Chop Suey – a saucy chicken stir fry loaded with tender pieces of chicken, vegetables and smothered in Chinese brown sauce just like you get at the best Chinese restaurants! Use any vegetables you want in this quick and easy stir fry.
This recipe also shares two little known Chinese restaurant secrets so you can make a stir fry that genuinely is as good as your favourite take out!
Chop Suey – 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.
How to make a Chop Suey that’s REALLY restaurant quality
If you’ve ever wondered why your stir fries aren’t quite as tasty as what you get from (good) Chinese restaurants, here are the two things you’ve probably been missing:
Secret 1 – Chinese Cooking Wine
Chinese cooking wine (or Shaoxing Wine) is the secret ingredient in almost every Chinese recipe that’s used by the gallon in Chinese restaurants around the world! It adds depth and complexity of flavour into even the most simple sauces with just a small amount. Read more about it here, including why it’s so important, the difference it makes in recipes and the best substitutes.
Best substitutes for Chinese Cooking Wine – Mirin or dry sherry.
Best non alcoholic substitute for Chop Suey is to use chicken broth (liquid chicken stock) in place of water in the sauce.
Secret 2 – Tenderised Chicken
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 where the chicken is coated in a small amount of baking soda (bi-carb), left for 20 minutes to tenderise, then rinsed before cooking in the stir fry. It’s the easiest and least effort for home cooking – and 100% effect.
Velveting is optional if using chicken thighs because it’s 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.
Read more about this – Velveting: Chinese Restaurant Way to Tenderise Chicken.
What goes in Chop Suey
I’ve make Chop Suey with ingredients that are commonly used by Chinese restaurants – Asian greens (Choi Sum), bean sprouts, carrots and mushrooms. But feel free to use whatever vegetables you want!
How to make Chop Suey
Chop Suey is a 5 minute stir fry that starts off by sautéing garlic and onion before adding vegetables in the order in which they cook. Vegetables that take longer to cook go in first, and more delicate vegetables (like leafy greens) go in last.
Then the sauce is added, simmered for just a minute or two so it thickens, then served immediately over rice to soak up all that tasty sauce!
What to serve with Chop Suey
With all that tasty sauce, Chop Suey demands to be served with rice! Though if you’re looking for a low carb option, cauliflower rice is a terrific alternative.
If you’re making this as part of a larger banquet or you want to make a menu to serve 4+ people, try adding some of these other dishes to your menu:
If you’re new to this Chop Suey recipe, be prepared to be amazed how similar it really is to Chinese takeout.
“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
Watch how to make it
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Chop Suey - Chicken Stir Fry
Ingredients
Optional Tenderised Chicken (Note 1):
- 180g (6oz ) 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 , or all purpose soy(Note 3)
- 1 tbsp Oyster Sauce (Note 4)
- 1 tbsp Chinese Cooking Wine OR Mirin (Note 5)
- 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 (see video).
Prep Ingredients:
- Sauce: Place cornflour and soy sauce in a bowl. Mix until lump free. Then add remaining Sauce ingredients and stir.
- Chop choy sum: Trim end off choy sum. Then cut into 7cm (3") pieces. Separate stems from leaves.
- Chop carrot - Peel then cut into 3cm (1.3") pieces. Then slice the pieces thinly.
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 (for low carb, low cal option, try Cauliflower Rice!)
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Originally published November 2017, modified October 2018, and updated March 2020 with new photos and video! No change to the recipe!
More stir fry favourites!
Life of Dozer
This big furry head was just out of frame in every photo in this post…..
Stephanie says
The introduction of Charlie into my cooking has been a revelation! My husband now looks for it first in the fridge when he is making his lunch (invariably leftover rice and whatever veggies are around).
Hoping that I will finally be able to successfully accomplish a decent chicken stir fry! Your recipe for shrimp fried rice has changed my world. 🙂
Nagi says
I’m so pleased Charlie changed your life!!! LOVE HEARING THAT Stephanie!! N xx
lily gar says
Hi ,I am in Canada Montreal and yes China town is not too far and grocery stores have COOKING WINE in Chinese section , also the lady in the park well I have a poem -my goose is getting fat put all your money in my hat- so to speak ,you know your cooking sweet lady , and Dozer is a beautiful Puppy , here in Montreal he would have to wear Doggie booties right now and ear muffs , never stop or change what your doing, I’m sure your fan club would agree ,,lily gar .
