Hunan Chicken: An Easy & Tasty Hunan Chicken Stir Fry Dinner Recipe! (2024)

Hunan chicken is pieces of chicken, lightly coated and fried, then tossed in a sauce that is slightly sweet, savory, and has a touch of heat. The deep-fried chicken pieces are combined with fresh vegetables for a perfectly balanced stir-fry dinner. It's a speedy and easy dinner that your family will love.

Serve this delicious Chinese chicken recipe with jasmine rice, fried rice, or hibachi noodles.

It's a great meal for using up what chicken meat you may have. If you have thighs on hand, even though you usually prefer breast meat, it will still be just as wonderful.

The recipe in the photos here is with thigh meat. We prefer thigh meat as it is juicier, more tender, and less expensive.

The recommended vegetables are zucchini, carrots, and bell peppers with ginger and garlic for added flavor.

However, as I mentioned earlier, you can use whatever stir fry veggies you want.

The Hunan sauce is what makes this dish so incredibly yummy!

❔ What Is Hunan Chicken?

Hunan Chicken is a Chinese-American stir fry dish made of tender pieces of chicken that are lightly coated in cornstarch and then tossed in a slightly sweet, spicy, savory chili sauce with vegetables.

It originated from the Hunan province of China, where Hunan cuisine (or Xiang cuisine) is known to have a hot and spicy flavor.

Hunan cuisine is known for its use of chili peppers, garlic, shallots, and many fresh vegetable ingredients.

🤔 Hunan Chicken vs Szechuan Chicken vs Kung Pao Chicken

What is the difference between Hunan Chicken, Szechuan Chicken, and Kung Pao Chicken? These are three very similar chicken dishes.

• Hunan Chicken originates from the Hunan Province in Western China and usually incorporates more vegetables and fresh peppers.
• Szechuan Chicken originates from the Sichuan Province and incorporates more pepper pastes (processed). Kung Pao Chicken is a Szechuan cuisine dish.

They are all spicy chicken dishes with varying flavor profiles.

If you love the fantastic flavor of Hunan Chicken, you should try our Hunan Chicken Wings, beef, and shrimp recipes.

🥘 Ingredients

You'll be all set to go after a quick trip to the grocery store. I prefer peanut oil when stir-frying the chicken and veggies, but you can use whatever vegetable oil you prefer.

Stir Fry Ingredients

• Chicken - 1pound of chicken boneless, skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts cut into small bite-size pieces.
• Cornstarch - 4teaspoons ofcornstarch(divided into 3 teaspoons for chicken and 1 teaspoon for the sauce mixture).
• Egg - 1largeegg.
• Peanut Oil - 2 tablespoons of peanut oil - my preferred oil when frying up Chinese take-out style recipes. Vegetable oil also works.
• Garlic - 1tablespoon ofminced garlic is one of the common flavors of Hunan cuisine.
• Ginger - 1tablespoon ofginger(peeled and minced).
• Zucchini - Slice 1 cup of zucchini in rounds; you can slice them smaller if desired.
• Carrot - 1cup ofcarrot(sliced).
• Bell Pepper - 1cup ofred bell pepper(sliced).
• Green Onion (optional) - for garnish when serving.

Hunan Chicken Sauce Ingredients

• Chicken Broth - ¼cupof low sodium chicken broth.
• Soy Sauce - 2tablespoons oflow sodium soy sauce.
• Apple Cider Vinegar - 2teaspoons ofapple cider vinegar.
• Sugar - 2teaspoons ofsugar.
• White Ground Pepper - ½teaspoon ofwhite ground pepper. Black ground pepper works just as well. I used white ground pepper for the presentation.
• Chili Paste - 3tablespoons ofchili paste. I use the Sambal Oelek brand as it is easy to find and has a wonderful spicy flavor.
• Oyster Sauce - 1 ½tablespoons ofoyster sauce.
• Cornstarch - 1teaspoon ofcornstarch.

