slurry has not separated before adding it in - I always give it one more stir before adding it.
My favorite neutral oil is avocado oil, but you can also use canola or vegetable oil! I don't use olive oil when cooking Chinese food for two reasons: 1. It has a low burning point and 2. I find that the flavor profile does not usually go with the dish.
Velveting is a key Chinese cooking technique that involves marinating the protein in cornstarch and various seasonings (such as white pepper, salt, shaoxing wine, and oils) before quickly passing it through hot oil. It's one of my favorite ways to guarantee moist and tender meat, and it's a trick that I don't hear home chefs talk about often.
In most of my recipes, I like to cut my vegetables to a similar size - this ensures that one vegetable is not 'more' cooked than others, and it also is more aesthetically pleasing! You can adjust the size of the vegetables to your preference (smaller or larger) - just make sure to adjust the cooking time so they are 'done' to your liking!
Nutrition
Calories: 227kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 1350mg | Potassium: 748mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 818IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 2mg
