BROWN-SAUCED CHICKEN AND BROCCOLI
It’s a popular Chinese takeaway dish: Chicken and Broccoli in brown sauce. This Chinese brown sauce chicken and broccoli dish show you how to do it.
We’ve used the same method in our recipe in Chinese restaurants. The broccoli is steamed, and the chicken is grilled. This recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons of water to thicken the sauce, which is then thrown in with the other ingredients.
You’ll never order takeout again after you learn how to make Chinese Chicken and Broccoli at home!
White or Brown Sauce?
Soy sauce and oyster sauce, as well as brown sauce’s rich amber hue, may have played a role in making the sauce so popular.
However, many customers requested white sauce for their chicken and broccoli. White sauce made with chicken and broccoli and flavored with ginger, garlic, sesame oil, and Chinese rice wine, just like in our moo goo gai pan (Shaoxing wine). The dish’s subtle tastes could shine through without the overpowering flavor of soy sauce. Of course, the health-conscious population liked the white sauce version because the chicken was blanched, and less oil was utilized.
This brown sauce chicken and broccoli dish in Chinese cuisine is for you. We also offer a recipe for white sauce if you want!
INGREDIENTS
CHICKEN:
- 12 ounces of boneless skinless chicken breast
- 3 tbsp. of water
- 1 tbsp. of oyster sauce
- 1 tsp. cornstarch
- 1 1/2 tsp. of vegetable oil
FOR THE REST OF THE DISH:
- 2/3 cup of chicken stock (warmed)
- 1 1/2 of tsp. of sugar (white or brown)
- 1 1/2 tbsp. soy sauce
- 2 tsp. of dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp. of oyster sauce
- 1 tsp. of sesame oil
- 1/8 tsp. of white pepper
- 4 cups of broccoli florets (300g)
- 3 tbsp. of vegetable oil (divided)
- 2 cloves of garlic (minced)
- 1/4 tsp. of fresh ginger (grated)
- 1 tbsp. Shaoxing wine
- 2 tbsp. of cornstarch (mixed with 2 tablespoons water to form a cornstarch slurry)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Your chicken should be soaked in the marinade before cooking. Slicing and marinating a chicken breast in a mixture of 3 tablespoons of water, a tablespoon of oyster sauce, cornstarch, and vegetable oil yields a flavorful dish. Hand-rub each piece of chicken until it is well covered in marinade ingredients. Allow 10 minutes for preparation.
2. Prepare the sauce by mixing all of the ingredients. Serve with sesame oil and white pepper in a small dish or measuring cup filled with heated chicken stock. Whisk together all of the ingredients in a large bowl until well-combined and creamy.
3. Broccoli should be blanched in a wok of boiling water for one minute (or 2 minutes if you like your broccoli softer). Drain and put aside.
4. Make sure your wok is thoroughly cleaned and dried before using it again. Place it on a burner and cook it until it’s charred. Chicken should be browned on all sides in 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil before being served (this should only take about 3 minutes). The chicken should be taken out of the pan and placed aside. After around 90 minutes of cooking, the chicken will be returned to the oven to finish.
5. Set the wok to medium heat without washing it first, then proceed with the recipe. Add a tablespoon of oil, garlic, and ginger (if using). Add the Shaoxing wine to the outside of the wok after stirring the garlic and ginger for 5 seconds. Then, add the sauce mixture and stir well. Deglaze the wok by stirring the sauce around with a spatula and allowing it to simmer.
6. Pour the cornstarch slurry and water into the sauce and whisk continually as it thickens. Let the sauce simmer for 10–15 seconds more to achieve a thick, gravy-like consistency.
7. Add the chicken, any liquids, and the blanched broccoli to the pot and stir to combine. Cook the chicken and broccoli in the sauce in a wok or frying pan until it is thoroughly heated through.
8. This is a good time to make changes. Add dark soy sauce if you prefer a darker brown sauce. If your sauce is too thin, you can add additional cornstarch slurry; if your sauce is too thick, you can add more chicken stock or water. Steamed rice is a perfect side dish to go with this dish.