As you all know, I am a big fan of velveting. Since discovering this Chinese technique a few months ago, I have used it extensively in a lot of my stir-fry recipes. Black pepper chicken and beef broccoli are but a couple of dishes this mode of cooking does wonders. Guys, if you love the ease of stir-fries like I do, velveting is a must in your food prep arsenal. I will be covering this cooking method next in my how-to series so stay tuned. Learn the simple technique and you’ll be saying goodbye to dry, stringy meat in no time.
Green bean chicken is one of my favorite Chinese food. I just love, love every crunchy green bean and moist chicken bite bathed in sweet, sticky, salty sauce. This and char sui pork with heaps of steamed rice? Nom nom heaven. Luckily, this stir-fry dish is so simple to make and requires basic pantry ingredients, you can easily enjoy it at home without calling for take out.
Oh, btw, I have a couple more quick green bean stir-fry recipes you might want to try. Uber delicious, folks!
- Pork and Green Bean Stir-fry-green beans cut thinly on a bias, julienned carrots and ground pork are tossed in a sweet and salty oyster-flavored sauce
- Green Bean and Shrimp Stir-fry-crisp green beans and plump shrimps are sauteed in tomatoes, onions and soy sauce
Green Bean Chicken
Ingredients
For Velveting
- 1 egg white
- 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2 inch thin strips
For the Stir-fry Sauce
- 1/3 cup oyster sauce
- 1/4 cup chicken broth or water
- 3 tablespoons Chinese rice wine
- 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
For Stir-frying
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 1 thumb-size ginger peeled and grated
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 pound green beans ends trimmed
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine ingredients for velveting: egg white, Chinese wine, 1 tablespoon of the oil. cornstarch and salt. Whisk together until well-blended and frothy. Add chicken and marinate in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Drain chicken.
- In a pot over high heat, combine about 2-inches deep of water and 1 tablespoon of oil. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and immediately add chicken, stirring to disperse. Bring water back to a gentle simmer and once it's barely bubbling, continue to cook chicken for about 1 minute, stirring occasionally. With a slotted spoon, remove chicken from pot and drain well. Keep warm and set aside.
- In a bowl, combine stir-fry sauce: oyster sauce, chicken broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, cornstarch and pepper. Whisk until well-blended and cornstarch is dispersed. Set aside.
- In a wok or wide pan over high heat, heat the 2 tablespoons of oil. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring regularly, for about 30 seconds or until aromatic.
- Add green beans and cook, stirring regularly, until wrinkled. Add stir-fry sauce mixture and cook, stirring quickly, for about 1 to 2 minutes or until thickened. Add chicken and cook, stirring regularly, for about 2 to 3 minutes or until chicken is heated through. Serve hot.
This is THE BEST stir fry sauce I have ever made. It tasted like it came from a five-star Chinese restaurant. Thank you so much!
Thank you, Ellen! That’s music to my ears 🙂
I made this yesterday and it’s delicious! I couldn’t find the Chinese rice wine so I used Sherry cooking wine because I’ve seen it used in similar recipes. My boyfriend loved the chicken too. I’ll definitely make it again!
That’s great to hear, Dawn!
My most successful dish so far. Thanks so much for sharing your recipes. Will do some of your dessert recipes too.
Thanks for the feedback, Jael. I am glad you’re enjoying the recipes 🙂
Turned out really good – I left out the wine for religious reasons (I know it won’t get you drunk, thank you) and it turned out really great. I should say that once you add the sauce the Green Beans will soften up a lot, so don’t worry about them being under-cooked up to that point.
Thanks for the feedback, glad you enjoyed it!
Hi I love your site, it is very helpful to OFW’s like me. I just want to ask about velveting chicken? Since Chinese wine is not available here in the middle east, what alternative should you recommend? Thank you in advance for your feedback.
Keep up the good work and more power to you! More recipes to come! God bless.
Cathy
Apple cider vinegar!
This dish looks delicious. I will definitely try this very soon. Question: can you show a picture of the Chinese rice wine that u use? I don’t think I’ve tried one before. Thanks so much.
What a lovely classic stir fry. Sharing! 🙂