How to Tenderise Chicken for Stir Fries (Chinese secret!)
Ever notice how the chicken in stir fries at your favourite Chinese restaurant is incredibly tender, and how it's just never as good at home? It's because the chicken breast is tenderised, a method called "velveting chicken". Use this for the juiciest chicken breast you'll ever have in stir fries and noodles! SCALE recipe - click on servings and slide.
Prep Time5 minutesmins
Marinating20 minutesmins
Course: Mains
Cuisine: American Chinese
Keyword: How to velvet chicken, Tenderise chicken
Servings: 3
Calories: 95cal
Author: Nagi
Ingredients
250 g / 8 oz chicken breast slices OR bite size pieces(note whole pieces, Note 1)
3/4tspbaking soda(bi-carb/bi-carbonate)
Instructions
Place chicken in a bowl and sprinkle baking soda all over the surface.
Toss with fingers to coat as evenly as possible.
Refrigerate 20 minutes for slices, 30 minutes for bite size pieces.
Rinse well in colander to remove baking soda.
Shake off then pat away excess water (doesn't need to be 100% dry).
Use as directed in chosen recipe - stir fries and noodles (see in post for suggested recipes). Can be marinated, cooked on the stove, deep fried, simmered in broth.
Notes
Difference chicken weights - click on servings and slide until the chicken weight is the amount you are using. Ok not to be 100% accurate, +/- 1/4 tsp or so is fine.1.Only use slices and bite size pieces - This method of tenderising chicken is suitable for sliced or small bite size pieces of chicken, not a whole breast or thigh fillet. The baking soda is too strong and will over tenderise the outside before the inside is tenderised. To tenderise a whole breast fillet, either use a marinade (like this one) or dry brine (use method in this Chicken Parmigiana recipe.General notes:
I've left chicken marinating for almost 1 hour and it's been fine. A bit more soft that I'd like, but it wasn't too soft.
I only tenderise breast and tenderloin. I don't think chicken thigh needs it, it's juicy enough as it is.
Storage: While I can't prove this definitely, I feel like the shelf life of the raw chicken is shortened slightly. I like to use it within 24 hours - or freeze it.