Looking for a quick and easy chicken stir fry recipe? This delicious Empress Chicken recipe fits the bill. Juicy chicken is tossed in a sweet and savory stir fry sauce creating a velvety Asian-inspired dish. It’s as delicious as Yaki Chicken Udon.
Serve over white rice (or even fried rice or instant pot sushi rice), noodles or vegetables.
Table of Contents
What Is Empress Chicken
Empress chicken is a chicken stir fry recipe going back generations, traditionally served to royalty. While there are different variations, the most common includes serving a whole chicken vs chicken pieces.
We’ve gone ahead and modernized this dish to make it a quick and easy chicken recipe for folks at home. This Chicken Empress recipe utilizes chicken breast (or chicken thighs) vs. cooking a whole chicken.
Empress Chicken vs General Tso
Chinese Empress Chicken is similar to General Tso’s chicken, in that many of the ingredients overlap. Empress Chicken tends to be a bit spicier whereas General Tso’s is pretty sweet and tangy. Empress Chicken goes back for generations while General Tso’s is an American-Chinese cuisine. You can’t go wrong with either option.
Both pair well with Veggie Stir Fry.
Velveting Chicken
This Empress Chicken Chinese recipe utilizes a process known as “velveting chicken”. It’s a key step in Chinese cooking so it’s not to be skipped. Essentially it’s coating the chicken in cornstarch and eggs before stir-frying to produce a juicy and silky textured chicken vs. tough and dry chicken.
Technically, the chicken is dredged in an entire wok full of oil, however that isn’t always an option when cooking Chinese food at home. Our version limits the amount of oil, so you’ll still have the benefits of velveting the chicken without wasting a ton of time and resources.
We also use this technique to make Honey Walnut Shrimp and Hunan Beef.
Recipe Tips
- Do not use toasted sesame oil as it has a lower smoke point and can turn bitter.
- This would be a great recipe to utilize Instant Pot Bone Broth. Use a chicken broth substitute if you need to.
- This chicken stir fry recipe keeps in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Do not overcrowd the pan. Work in batches to avoid brining down the temperature of the oil thereby creating soggy chicken. This is how close we keep the pieces when cooking.
Recipe Variations
Spicy Chicken Stir Fry
Like some heat? Add an extra 1/2- 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes to the sauce for an extra kick.
Jalapeno Chicken Stir Fry
Throw in sliced jalapeños when you cook the garlic and chilis.
Shrimp Stir Fry
Use a pound of peeled shrimp instead of chicken if shrimp recipes are your jam. No other edits are necessary, other than shaving the cook time down to about 3-4 minutes. Also consider making Hunan Shrimp or Chow Mei Fun.
Chicken and Shrimp Stir Fry
Throw in a half pound of peeled shrimp and cut down the chicken to 1 pound. Cook the chicken first and the second batch will be the shrimp as you’ll need to shave down the cook time to about 3-4 minutes.
More Asian Recipes To Check Out
Pad Woon Sen
Egg Drop Soup
Korean Beef Bulgogi
Ahi Tuna Poke Bowl
Instant Pot Chicken Adobo
Sticky Asian Oven Baked Chicken Wings
Drink Recommendations
Red- Zinfandel, Lambrusco, Beaujolais or Pinot Noir.
White – Dry Sauvignon Blanc, Dry Riesling or Dry Sparkling.
Ingredients
SAUCE
- 1½ tbsp Corn Starch
- ¼ Cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
- 1 Cup Chicken Stock
- 2 tbsp White Vinegar
- 1 tbsp Brown Sugar
- ½ tsp Grated Fresh Ginger
CHICKEN
- 1½ Lb Boneless and Skinless Chicken Breast, Cubed (*Note 1)
- 1 Large Egg, Whisked
- 3-4 tbsp Cornstarch
- 3-4 tbsp Un-toasted Sesame Oil or Peanut Oil (*Note 2)
- 4 Dried Red Chili Flakes (*Note 3)
- 2-3 Garlic Cloves, Finely Minced
Garnish
- 2 Green Onions, Thinly Sliced
- Toasted Sesame Seeds
Instructions
SAUCE
- Add the corn starch to a small mixing bowl and slowly whisk in the soy sauce, until the cornstarch is dissolved. Whisk in the chicken stock, vinegar, sugar and ginger until well combined. Set aside.
CHICKEN
- Add the diced chicken to a large mixing bowl. Pour the whisked egg over the chicken and toss to evenly coat.
- Sprinkle 3 tbsp of cornstarch over the chicken and toss to evenly coat (use more cornstarch if need be). If the cornstarch isn't sticking to the chicken, use your fingers to gently press down on the chicken so it sticks.
- Pre-heat a large skillet or wok over high heat. Add 3 tbsp of oil. Add more if needed to coat the bottom of the pan. Add half the chicken and cook, stirring frequently, for 5-6 minutes (or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.) Transfer the chicken to a plate and repeat with the second batch of chicken.
- Add the red chilis and garlic to the same skillet and cook for approx. 30 seconds, stirring frequently so neither burns.
- Add the chicken back to the skillet and stir to combine.
- Re-whisk the prepared sauce and pour it over the chicken. Gently fold the chicken into the sauce until all pieces are evenly coated and the sauce thickens, approx. 1-2 minutes.
- Transfer to individual serving bowls and top with green onions and sesame seeds. Enjoy immediately.
