Description
Craving comfort food? Better-than-takeout sticky chicken and broccoli delivers restaurant-quality flavors with home-cooked warmth. Savory glazed chicken nestled with crisp broccoli promises a satisfying meal that brings global taste right to your plate.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein:
- 1.5 pounds (680 grams) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
Vegetables:
- 3 cups (450 grams) broccoli florets
Sauce and Seasoning:
- ⅓ cup (80 milliliters) low-sodium soy sauce
- ⅓ cup (113 grams) honey
- ¼ cup (60 milliliters) hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons (16 grams) cornstarch
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon (2 grams) grated fresh ginger (or ½ teaspoon ground ginger)
- ¼ teaspoon (0.5 grams) red pepper flakes (optional)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Serving Suggestions:
- Cooked white rice
- Sesame seeds (optional)
- Green onions (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare chicken by coating pieces thoroughly with seasoned cornstarch mixture, ensuring each morsel is evenly and completely covered.
- Sear chicken in a hot skillet, creating a golden-brown exterior while maintaining juicy interior. Cook until protein is completely done, moving pieces periodically for uniform browning.
- Transfer crispy chicken to a separate plate, reserving skillet for subsequent cooking stages.
- Introduce broccoli florets to the same skillet, adding minimal water to create steaming environment. Cover and cook until vegetables reach vibrant green color and tender-crisp texture.
- Craft a dynamic sauce by whisking together aromatic ingredients like soy sauce, honey, hoisin, rice vinegar, sesame oil, minced garlic, grated ginger, and gentle red pepper flakes.
- Reunite chicken and broccoli in the skillet, cascading prepared sauce over the ingredients and gently tossing to ensure comprehensive coating.
- Allow mixture to simmer, transforming sauce into a luxurious, glossy glaze that clings beautifully to proteins and vegetables.
- Present this enticing dish atop fluffy rice, optionally garnishing with toasted sesame seeds and delicately sliced green onions for enhanced visual and flavor complexity.
Notes
- Cornstarch Coating Trick: Toss chicken in cornstarch for an ultra-crispy exterior that locks in moisture and creates a delightful golden-brown crust.
- High Heat Technique: Cook chicken in a single layer to ensure proper browning and prevent steaming, which helps develop rich caramelized flavors.
- Sauce Balancing Act: Adjust honey and soy sauce proportions to control sweetness and saltiness, creating a perfectly balanced sticky glaze.
- Dietary Modifications: Swap chicken for tofu or tempeh to make a vegetarian version, and use tamari instead of soy sauce for a gluten-free alternative.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Chinese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 157
- Sugar: 26 g
- Sodium: 28 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 23 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg