Chinese🥩 Meat

Real Chinese Takeaway Chicken in Black Bean Sauce

Name: Real Chinese Takeaway Chicken in Black Bean Sauce
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 1 chicken breast; 1 tsp potato starch; 2 tsp light soy sauce; ~½ tsp salt; ~¼ tsp MSG (monosodium glutamate); ~¼ tsp baking soda (bicarbonate); 1/3 tsp garlic powder; 1/3 onion; ½ green pepper; 1/3 carrot; 1½ tbsp preserved dried black beans; ¾ tsp garlic puree; 1/3 tsp salt; ½ tsp MSG; 1 tsp dark soy sauce; 2 tsp Chinese rice wine; ~2-3 tbsp potato starch slurry; 2 tbsp vegetable oil

A classic Chinese takeaway dish featuring velveted chicken breast coated in a balanced black bean sauce. The key to achieving authentic takeaway flavor is to use restraint with the black bean and keep the preparation simple.

Adapted from a video by Ziang's Food Workshop

Real Chinese Takeaway Chicken in Blackbean Sauce 🍗🥢

Watch on YouTube

Ingredients

chicken breast1
potato starch1 tsp
light soy sauce2 tsp
saltpinch~½ tspest.
MSG (monosodium glutamate)pinch~¼ tspest.
baking soda (bicarbonate)pinch~¼ tspest.
garlic powder1/3 tsp
onionchopped1/3
green pepperchopped½
carrotsliced

Steps

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1
Slice the chicken breast across the grain into even pieces.
2
Combine the sliced chicken with salt, MSG, baking soda, potato starch, garlic powder, and light soy sauce. Mix well and let rest for 20 minutes if time allows for best results. The baking soda tenderizes the meat while the starch seals in moisture.
3
Heat oil in a wok, then add the marinated chicken. Let it sit briefly before turning to develop color on both sides.
4
When the chicken is browning, add the chopped onion with a pinch of salt and MSG. Allow to brown to develop deeper flavor through the Maillard reaction.
5
Add the green peppers and carrot slices with another pinch of salt and MSG. Let the ingredients sit briefly to achieve proper browning, which is crucial when cooking on home equipment with lower heat output than commercial woks.
6
Prepare the black bean mixture by rehydrating the preserved black beans in hot water for 20 minutes, draining, and mashing with a fork. Mix with garlic puree, salt, and a bit of MSG. This is better when aged overnight but can be used immediately.
7
Add the black bean mixture to the wok and cook for about 20-30 seconds until fragrant. Use restraint with the amount—too much black bean overwhelms the dish, which is the key to authentic takeaway flavor.
8
Add water (not too much), a small amount of dark soy sauce for color, salt, and MSG. Adjust the dark soy to your preferred color if needed.
9
Add the Chinese rice wine at the right moment—not too early so it cooks off completely, and not too late to avoid a strong alcohol taste. Cook for just a few more seconds.
10
Thicken the sauce by gradually adding potato starch slurry in small portions, stirring well after each addition to avoid creating a paste-like texture. The dish is ready when the sauce reaches the desired consistency.

Real Chinese Takeaway Chicken in Black Bean Sauce

Ingredients

Steps

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