Scrambled Eggs, Cheese, and Avocado Tortilla Bowl Recipe
September 16, 2025
Chop Suey (Chicken Stir Fry) Recipe
Chop Suey – a saucy chicken stir fry loaded with tender items of chicken, greens and smothered in Chinese language brown sauce identical to you get at the perfect Chinese language eating places! Use any greens you need on this fast and simple stir fry.
This recipe additionally shares two little recognized Chinese language restaurant secrets and techniques so you may make a stir fry that genuinely is nearly as good as your favorite take out!
Chop Suey – Chicken Stir Fry
Chop Suey is only a barely westernised model of a basic, primary Chinese language stir fry. Due to this, there actually aren’t exhausting and quick guidelines about what goes in it, however the normal attribute is that the sauce is a reasonably mild brown color, there may be loads of it (and I really like my sauce!!) and it’s fairly thick so it clings to your rice or noodles.
Learn how to make a Chop Suey that’s REALLY restaurant high quality
If you happen to’ve ever questioned why your stir fries aren’t fairly as tasty as what you get from (good) Chinese language eating places, listed below are the 2 stuff you’ve most likely been lacking:
Secret 1 – Chinese language Cooking Wine
Chinese language cooking wine (or Shaoxing Wine) is the key ingredient in virtually each Chinese language recipe that’s utilized by the gallon in Chinese language eating places world wide! It provides depth and complexity of flavour into even the most straightforward sauces with only a small quantity. Learn extra about it right here, together with why it’s so essential, the distinction it makes in recipes and the perfect substitutes.
Finest substitutes for Chinese language Cooking Wine – Mirin or dry sherry.
Finest non alcoholic substitute for Chop Suey is to use chicken broth (liquid chicken inventory) rather than water within the sauce.
Secret 2 – Tenderised Chicken
Have you ever observed that the chicken in Chinese language eating places is extremely delicate and virtually “velvety”? It’s as a result of eating places “velvet” the chicken (that’s the time period that’s used).
There are a couple of methods to do that, however I like utilizing a easy methodology the place the chicken is coated in a small quantity of baking soda (bi-carb), left for 20 minutes to tenderise, then rinsed earlier than cooking within the stir fry. It’s the simplest and least effort for dwelling cooking – and 100% impact.
Velveting is non-compulsory if utilizing chicken thighs as a result of it’s a juicy reduce. However if you’re utilizing chicken breast or tenderloins and also you select to tenderise it, you’ll be amazed how juicy and tender the chicken is.
Learn extra about this – Velveting: Chinese language Restaurant Strategy to Tenderise Chicken.
What goes in Chop Suey
I’ve make Chop Suey with elements which can be generally utilized by Chinese language eating places – Asian greens (Choi Sum), bean sprouts, carrots and mushrooms. However be at liberty to make use of no matter greens you need!
Learn how to make Chop Suey
Chop Suey is a 5 minute stir fry that begins off by sautéing garlic and onion earlier than including greens within the order during which they cook dinner. Greens that take longer to cook dinner go in first, and extra delicate greens (like leafy greens) go in final.
Then the sauce is added, simmered for only a minute or two so it thickens, then served instantly over rice to absorb all that tasty sauce!
What to serve with Chop Suey
With all that tasty sauce, Chop Suey calls for to be served with rice! Although if you happen to’re in search of a low carb choice, cauliflower rice is a terrific various.
If you happen to’re making this as half of a bigger banquet otherwise you need to make a menu to serve 4+ individuals, attempt including a few of these different dishes to your menu:
If you happen to’re new to this Chop Suey recipe, be ready to be amazed how related it truly is to Chinese language takeout.
“It’s identical to the stir fries at Golden Century Chinese language Restaurant!!”, first timers exclaim.
Or Golden Palace or Golden Pearl or Golden Wheel or Golden Unicorn or Golden Dragon.
Ahh, Chinese language restaurant names, they supply a lot amusement. However that’s a narrative for one more time! – Johnsat x
Watch tips on how to make it
Ingredients
- 180g (6oz ) chicken breast , thinly sliced
- 1/2 tsp baking soda / bi-carb (optional, Note 1)
- 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
- 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
- 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).
- 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.
- 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!)
Notes
1. Tenderised Chicken: Read more about Velveting Chicken the Chinese way for ultra tender chicken like you get in Chinese restaurant stir fries.
Skip the step if using chicken thigh – it’s not needed, it’s juicy enough.
2. CHARLIE is my All Purpose Stir Fry Sauce. If you haven’t met him yet and you love stir fries, you are going to be best friends very soon. Find the recipe for him here, along with how to use him. To use Charlie for this recipe, replace the Sauce with 4 tablespoons of Charlie + 3/4 tsp cornflour / cornstarch + 3/4 cup water.
3. LIGHT SOY SAUCE: This is what keeps the sauce colour clear-ish. You can use ordinary all purpose soy sauce and it will pretty much look the same. If you use dark soy sauce, reduce to 1 tbsp – will still be tasty but the sauce will be super dark brown and a stronger soy flavour.
4. Oyster sauce – substitute with Vegetarian Oyster Sauce (available at some large grocery stores) for vegetarian / shellfish free option.
5. CHINESE COOKING WINE: An essential in Chinese cooking, used by every Chinese restaurant. Read more here.
Substitutions: dry sherry or Mirin, followed by Japanese cooking Sake.
Non alcoholic: Use chicken broth instead of water in the Sauce.
6. No need to marinate the chicken for this recipe because it’s sliced thinly and there’s plenty of sauce!
7. Nutrition per serving, assuming 2 servings. It’s 2 very generous servings, with enough vegetables for a meal – you won’t need a side for this. Excludes rice / noodles. Use low sodium soy sauce to reduce sodium.
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