# Chinese Soy Chicken Stir-Fry with Vegetables

> Chinese restaurant chicken is coated in cornflour and egg white before frying — a technique called velveting — which traps the moisture and keeps it tender. It's fried fast over high heat, then the vegetables and a cornflour-thickened sauce go in and set in under a minute.

**Chinese Cuisine · 32 min · 4 servings · 380 kcal per serving**

The reason Chinese restaurant chicken is so tender has nothing to do with the chicken. It's a two-minute step called velveting, and it changes the dish completely.

## Ingredients


### Chicken
- 600 g — chicken breast, thinly sliced
- 1 — egg white
- 1 tbsp — cornflour

### Sauce
- 3 tbsp — soy sauce
- 1 tbsp — rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp — honey or sugar
- 1 tsp — cornflour slaked in ¼ cup water
- 1 tsp — sesame oil

### Vegetables
- 1 — mixed peppers, sliced
- 1 cup — broccoli florets
- 4 cloves — garlic + a piece of ginger

## Method

1. **Velveting** — Toss the sliced chicken with the egg white, the cornflour and a pinch of salt, and leave it fifteen minutes. That coating locks the juice inside.
2. **The sauce** — Mix the soy, vinegar, honey, sesame oil and slaked cornflour in one cup and set it beside the pan.
3. **Frying the chicken** — Over the highest heat in a wide oiled pan, fry the chicken in two batches, two minutes each, until it turns white on the outside. Lift it out.
4. **Vegetables and sauce** — In the same pan: garlic and ginger for fifteen seconds, then the peppers and broccoli for two minutes, stirring. Return the chicken, pour in the sauce, and stir until it thickens and turns glossy — under a minute.

## Tips

- Fry the chicken in two batches; a crowded pan steams rather than fries.
- The sauce sets in seconds — kill the heat the moment it turns glossy.
- Slice the chicken against the grain for a more tender result.

## FAQ

### My chicken came out dry.
Either it was overcooked or the velveting step was skipped. Two minutes a batch is enough — it finishes cooking in the sauce.

### Can I use beef or prawns?
Yes, same method. Prawns need one minute only; thinly sliced beef needs two.

### The sauce won't thicken.
Add another half spoon of cornflour slaked in cold water, pouring it in gradually over medium heat while stirring.

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Source: https://hanakoleah.com/en/chinese-cuisine/chinese-soy-chicken-stir-fry-recipe
Edited by: Marwa Mohamed
Last updated: 2026-10-29