*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*

🔪 How To Make Hunan Chicken

Hunan chicken is a straightforward, beginner-friendly recipe ready to serve in just 20 minutes.

To get started, you will need a few mixing bowls, measuring utensils, and a skillet (or wok).

This recipe yields roughly 4 servings.

Make The Hunan Sauce

1. Combine ingredients. Combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl - ¼cup of low sodium chicken broth, 2tablespoons of low sodium soy sauce, 2teaspoons of apple cider vinegar, 2teaspoons of sugar, ½teaspoon of white ground pepper, 3tablespoons of chili paste (Sambal Oelek - or tobanjan, or a reduced amount of gochujang), 1 ½tablespoons of oyster sauce, and 1teaspoon of cornstarch.
2. Whisk. Whisk the sauce ingredients together and set aside.

Stir Fry Your Hunan Chicken Ingredients

1. Combine ingredients. Combine the 1 large egg and the 3 tablespoon portion of cornstarch in a small bowl large enough for the cut-up chicken pieces. Whisk the egg and cornstarch together, then add the 1 pound of chicken. Add salt and pepper, then stir to coat thoroughly and set aside.
2. Cook. In a large frying pan, skillet, or wok, bring the first 2 tablespoons portion of vegetable oil to medium-high heat, then drop the coated chicken pieces into the pan. Distribute the chicken pieces evenly across the frying pan cooking surface to cook evenly and quickly. Cook for about 3-4 minutes until light golden brown. Transfer cooked chicken to a plate set aside.
3. Add ingredients. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to your frying pan, skillet, or wok, and continue to cook at medium-high heat. Add 1tablespoon of minced garlic and 1tablespoon of ginger. Cook for 1-2 minutes (depending on how softened you like your garlic), then add the chopped vegetables - 1cupzucchini, 1cupcarrot, and 1cupred bell pepper.
4. Cook veggies. Cook the vegetables for 4-5 minutes, then return the chicken pieces to the frying pan. Add the sauce mixture, stir well, and cook all combined ingredients for about 1 minute. Remove from heat and serve immediately.
5. Serve. Garnish with chopped green onions, if desired. Serve immediately.

💭 Tips & Notes

• Prepping Chicken for Slicing: Placing your chicken in the freezer for 30 minutes before cooking makes it easier to cut into thin slices.
• Cooking Chicken Properly: To ensure your chicken sears nicely, cook it in batches. Avoid overcrowding the wok, skillet, or heavy-bottomed frying pan to prevent the chicken from steaming instead of searing.
• Finding Sambal Oelek: Sambal Oelek chili paste is available in the Asian aisle of most Walmart stores and other grocery outlets. You can also make it; here is the recipe.

🥡 Storing & Reheating

Place any leftovers into an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

I don't recommend freezing this dish because the veggies will become too mushy and lose their crisp texture in the freezer.

Reheating

Place your leftovers onto a microwavable plate and cook in 30-second increments until it's warmed to your liking, or up to 2-3 minutes. Alternatively, you can heat through in a skillet with some oil or water.

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❓ FAQ

😋 More Chinese Chicken Recipes

• Teriyaki Chicken - This teriyaki chicken is loaded with so much flavor and is ready to serve in just 15 minutes.
• Chicken With Garlic Sauce - This easy recipe combines tender pieces of wok-fried chicken with crisp veggies in a garlic sauce.
• General Tso's Chicken Wings - These tasty chicken wings are the perfect appetizer to share at parties and any family get-together.
• Sweet And Sour Chicken - My sweet and sour chicken recipe features breaded chicken with chunks of pineapple, bell peppers, and onion.
• Chicken Manchurian - Chicken Manchurian has a tasty blend of salty, sweet, and tangy flavors.
• Frozen Air Fryer Orange Chicken - Cooking orange chicken in the air fryer comes out delightfully crispy every time.

📖 Recipe Card