Chicken with garlic sauce is a super easy takeout style dish that’s perfect for your weekday dinner. The tender juicy chicken and crisp peppers are brought together with a rich, savory, and slightly sweet garlic infused sauce. Whether you’re a seasoned cook or just starting your culinary journey, this dish is a must-try for anyone who loves vibrant, satisfying meals.
The magic of chicken with garlic sauce lies in its simplicity and versatility. The garlic sauce combines soy sauce, sugar, and garlic. And you can add a kick by adding a pinch of chili flakes or a spoonful of chili oil. I used red pepper in this dish. But you can easily tweak it with other vegetables you may have on hand. The umami-packed sauce coats tender chicken pieces and a colorful medley of vegetables, creating a harmonious dish that pairs beautifully with steamed rice or noodles.
Which cut of chicken to use
I prefer to use skinless boneless chicken thighs in this recipe, because the flavorful dark meat pairs perfectly with the rich garlic sauce. Chicken thighs also sustain cooking better and do not easily overcook, creating a very tender and juicy result.
That being said, it’s totally OK to use chicken breast or chicken tenders in this recipe.
Garlic sauce ingredients
Garlic sauce contains five ingredients:
- Chicken broth – A good chicken broth adds a lot of flavor. My favorite chicken broth is the Kirkland Signature Chicken Broth.
- Light soy sauce – Light soy sauce is the main ingredient in this sauce to add umami.
- Dark soy sauce – Dark soy sauce adds an appetizing dark brown color to the dish, plus a hint of caramel sweetness.
- Sugar – Sugar balances out the saltiness from the soy sauce and brings out the flavor of the ingredients, making the sauce slightly sweet.
- Cornstarch – The cornstarch acts as a thickening agent to make the sauce sticky and glossy.
Other vegetable options
You can add more vegetables or replace the pepper in this recipe, depending on what you have on hand. Some of my favorite vegetables include:
- Onion, sliced
- Hot peppers, sliced
- Broccoli, cut to florets and blanched
- Mushrooms, sliced
- Snow peas, tough ends removed
Mise en place
When you’re ready to cook chicken with garlic sauce, your table should have these ingredients ready:
- Marinated chicken
- Mixed sauce
- Sliced aromatics (green onion and garlic)
- Sliced pepper
How to make chicken with garlic sauce
- Brown the chicken, then transfer to a plate. It’s important to remove the chicken once it is just cooked, to prevent it from overcooking.
- Saute the aromatics to bring out the flavor.
- Briefly cook the peppers to ensure their crispness.
- Add the sauce, then stir to thicken it.
- Add back the cooked chicken and stir everything together.
How to serve chicken with garlic sauce
Chicken with garlic sauce tastes the best when served with steamed white rice, so you can use the rice to soak up the extra sauce. The dish works fairly well with noodles as well.
To make a full-on Chinese dinner, consider serving it with other appetizers, sides and a soup. For example:
- Egg Drop Soup
- Spicy Cucumber Salad
- Easy Egg Fried Rice (蛋炒饭)
- Ginger Green Beans (姜汁豆角)
- Zucchini Stir Fry
Chicken with Garlic Sauce
Ingredients
Marinating
- 1 lb (450 g) chicken breasts or thighs , sliced against the grain into 1/4” (5-mm) thick pieces
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Sauce
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
Stir fry
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
- 4 medium cloves garlic , minced
- 3 green onions , sliced into 1” (2.5-cm) long pieces, then the white part halved lengthwise
- 1 red pepper , sliced
Instructions
- Combine chicken, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and cornstarch in a medium-sized bowl. Gently mix by hand until the chicken is coated with a thin layer of the mixture. Marinate for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Combine all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the chicken. Immediately spread the chicken into a single layer using a spatula, with as little overlap as possible. Sear for 30 seconds or so, until the bottom is lightly browned. Flip the chicken. Cook for 15 to 20 seconds. Stir occasionally, until both sides are browned but still a bit pink inside. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Add the ginger and garlic. Give it a quick stir until fragrant. Add the green onion white part and peppers. Stir and cook for 20 seconds.
- Stir the sauce mixture until the cornstarch is dissolved completely, and pour it into the skillet. Stir with a spatula immediately and cook until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, a few seconds. Add back the cooked chicken and the green onion green part. Quickly stir a few times to coat everything with the sauce. Turn off heat and remove the skillet from the stove. Immediately transfer everything to a big plate so the ingredients won’t keep cooking in the hot skillet. Serve hot as a main dish.
Notes
- To make the dish Gluten-Free: Use tamari to replace the light and dark soy sauce. Use dry sherry instead of Shaoxing wine. Your dish will come out lighter in color due to the lack of dark soy sauce, but it should taste good nonetheless.
