Mia Patel
Chicken with mixed vegetables is a classic Chinese stir-fry dish, often served with rice. It's a popular choice for a quick, tasty, and healthy weeknight meal. The beauty of this dish is its versatility—you can use any vegetables you like and have on hand, making it a great option for cleaning out the odds and ends in your fridge. The key to a delicious stir-fry is preparing each vegetable properly and knowing the order in which to cook them. The chicken is typically marinated in a mixture of baking soda, soy sauce, and Chinese cooking wine to make it tender and juicy. Overall, this dish is a great way to get a variety of vegetables and textures into your diet.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of Dish | Stir-fry |
| Main Ingredients | Chicken, mixed vegetables |
| Vegetables | Broccoli, carrots, sugar snap peas/snow peas, celery, red bell pepper, zucchini, mushrooms, baby corn, green beans, water chestnuts, cabbage, onion, garlic |
| Chicken Type | Chicken breast, boneless and skinless |
| Marinade | Water, Shaoxing rice wine/Chinese cooking wine, salt, baking soda, soy sauce, oyster sauce |
| Coating | Cornstarch |
| Sauce | Chicken stock, sugar, oyster sauce, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, white pepper |
| Cooking Method | High heat in a wok or large skillet |
| Serving Suggestion | White or brown rice |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
Chicken preparation
Chicken with mixed vegetables is a classic Chinese stir-fry dish. It is usually made with chicken breasts, but chicken thighs can also be used. The chicken is typically sliced into bite-sized pieces and marinated in a mixture of baking soda, soy sauce, and Chinese cooking wine or rice wine. This helps to tenderize the meat and improve its texture and juiciness. Cornstarch is also added to the marinade, which binds the batter and creates a velvety texture.
After marinating, the chicken is seared in a wok over high heat with a neutral oil such as corn oil, canola oil, or peanut oil. It is important to use a non-stick pan or a sharp, thin spatula to prevent the chicken from sticking and breaking. The chicken is cooked until opaque and slightly browned, about 75-80% done, and then removed from the wok and set aside.
The vegetables used in this dish can vary but typically include a mix of crunchy vegetables such as carrots, celery, sugar snap peas or snow peas, and broccoli. Soft vegetables like mushrooms and zucchini can also be added. The vegetables are cut into bite-sized pieces and either stir-fried or blanched before being added to the wok with the chicken.
Finally, the sauce is added to the wok, which typically includes ingredients such as chicken stock, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, sesame oil, and white pepper. The dish is cooked until the sauce thickens and the chicken is cooked through. It is then served hot over rice, with optional garnishes such as sesame seeds and green onions.
Meat Measurements: How Many Cups in 12 Ounces?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
![NOH Chinese Roast Chicken Seasoning Mix - 1.125oz [ 6 units]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31o6CabaUQL._AC_UL320_.jpg)
Vegetable options
Chicken with mixed vegetables is a classic Chinese stir-fry dish that is usually served with rice. The beauty of this dish is that you can use any vegetables you like or have available. The key is knowing how to prepare them and in what order to cook them.
For a colourful and nutritious dish, it is recommended to choose a combination of different colours and textures. Carrots, broccoli, and sugar snap peas are popular choices, as well as crunchy vegetables such as celery and red bell pepper. Other options include zucchini, mushrooms, baby corn, green beans, and yellow squash.
If you're looking for a more convenient option, you can buy pre-cut mixed vegetables at most grocery stores. These usually include a variety of vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, and bell peppers. You can also find frozen mixed vegetables, which can be a more affordable option and are already chopped and ready to be cooked.
When it comes to preparing the vegetables, it's important to cut them into bite-sized pieces or your preferred shapes and sizes. You can cook the vegetables separately or all together, depending on your preference. For a simple option, you can blanch or boil the vegetables until they are tender, and then set them aside until the chicken is ready.
If you want to stir-fry the vegetables, heat some oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add the vegetables and stir-fry until they are tender, usually about 5 minutes. You can also add some water to the pan to help the vegetables cook faster and prevent them from burning. Once the vegetables are cooked, set them aside and prepare the chicken.
General Tso's Chicken: What's in a Name?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Marinade ingredients
Marinating the chicken is an important step in making Chinese chicken with mixed vegetables. This process ensures the chicken is tender and juicy. The marinade also adds flavour to the chicken, enhancing the overall taste of the dish.
There are several ingredients that can be used to create a marinade for this dish. One option is to use a combination of baking soda, soy sauce, and Chinese cooking wine. The chicken should be massaged with these ingredients for 30 seconds and then left to marinate for at least one hour. After this time, a teaspoon of cornstarch can be mixed through, which helps to protect the meat during cooking and keep it juicy.
