Hunan Chicken – This spicy, simple, saucy stir fry has to be next on your list for dinner! Enjoy it with your favorite rice or noodles, or all on its own. It’s sure to be a hit at your next takeout fakeout night! Turn the heat up or down as much as you can handle.
I’m on a mission to learn how to make all of my favorite takeout items and share them all with you. Someone has to make the taste-test sacrifice, right? Today I have some spicy Hunan chicken made with lots of veggies, sauce, and chilies.
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!
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.
What else can I mix into my Hunan chicken?
This saucy stir fry can by loaded up with any of your favorite veggies. Need some inspiration? Here are some ideas:
- Snow peas
- Mushrooms
- Baby corn
- Zucchini
- Water chestnuts
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:
- Chow Mein
- Sesame Noodles
- Spicy Peanut Noodles
- Asian Style Udon Noodles
- Easy Fried Rice
- Easy Shrimp Fried Rice
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.
Did you love this recipe? Try these:
- Orange Chicken
- Instant Pot Mongolian Beef
- Easy Beef and Broccoli
- Kung Pao Chicken
- Instant Pot General Tso’s Chicken
- Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Bulgogi Pork
- Beef Teriyaki Skewers
Looking for more recipes? Follow on… My Newsletter Pinterest Facebook Instagram
Hunan Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
For the stir fry
- 1 lb chicken breast boneless and skinless, cut into bite-sized pieces
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- ½ 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
- ½ 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
- ¼ cup peanuts roughly chopped
For the sauce
- ¼ cup soy sauce low sodium
- ½ 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
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
- Make the sauce: Whisk all the sauce ingredients together in a bowl.
- 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.
Recipe Notes
- 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.
- Freezing: 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.
