Chop Suey (Chicken Stir Fry)

A great, classic Chop Suey recipe loaded with veggies! Learn the secret for how to make a sauce for this Chicken Stir Fry just like you get at the best Chinese restaurants. Plus, the secret for how to tenderise chicken the Chinese restaurant way!

Chop Suey recipe originally published November 2017, posted refreshed October 2018. No change to recipe! 

Chope Suey – Chicken Stir Fry!

Today, I’m sharing a recipe for Chicken Chop Suey which is a type of Chicken Stir Fry.

Chop Suey is just a slightly westernised version of a classic, basic Chinese stir fry. Because of this, there really aren’t hard and fast rules about what goes in it, but the general characteristic is that the sauce is a fairly light brown colour, there is plenty of it (and you know I love my sauce!!) and it’s pretty thick so it clings to your rice or noodles.

Chop Suey Sauce – restaurant secret!

A great Chop Suey comes down to the sauce. And if you’ve ever wondered why your stir fries aren’t quite as tasty as what you get from (good) Chinese restaurants, this is probably what’s been missing from your sauces – Chinese Cooking Wine, also known as Shaoxing Wine.

It’s the secret ingredient in almost every Chinese recipe, that’s used by the gallons in all Chinese restaurants around the world! Read more about Chinese Cooking Wine here, including why it’s so important, the difference it makes in recipes and the best substitutes.

What goes in Chicken Stir Fry

I’ve made this with ingredients that are commonly used by Chinese restaurants for Chop Suey / Chicken Stir Fry – Asian greens, bean sprouts, carrots and mushrooms. The Asian green in this is Choy Sum which is a terrific minimal prep vegetable – just hack the end off, then hack it into 7cm / 3″ pieces. You’ll see me doing this in the video. 🙂

Tenderise Chicken – the Chinese way (“Velveting”)

Have you noticed that the chicken in Chinese restaurants is incredibly soft and almost “velvety”? It’s because restaurants “velvet” the chicken (that’s the term that is used).

There are a few ways to do this, but I like using a simple method using baking soda because I find it the easiest for home cooking. Read more about this – Velveting: Chinese Restaurant Way to Tenderise Chicken.

It’s optional and not really necessary if you use chicken thighs which are a juicy cut. But if you are using chicken breast or tenderloins and you choose to tenderise it, you are going to be amazed how juicy and tender the chicken is.

“It’s just like the stir fries at Golden Century Chinese Restaurant!!”, first timers exclaim. Or Golden Palace or Golden Pearl or Golden Wheel or Golden Unicorn or Golden Dragon.

Ahh, Chinese restaurant names, they provide much amusement. But that’s a story for another time. – Nagi x

MORE STIR FRY FAVOURITES

• Cashew Chicken
• Kung Pao Chicken
• Beef and Broccoli
• Crispy Sticky Mongolian Beef
• All Purpose Chinese Stir Fry Sauce << This will be your new secret weapon!
• Quick Beef Ramen Noodles and Chicken Vegetable Ramen Noodles

WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT

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Chicken Stir Fry / Chicken Chop Suey

Author: Nagi

Prep: 9 mins

Cook: 6 mins

Total: 14 mins

Mains, Stir Fry

American Chinese

4.99 from 54 votes

Servings2 - 3 people

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Recipe video above. The essential ingredient for a great stir fry sauce is Chinese cooking wine. All Chinese restaurants use it. See notes for subs if you can't get your hands on it. Veggie loaded, light on the meat, this is healthy and adaptable to whatever you've got in your fridge!

