Servings 4 servings
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- Vegetable oil, for frying
For the sauce:
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup dried whole chilies, such as chile de árbol
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 Tablespoon minced ginger
- 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
- Sliced scallions, for garnishing
Instructions
Make the chicken:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and flour with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl, tossing to coat.
- Add 2 to 3 inches of vegetable oil to a large heavy-bottomed stockpot set over medium-high heat. Line a plate with paper towels.
- Once the oil is hot, shake off any excess flour mixture from the chicken pieces and add them to the oil in batches. (See Note.)
- Cook the chicken pieces in batches, turning as needed, until golden brown and cooked through. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked chicken to the paper towel-lined plate then make the sauce.
Make the sauce:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and soy sauce to make a slurry. Set the slurry aside.
- Add the vegetable oil to a large saucepan set over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chilies, garlic and ginger and cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic is golden brown, about 1 minute.
- Stir in the rice wine vinegar, hoisin, brown sugar, chicken stock and sesame oil.
- Stir in the slurry, bring the sauce to a simmer and cook it until it thickens to the consistency of syrup, about 1 minute.
- Return the chicken to the pan and toss to coat.
- Serve the chicken topped with scallions.
Notes
- I personally enjoy a bit of heat, so if you prefer a milder flavor, feel free to reduce the amount by half.
- You can test if the oil is hot enough by adding one piece of the chicken to the pan. If it bubbles and floats, the oil is the correct temperature.
- This dish really is best cooked and served as close to mealtime as possible. You could absolutely do all the prep work in the ingredient list, as once you start the cooking, it goes very quickly!
- ★ Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to give it a star rating below!