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!Â
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 –Â 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.
Substitutes for Chinese Cooking Wine
The best substitute for Chinese Cooking Wine for Chop Suey is dry sherry, followed by Mirin then Japanese cooking sake.
The best non alcoholic substitute for Chop Suey is to use chicken broth (liquid chicken stock) in place of water in the sauce.
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
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.
- Remove from heat and serve immediately over rice or noodles.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
This big furry head was just out of frame in every photo in this post…..
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I have been searching for a good chop suey recipe for years. This recipe wasn’t good, it was amazing! It was not too salty like other recipes I’ve tried. I made the Charlie sauce and it is perfect! I can’t wait to try some of your other recipes!
Woah thanks so much Amy!