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!
CHOP SUEY – A CHICKEN STIR FRY FAVOURITE
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.
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.
INGREDIENTS 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
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.
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!
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
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!
- 180 g / 6 oz chicken breast , thinly sliced
- 1/2 tsp baking soda / bi-carb (optional, Note 1)
- 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
- 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
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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.
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Place cornflour and soy sauce in a bowl. Mix until lump free. Then add remaining Sauce ingredients and stir.
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Trim end off choy sum. Then cut into 7cm / 3" pieces. Separate stems from leaves.
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Peel carrot, cut into 3cm / 1.3" pieces. Then slice the pieces thinly (see video).
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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.
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Add chicken, cook for 1 minute until the surface changes from pink to white.
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Add choy sum stems, carrot and mushrooms. Stir fry for 1 minute.
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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.
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Remove from heat and serve immediately over rice or noodles.
1. Tenderised Chicken: This is one method that Chinese restaurants use to tenderise chicken - marinating chicken in baking soda. Breast in particular benefits from this - it makes it juicier and the texture more velvety (hence why this is called "velveting"). However, this step is optional.
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.
LIFE OF DOZER
This big furry head was just out of frame in every photo in this post…..
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Hi Nagi.
Have just came across this site and I absolutely LOVE it. Trying the chicken chop suey tonight.
By chance. Do you have black bean stir fry recipes or the one I’d love to know is how to make an egg foo yung. Just can’t get it right ☺
Hi Lyn! I have Egg Foo Young, just search for it 🙂 I am yet to master black bean sauce!!! N x
This was fabulous. Made enough for 2 nights and a lunch. Just added more veges 2nd night. Doesn’t even need rice or noodles if you don’t want. Using it with prawns tonight and cannot wait.
I had frozen chicken breast which I defrosted half way before sprinkling baking soda on then rinsed off twenty minutes ,,,,but the chicken smelled like ammonia….was the chicken bad or does this happen sometimes ????
This looks fantastic! I will for sure try it soon.
Hope you get a chance!
Oh my Nagi, I just finished a steaming bowl of this & it was the BEST chicken chop suey I’ve ever eaten. I’m ruined forever – I’ll never be able to buy store bought again! I simply love all your recipes, you are my go to site, I’ve never had a fail yet & I am steadily working my way through your recipe index 🙂 I also love your anecdotes & the adorable Dozer makes my heart smile when I see & read about his little escapades. Thanks Nagi, you always brighten my day.
Glad you enjoyed this one Nicole!! AND that you enjoy seeing cheeky Dozer! N x
I get SO much enjoyment out of your posts.
First I look longingly at the pictures, then I mouse down to the video, which I watch closely, then I eye-ball the print recipe, and then and only then do I give myself the ultimate reward for my patience…I go down just a LITTLE further until I see Dozer’s sweet self and your humorous description of said canine picture. Ah, jackpot! The laugh, the smile, the little dose of hilarity and fun that each of your posts gives us at the end of every splendid recipe you share with us.
Thank you, so much, Nagi, for all of the fabulous, inspiring recipes, but also for for sharing that sweet, wonderful side-kick of yours!!! It makes my day!
I LOVE HEARING THAT!!! 😂 They say a way to a man’s heart is through his stomach…. well, the way to MINE is Dozer compliments!! 😂
Hi Nagi
I definitely will be making this recipe. I probably won’t use the baking soda as it’s been my experience that the chicken strips that have been coated with baking soda have an uncooked texture in my mouth. The spongy feeling when eating it for me is not good. Even though I know it’s cooked through it doesn’t feel that way.
Love all your recipes.
Hi Pam! I totally understand what you mean, it’s kind of slippery 🙂 I usually just use chicken thighs so I don’t need to worry about tenderising! N x
Hi Nagi. Can I use Baking Soda on beef to tenderise it? I heard years ago about something the Chinese use to do that but can’t remember what it is.
Thanks so much, your tips make all the difference to recipes.
Big hugs to Dozer. 🐶