Another option for a marinade is to use oyster sauce, soy sauce, and vegetable oil. The chicken is coated in this mixture and left to sit before being stir-fried with other ingredients. This marinade can also be adapted by adding water, cornstarch, and additional seasonings to create a process known as 'velveting', which further improves the texture and tenderness of the chicken.
It is worth noting that the choice of marinade ingredients can be flexible and adapted to personal preference or availability. For example, some recipes suggest using Shaoxing cooking wine, a Chinese pantry staple, in place of other types of cooking wine. Additionally, some recipes include minced ginger, garlic, or onion in the marinade for added flavour.
The marinade plays a crucial role in the overall taste and texture of the chicken with mixed vegetables dish, and experimenting with different ingredients and techniques can help create a unique and delicious flavour profile.
Silkies: Telling the Gender Difference
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Stir-fry techniques
Chinese chicken with mixed vegetables is a classic stir-fry dish. The beauty of this meal is that you can use whatever vegetables you have on hand and it's easy to make. The key to a successful stir-fry is in the preparation and the technique.
Firstly, it's important to prepare each vegetable properly for stir-frying. For example, some vegetables benefit from blanching before stir-frying, while others are better dry-fried. Carrots can be pre-cooked to create a nice orange-coloured oil. Crunchy vegetables are more popular than soft ones for stir-fries, and you'll want to cut them all into small, bite-sized chunks to help them cook uniformly and quickly.
Next, you'll want to velvet your chicken. This is the process of marinating proteins with cornstarch and oil, and sometimes water and additional seasonings, to maximise juiciness and improve texture and tenderness. You can also marinate the chicken in a mixture of baking soda, soy sauce, and Chinese cooking wine.
When it comes to the cooking, a wok is best for stir-frying as the deep, sloping sides help to concentrate the heat and cook the food quicker. You can use a non-stick pan if you're new to wok cooking as the chicken can stick to the pan. You'll want to heat your wok over high heat and add a little oil. You can then sear the chicken until opaque on all sides and set it aside. Next, stir in aromatics like garlic and onion, before adding the chicken back in.
Finally, you'll want to add your vegetables. As stir-frying happens quickly, it's important to have everything ready before you start cooking. A few tablespoons of water can help the veggies cook faster. You can then finish the dish with a sauce, stirring it through until it thickens.
Breaking Down a Chicken: Babish's Guide
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Serving suggestions
Chinese chicken with mixed vegetables is a classic stir-fry dish that is typically served with rice. It is a colourful dish with a variety of textures, combining crunchy vegetables, chewy mushrooms, and juicy chicken.
The vegetables used in this dish can vary depending on personal preference and what is available. Commonly used vegetables include carrots, sugar snap peas, snow peas, celery, broccoli, red bell pepper, yellow squash, baby corn, and green beans. Chinese dried shiitake mushrooms can also be used, but they need to be soaked overnight before use.
The chicken is typically marinated to make it tender and juicy. A common marinade includes a mixture of baking soda, soy sauce, Chinese cooking wine, and cornstarch. The chicken is then typically pan-fried or stir-fried with garlic and onion.
When adding the vegetables to the dish, it is important to consider their heartiness and adjust the cooking time accordingly. For example, broccoli and carrots are heartier vegetables that can be cooked longer, while snow peas are more tender and should be added towards the end of cooking.
To serve, the chicken and mixed vegetables can be tossed in a stir-fry sauce, such as a brown sauce or gravy. Sesame oil can be added for extra flavour, and the dish can be garnished with toasted sesame seeds and chopped green onions. This dish is best served hot and can be served family-style or plated individually with a side of rice.
Some variations and serving suggestions include using skinless boneless chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts, adding minced ginger, or using oyster sauce in addition to soy sauce for the marinade.
Caring for Chicks and Hens: An Indoor Guide
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Chicken with mixed vegetables is a classic Chinese stir-fry dish made with chicken, vegetables, and a variety of sauces and seasonings. It is typically served with rice.
You can use any vegetables you like! Carrots, broccoli, sugar snap peas, celery, and bell peppers are commonly used.
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are typically used for stir-fry dishes as they have a cleaner flavour. However, chicken thighs are also a great option as they tend to be juicier.
Marinate the chicken in a mixture of baking soda, soy sauce, and Chinese cooking wine. You can also add cornstarch to the marinade to tenderize the chicken and improve its texture.
You will need a wok or a large skillet/pan. If you're using a wok, a sharp, thin spatula is useful for scraping and flipping the chicken.