Nagi says
OMG DOGGIE SNOW BOOTS AND EAR MUFFS!!! I am going in hunt for snow next winter just so I have an excuse to dress Dozer up!! 😂
Dorothy Dunton says
Hi Nagi. I love stir fries, yet I don’t make them as often as I should ?? I would sub in baby bok choy for the green veg. Like you said, veggies are interchangeable to suit one’s taste. I always use mushrooms, carrots and onion, they are must for me.
Nagi says
Hi Dorothy! Have you resurfaced from your (2nd??) Thanksgiving cooking frenzy? Can Gary still fit into his pants, or is he living in elastic waistband shorts?? 😂
Wanda says
Hi Nagi! I’m so happy I stumbled across your blog a few months ago. The only thing I’ve made is the mushroom rice, but there are so many great recipes I want to make. Love your videos, but I wish there were videos for the Japanese recipes too. Not sure if you have this in Australia, but I’m looking for a recipe served in Chinese restaurants called Baked Tapioca Pudding (sometimes it has red bed paste in it). Would you happen to know of one? Keep on blogging! You’re doing a great job!!
Nagi says
Hi Wanda, I’m so pleased you like my recipes, thank you for the compliment! Have you seen my mother’s blog? If you click on Japanese recipes on my menu, it will take you right there! We are SLOWLY starting to create videos for my mother’s recipes too! N xx
Lyn says
Looking forward to making this one….I’m assuming Choy Sum is what we refer to in USA as Bok Choy?
Love these quick and easy recipes…thanks
Joanne says
Choy sum and bok choy are two different things here in the US….
Nagi says
Hi Lyn! I thought it was called Choy Sum over there too??? Though honestly, any Asian green is just fine, I use the long green one we call Choy Sum here 🙂 N x
Fred Rickson says
You should have pointed out that, at least here in the U.S., Chinese Cooking Wine can have 1.5% salt, or, in the wine section of the same store, 0%. That much salt can be “tasteable.”
Nagi says
That’s a great point, I will include it when I (finally!) create an ingredients glossary!! 😂
Susan says
Nagi, some of us are just slow in our prep/cooking. My prep times are always longer than recipes state, even when organized, as are some of my cook times. I took a Chinese cooking class years ago and the one thing I learned that sticks with me to this day, is to prep everything before starting to cook. That applies to any cuisine. I don’t fault food bloggers for their unrealistic (for me) prep times. I just am always amazed that anyone can move that fast in the kitchen. 🙂
Nagi says
Hi Susan!! I know, I was just being really CHEEKY!!!! I wonder if the said lady at the dog park will see this post 😂 N xx
Steve Fahnestalk says
Looks very good, Nagi. Do you have a chicken chow mein (soft noodles) recipe? My wife is very fond of it.
Thanks!
Nagi says
Thanks Steve! Yes I sure do, it’s very popular! Here it is: https://www.recipetineats.com/chicken-chow-mein/
Steve Fahnestalk says
Thanks, Nagi!
Malcolm E Reding says
In the US, Rice Wine is sold and used in Chinese dishes but they don’t call it cooking wine, which is also sold—which you do NOT want to use. If you have papaya powder available it is an excellent tenderizer for both chicken and beef.
Nagi says
Thanks for the tip Malcolm – on both the cooking wine and the papaya powder!!! N xx
Jo Drake says
Hi, love your recipes, can you explain how you “velvet” chicken…..do you leave bicarb on chicken, for how long etc…thanks would appreciate it
Nagi says
HI Jo! It’s the first step in the recipe 🙂
Brenda Carrington says
I just love, love,love Dozer, it’s a pity that I am thousands and thousands of miles away from him. Anyways, I love you too and the way you prepare your recipes, however, this one for me is a must for me to try as I love Chinese food especially when there’s a lot of vegetables. Thank you for all your ideas.
Nagi says
Dozer fan club just keeps growing!! 😂 I really should stop joking about how useless he is, shouldn’t I? He’s become the RecipeTin mascot!!!
Gillian Didier Serre says
Yummy recipe as usual..don’t have chicken jn freezer but have pork will use that instead. As for DOZER the way his head is in the frame looks as if he is stalking the STIR FRY😂😂.
X FROM GILLIAN and WOOF WOOF TO DOZER FROM LUCA🐕
Nagi says
Dozer says WOOF back to Luca!! 🐶 This would be perfect made with pork. SO GOOD! N xx