Ingredients

Tenderised Chicken ("Velveting", Note 1):

• 180 g / 6 oz chicken breast , thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp baking soda / bi-carb (optional, Note 1)

Sauce (or use Charlie, Note 2):

• 1 tbsp cornflour / corn starch
• 1 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce (Note 3)
• 2 tsp Oyster Sauce
• 1 tbsp Chinese Cooking Wine (Note 4)
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil (optional)
• Dash of white pepper (or black)
• 3/4 cup / 185 ml water

Stir Fry:

• 1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil (or other cooking oil)
• 2 garlic cloves , finely chopped
• 1/2 onion , sliced (white, brown, yellow)
• 5 - 6 stems choy sum (or other Asian greens)
• 1 medium carrot
• 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms (shiitake is authentic, but any will do)
• 1 cup bean sprouts

Instructions

"Velvet" Chicken (optional, Note 1)

• Place chicken in a bowl, sprinkle over baking soda. Use your fingers to mix then set aside for 20 minutes, no longer than 30 minutes (can get too tender). Rinse well, pat excess water with paper towels, set aside.

Prep Ingredients:

• Place cornflour and soy sauce in a bowl. Mix until lump free. Then add remaining Sauce ingredients and stir.
• Trim end off choy sum. Then cut into 7cm / 3" pieces. Separate stems from leaves.
• Peel carrot, cut into 3cm / 1.3" pieces. Then slice the pieces thinly (see video).

Stir Fry:

• Heat oil in a wok or skillet over high heat. Add garlic, stir quickly, then add onion, Cook for 1 minute, moving constantly, until onion is starting to wilt.
• Add chicken, cook for 1 minute until the surface changes from pink to white.
• Add choy sum stems, carrot and mushrooms. Stir fry for 1 minute.
• Add choy sum leaves, bean sprouts and Sauce. Stir fry for 1 to 2 minutes until the Sauce thickens to a thick syrup consistency. Vegetables should still be tender/crisp, not soggy and soft.
• Serve immediately with rice - or for a low carb, low cal option, try Cauliflower Rice!

Recipe Notes:

1. Tenderised Chicken: Read more about Velveting Chicken the Chinese way for ultra tender chicken like you get in Chinese restaurant stir fries. 

Skip the step if using chicken thigh - it's not needed, it's juicy enough.

2. CHARLIE is my All Purpose Stir Fry Sauce. If you haven't met him yet and you love stir fries, you are going to be best friends very soon. Find the recipe for him here, along with how to use him. To use Charlie for this recipe, replace the Sauce with 4 tablespoons of Charlie + 3/4 tsp cornflour / cornstarch + 3/4 cup water.

3. LIGHT SOY SAUCE: This is what keeps the sauce colour clear-ish. You can use ordinary all purpose soy sauce and it will pretty much look the same. If you use dark soy sauce, reduce to 1 tbsp - will still be tasty but the sauce will be super dark brown and a stronger soy flavour.

4. CHINESE COOKING WINE: An essential in Chinese cooking, used by every Chinese restaurant. Read more here. 

Substitutions: dry sherry is best, followed by  Mirin then Japanese cooking Sake.

Non alcoholic: Use chicken broth instead of water in the Sauce. 

5. No need to marinate the chicken for this recipe because it's sliced thinly and there's plenty of sauce!

6. Nutrition per serving, assuming 2 servings. It's 2 very generous servings, with enough vegetables for a meal - you won't need a side for this. Excludes rice / noodles. Use low sodium soy sauce to reduce sodium.

Nutrition Facts

Chicken Stir Fry / Chicken Chop Suey

Amount Per Serving (618 g)

Calories 298 Calories from Fat 126

% Daily Value*

Fat 14g22%

Saturated Fat 9g56%

Cholesterol 57mg19%

Sodium 1112mg48%

Potassium 1071mg31%

Carbohydrates 18g6%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 5g6%

Protein 25g50%

Vitamin A 12155IU243%

Vitamin C 34.3mg42%

Calcium 103mg10%

Iron 3.4mg19%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 618gCalories: 298kcal (15%)Carbohydrates: 18g (6%)Protein: 25g (50%)Fat: 14g (22%)Saturated Fat: 9g (56%)Cholesterol: 57mg (19%)Sodium: 1112mg (48%)Potassium: 1071mg (31%)Fiber: 4g (17%)Sugar: 5g (6%)Vitamin A: 12155IU (243%)Vitamin C: 34.3mg (42%)Calcium: 103mg (10%)Iron: 3.4mg (19%)

Keywords: Chicken Stir Fry, Chop Suey

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