Name: Chinese Chicken Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced; 2 tablespoons soy sauce; 1 tablespoon oyster sauce; 1 tablespoon cornstarch; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 1 red bell pepper, sliced; 1 cup broccoli florets; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tablespoon ginger, minced; 1/2 cup chicken broth; 1 teaspoon sesame oil; Salt and pepper to taste; 2 green onions, sliced (for garnish)

Catching Up Over My Favourite Chinese Chicken

Okay, before we get started—if you’ve never gotten soy sauce on your pajama pants mid-cooking, you’re honestly doing it too carefully. This Chinese Chicken recipe isn’t some restaurant-level masterpiece, but that’s kind of the charm, right? I actually started making it during uni (mainly because it used whatever was left in the fridge), and now it’s become the thing I cook when my mate Sam drops by unexpectedly. Or, well, when I just need something comforting but not, you know, instant-ramen level lazy.

And, small sidenote: If you’re anything like me and sometimes think you’ve forgotten the garlic only to realize you just hid it under something else—don’t worry; this recipe won’t get mad if you improvise.

Why You’ll Probably Make This More Than Once

I pull this recipe out whenever I’ve got folks coming over and don’t want to stress (honestly, my family devours it faster than I can say “pass the rice,” except for that one cousin who insists on using chopsticks and splashes sauce everywhere.) Plus, it’s one of those rare dishes that’s even better left cold in the fridge—if it actually makes it to see the next day, which, let’s be honest, hardly ever happens around here. The best part? You don’t even need any fancy ingredients except maybe one trip to the international aisle, and that’s kind of fun anyway. The only mildly annoying bit was figuring out how not to burn the garlic—solved that by getting distracted for less than 30 seconds at a time. (Don’t try to rush it. Trust me, crispy garlic = not the goal!)

The Stuff You’ll Need (And What You Can Swap)

500g Chicken breast or thigh, cut into bite size bits (I use thighs when I’m feeling lazy about chopping; my grandma swore by free-range but honestly, any supermarket pack works fine)
3 tbsp soy sauce (light or dark or a slapdash mix, use what you’ve got)
2 tbsp oyster sauce (or hoisin in a pinch—it totally changes the taste but I’ve done it)
1 tbsp honey or brown sugar (maple syrup once, didn’t love it but hey, experiment!)
3 garlic cloves, minced (Or, you know, that pre-chopped garlic in a jar. I won’t tell.)
A thumb of ginger, grated (no ginger? Just double up the garlic—it’s still good)
2 tbsp cooking oil (any will do; sesame is nice for a hint of something extra)
1 red bell pepper, chunked (or skip this and use frozen peas, in which case: microwave them first)
2-3 green onions, sliced for the end (or chives, or nothing if you forgot)
A splash of rice vinegar or lime juice (I normally use whatever acid is in the fridge)
Pinch of white pepper (or actual black, or no pepper at all—you get the idea)
Optional: Toasted sesame seeds for sprinkling (nice for pictures, not essential)

How To Make It, More or Less

Get the sauce ready: Mix soy sauce, oyster sauce, honey, and a splash of vinegar in a bowl. Give it a quick stir—this is the part where I usually spill something if my phone dings; multitasking is not my strongest suit.
Cooking the Chicken: Toss your Chicken bits in half the sauce. Let it sit for 5-10 mins (I sometimes skip this, but it does help the flavor a bit). In your biggest frying pan or wok—nothing fancy, even a big saucepan does the trick—heat the oil on high. Throw in the Chicken (it’ll sizzle so stand back, unless you enjoy the hot-oil freckle look).
Garlic and ginger time: Once the chicken’s mostly cooked (like, not pink), shove it to one side and add the garlic and ginger. Stir it for a minute, don’t let it brown too much. If it looks weird or smells kinda harsh at this bit, that’s fine—it comes together soon.
Add the veg: Chuck in your bell pepper chunks. Mix it all together and cook for another 2 or 3 minutes till the veg softens but still has some bite. You can see where I sometimes pause and sneak a taste… purely for science.
Finish it off: Pour in the rest of the sauce, let it bubble for a minute or two until everything’s glossy and smells like you know what you’re doing. Turn off the heat, sprinkle over green onion and sesame seeds if you managed to remember them.
Serve: Over rice (or noodles, or whatever carb is hanging around). That’s it!

Some Notes I’ve Picked Up (Usually the Hard Way)

I used to marinate the chicken for hours. Turns out, 10 minutes gets you 85% of the way there—and you don’t need to plan ahead.
If you add too much honey, it gets sticky in a not-so-great way, like trying to clean jam off the counter.
Sliced onions instead of green onions make a bigger difference than you’d think, but both are tasty in their own way.

Things I’ve Tried That Sort of Work (And One That Really Didn’t)

Added broccoli for crunch—came out top notch, would do again.
Chucked in pineapple bits once; my family thought it was weird, but I loved it—just don’t overdo it or you’ll get a… strange stew vibe.
Tried tofu instead of chicken: not the same. Edible, but not my cup of tea (but maybe yours!).

Gear You May Need (Or Not)

A wok is what fancy recipes suggest; I use a battered old frying pan my mum found at a car boot sale. If you’ve only got a saucepan, just cook the chicken longer and keep stirring at the edges—it’ll work fine, promise.

Storage Stuff You Might Actually Care About

Stick leftovers (if there somehow are any) in a sealed box in the fridge; they’re good for two days. I think it honestly tastes a bit zingier the second day, but no one in my place ever lets that hypothesis fully play out. Reheat in the microwave with a damp paper towel over it.

How We Serve It (And Why We Argue About the Sides)

I’m all about fluffy white rice, but sometimes I make egg-fried rice if I’m feeling energetic. My sister swears by plain noodles because, her words, “they slurp better.” Once we ate it wrapped in lettuce leaves, which felt weirdly refreshing (but also, it got everywhere). To each their own!

Pro Tips Learned the Messy Way

Don’t walk away once you add in the garlic, or it’ll burn and taste like a mistake you can’t undo.
If using frozen chicken, let it thaw all the way; I once tried to shortcut this and wound up with a watery mess.
The sauce reduces pretty quick so keep an eye—you want glossy, not sticky and burnt at the bottom.

Real Questions I’ve Actually Gotten (And My Honest Replies)

Can I make this with beef? You can, but you’ll need to change the sauce a bit—maybe more oyster and cut out the honey. It’ll be tasty but different!
Is it super spicy? Nah, but throw in some chili flakes or a fresh chili if you want to bring the heat (I do if I’m not cooking for my niece).
Does this freeze well? Eh, sort of. The sauce gets a bit weird, but it’s still edible. I guess you’ll have to see for yourself!
Can I skip the garlic? You can, but—why would you? (Actually, my mate Liam can’t eat it, so I do skip sometimes. Still good, just different!)
Help, I don’t have oyster sauce! Yeah, that happens to me all the time. Hoisin, teriyaki, or honestly just more soy sauce with a pinch of sugar works in a pinch.

Alright, now that I’ve made myself hungry just writing this—guess what’s for dinner?