Name: Hunan Chicken
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 lb chicken breast (boneless and skinless, cut into bite-sized pieces); 1/3 cup cornstarch; 1/2 tsp pepper (or to taste); 2 tbsp sesame oil; 1 medium carrot (sliced 1/4" thin diagonally); 1 stalk celery (sliced into 1/2" pieces diagonally); 1 red bell pepper (sliced into 1/2" strips); 1/2 red onion (sliced into 1/4" thin strips); 2 cups broccoli florets; 3-6 dried chilies (whole, as per your spice preference); 1 tbsp garlic (minced); 1 tbsp ginger (minced); 1/4 cup peanuts (roughly chopped); 1/4 cup soy sauce (low sodium); 1/2 cup chicken broth (low sodium); 2 tbsp oyster sauce; 1 tbsp honey; 1 tbsp rice vinegar; 1 tbsp cornstarch; 2 tsp chili garlic sauce (aka sambal oelek)

What is Hunan chicken?

This spicy dish hailing from the Hunan province of China is traditionally made loaded up with chilies and tossed in a tangy sauce. I’ve toned down the spiciness a bit for my own version, but it still packs some heat! You can always add more or less spice as you see fit.

What an easy recipe this was! The hardest part is chopping all the veggies up. You can chop them up small, big, use completely different mix-ins; it’s up to you. While my recipe includes my own stir fry favorites, I have a list for you below with other veggies you can include to customize your own Hunan chicken.

Ingredients

Keep scrolling down to the recipe card for a list of FULL ingredient amounts and instructions or click the “Jump to Recipe” button at the top of the page!

Chicken – Skinless and boneless. I used breast, but you can use thighs as well.

Cornstarch – You’ll need cornstarch for both coating the chicken and thickening the sauce. This is a must pantry ingredient, as it’s used a lot in Asian cooking.

Pepper – Freshly ground is always best!

Sesame oil – Try to find toasted sesame oil. You’ll thank me!

Veggies – Carrot, celery, bell pepper, broccoli and onion.

Chilies – I used whole dried chilies. You can use fresh red chilies if you’re brave, but trust me, huge difference.

Garlic and ginger – Fresh or from a jar.

Peanuts – Plain, toasted, salted; up to you! They’re great to add a little crunch, so you can skip them if you don’t have them.

Soy sauce – Low sodium.

Chicken broth – Veggie broth can be used instead.

Honey – Or brown sugar.

Oyster Sauce – Yep, it’s actually made from oysters, to be precise it’s a mixture of caramelized oyster juice. Again a great pantry ingredient.

Rice vinegar – Regular white vinegar or apple cider vinegar can be used instead.

Chili garlic sauce – Also known as sambal oelek. You can substitute with any hot sauce you like best but this ingredient is a favorite of mine and I add it to a whole bunch of recipes, including chicken noodle soup!

process shots showing how to easily make hunan chicken

How to make Hunan chicken

Cook the chicken: Add the chicken, cornstarch, and pepper to a mixing bowl. Toss well to completely coat each piece of chicken. Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces, working in batches if needed. Cook until browned on all sides. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. (This is the beginning of many Asian dishes)

Cook the veggies: If needed, add more sesame oil. Add the carrot, celery, bell pepper, broccoli, onion, and chilies to the pan. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the veggies soften, 4-5 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the sauce ingredients together.

Make it saucy: Stir the garlic and ginger in with the veggies and sauté for another 30 seconds. Pour the sauce into the skillet and reduce the heat to medium. Stir constantly until the sauce thickens.

Finish: Add the chicken back to the skillet and toss well to coat in the sauce. Garnish with chopped peanuts and serve over noodles or rice.

side shot of two black plates with hunan chicken over a bed of rice with chop sticks on top of the plates

How to serve Hunan chicken

I served this dish over some simple rice. Do you prefer noodles? Cook up any of your favorite Asian style noodles. You can also toss the rice or noodles directly into the skillet with that saucy stir fry.

Looking for some fun sides to serve up with your Hunan chicken? Try these:

How to store leftovers

Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and store for 3-4 days in the fridge. You can reheat in the microwave, or you can use a skillet over medium heat. If you find the sauce is drying out a bit using a skillet, add a splash of water or broth to bring it back to life.

You can also store your Hunan chicken in the freezer. This makes for a great, easy freezer meal for busy weeknights! It will last 2-3 months. Reheat either using the microwave, or let it thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in a skillet.

overhead shot of hunan chicken on a bed of rice in a black bowl with chopsticks on top of the plate

Did you love this recipe? Try these:

Comments

Pete C says

July 22, 2020 at 5:25 pm

This was delicious Hunan Chicken! Just enough spiciness.
I will be trying some of your other recipes. Thanks.

Reply
Karen Kipper says

May 20, 2020 at 11:37 am

This looks delicious! I will be making it for children as well, do you advise leaving out or lessening the chili sauce? I’m going to go easy on the peppers too.

Thank you so much!

Reply
- Jo Cooks Team says
  
  May 20, 2020 at 1:46 pm
  
  You can use as much or little as you like depending on their spice preference!
  
  Reply
Connie McGrath says

May 20, 2020 at 8:47 am

This was excellent. I used snow peas instead of broccoli bc we like them and have broccoli so often it was time for a change. Did not have dried Chili peppers so I upped the chili garlic sauce to a tablespoon. Once everything was chopped up it took no time to cook. Served over rice. Husband can’t wait to eat the leftovers for lunch. This will be a regular meal in the future.

Reply
- jo says
  
  May 20, 2020 at 9:29 am
  
  Hi Connie! I’m so glad to hear you guys enjoyed it!
  
  Reply