This quick chicken stir-fry is fast and easy — and as spicy as you want to make it.
Watching Stacie’s dad make countless stir-fried dishes over the years, we’ve learned that the real secret lies in doing all the ingredient prep first and keeping very organized. Once you have all your components ready — the protein cubed and seasoned, aromatics minced, sauces mixed and garnishes prepped — it’s just a matter of adding everything in the right order and keeping the food moving in a hot pan.
The cooking, which clocks in at just about 10 minutes, is the epitome of fast and furious cooking, which makes this a great weekday option when you are short on time and crave flavorful home cooking rather than soggy takeout.
This dish will certainly satisfy spicyfood lovers, but you can easily dial down the heat a bit by reducing the number of whole dried chiles. Serve this dish with hot steamed rice and your favorite vegetable — or throw in a quick-cooking vegetable, like sugar snap peas, in the last couple of minutes of cooking for a complete meal.
Quick Chile Chicken Stir-Fry
Serves 3 to 4
INGREDIENTS
4 teaspoons soy sauce, divided use 1 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine or dry sherry 2 teaspoons cornstarch
¼ cup or so vegetable oil, for stir-frying 20 whole dried red chilies, stems removed
3 cloves garlic, finely minced 1-inch piece ginger, finely minced (about 1 tablespoon)
Chopped scallions, roasted peanuts to garnish
DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, mix 2 teaspoons soy sauce with the black pepper. Add the cubed chicken and let marinate while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. In a small bowl, mix the stir-fry sauce by combining the remaining 2 teaspoons of soy sauce with the oyster sauce, sugar, Worcestershire sauce and Shaoxing wine.
In a separate small bowl, mix the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water to form a slurry.
In a saute pan or wok, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, stir-fry the chiles until they turn one shade darker, about 30 seconds. Chiles burn easily, so keep a close eye on them. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove the chiles from the pan. Leave the chili-scented oil in the pan.
Add the marinated chicken to the pan and stir-fry for 5 to 6 minutes, until the chicken is nearly cooked through. Push the chicken to the edges of the pan, and add the garlic and ginger to the center, stir-frying for about 30 seconds, until the garlic and ginger become aromatic. If the garlic or ginger stick to the pan or start to brown, add a tablespoon of water and use a wooden spoon to loosen them from the pan. Toss the chicken with the garlic and ginger. Add the stir-fry sauce to the pan and continue stir-frying for 2 to 3 minutes. Add half the cornstarch slurry and continue stir-frying for another 2 to 3 minutes. If you prefer a thicker sauce, add a bit more of the cornstarch slurry; if you prefer a thinner sauce, add a few tablespoons of water or soy sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning. Garnish with chopped scallions and peanuts and serve immediately.