There are two types of Hunan chicken recipes out there: When I developed the recipe at home, I combined the goodness of both versions and made this Hunan chicken using traditional Chinese ingredients and a modern approach. It results in a recipe that is faster and more practical to prepare in a Western kitchen, is possible to cook in a nonstick skillet, and is healthier and easier to serve with rice to make a one-bowl meal.
Why this recipe
Use fresh peppers to spice up the dish
I’ve seen recipes that use hot sauce to season the dish. However, I went with the traditional Chinese way, which uses a bunch of mixed peppers. Not only does it make the dish more colorful, but it also adds a good amount of veggies to your dish and makes the meal more balanced. In Chinese cooking, a type of long pepper is usually used in this dish. It is a bit spicier than an Anaheim pepper, but slightly less spicy than a jalapeno pepper. It usually comes in both red and green, a combination that makes this dish look really pretty. Living in Austin, I couldn’t find the long peppers, so I used a mixture of Anaheim and serrano peppers. I like the crisp, tender texture of the Anaheim peppers, and the serrano peppers add a ton of spiciness. If you want a milder dish, you can switch to a mixture of bell pepper and jalapeno, or simply use mild peppers exclusively.
Select whatever cut of chicken you prefer
Although the Hunan chicken in China uses bone-in chicken, I opted for a boneless cut simply because it’s more practical. I used chicken thighs in the recipe, but you can switch to chicken breast, as well. The recipe yields tender and juicy chicken no matter which cut you use.
A saucier version that works great with rice
Although the authentic version uses very little sauce (known as a dry stir fry), I made a much saucier version just because it works so well with steamed rice. The sauce is similar to a basic brown sauce, but I used oyster sauce and sesame oil to add more umami and a bit of sweetness. It tasted SO GOOD that I might consider doubling the amount of sauce next time.
That’s it! A traditional Chinese Hunan chicken with a modern twist. It takes 20 minutes to prep and cook. Get your rice cooker going first, then make this stir fry, and you’ll have dinner ready in no time. Happy cooking!
More delicious stir fry recipes
Crispy Sesame Chicken (without Deep Frying) Real-Deal Moo Shu Pork Black Pepper Steak Chinese Orange Chicken Real-Deal Xinjiang Cumin Lamb Moo Goo Gai Pan
If you give this recipe a try, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it (once you’ve tried it), and take a picture and tag it @omnivorescookbook on Instagram! I’d love to see what you come up with.
