Chinese-Style Sweet Chicken

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make Chinese-style sweet chicken? Start by gathering everything you need. Use any cut of chicken you like, bone-in or boneless — thighs and breast both work great. If it's frozen, thaw it ahead of time. Rice vinegar is ideal, but apple cider or wine vinegar work too. Use a naturally brewed soy sauce; there are a lot of cheap imitations out there, so it's worth paying a little more for the real thing.

2. Step 2:

   

   Rinse the chicken well and cut it into medium-sized pieces. You can remove the skin and bones or leave them on.

3. Step 3:

   

   Transfer the chicken to a separate bowl. Pour the soy sauce over it and let it marinate for 10–15 minutes so it soaks up the flavor.

4. Step 4:

   

   Heat some vegetable oil in a skillet. Any oil works, from regular canola to a nice olive oil — the only rule is that if you're frying with it, it needs to be refined, otherwise it'll burn. Add the chicken and sear it quickly over fairly high heat.

5. Step 5:

   

   Peel the onion and slice it into thin slivers. Wash, peel, and cut the carrot into thin matchsticks. You can julienne the carrot by hand, or use a julienne grater or food processor.

6. Step 6:

   

   Add the carrot to the pan with the chicken first and cook it over low heat for about 5–7 minutes, stirring constantly.

7. Step 7:

   

   Add the sliced onion to the carrot and stir. Mince the garlic — grate it, press it, or just chop it with a knife like I did — and add it to the pan too. Lower the heat and cook for another 5–7 minutes.

8. Step 8:

   

   Pour the vinegar over the meat and vegetables and add the honey. Stir to combine.

9. Step 9:

   

   Dissolve the starch in 50 ml (about 3 tablespoons) of cold water. Any kind works — potato or cornstarch. Since it's just there to thicken the dish, you can also use flour instead.

10. Step 10:

    

    Pour the starch slurry into the pan.

11. Step 11:

    

    Simmer for another 5–7 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Add salt right at the end. Keep in mind that soy sauce is already quite salty, so don't overdo it!

12. Step 12:

    

    Serve the Chinese-style sweet chicken on its own or with a side (rice is the perfect match!). Enjoy!