Chicken with Garlic Sauce
Chicken with garlic sauce is a super easy takeout style dish that’s perfect for your weekday dinner. The tender juicy chicken and crisp peppers are brought together with a rich, savory, and slightly sweet garlic infused sauce. Whether you’re a seasoned cook or just starting your culinary journey, this dish is a must-try for anyone who loves vibrant, satisfying meals.
Which cut of chicken to use
I prefer to use skinless boneless chicken thighs in this recipe, because the flavorful dark meat pairs perfectly with the rich garlic sauce. Chicken thighs also sustain cooking better and do not easily overcook, creating a very tender and juicy result.
That being said, it’s totally OK to use chicken breast or chicken tenders in this recipe.
Garlic sauce ingredients
- Chicken broth – A good chicken broth adds a lot of flavor. My favorite chicken broth is the Kirkland Signature Chicken Broth.
- Light soy sauce – Light soy sauce is the main ingredient in this sauce to add umami.
- Dark soy sauce – Dark soy sauce adds an appetizing dark brown color to the dish, plus a hint of caramel sweetness.
- Sugar – Sugar balances out the saltiness from the soy sauce and brings out the flavor of the ingredients, making the sauce slightly sweet.
- Cornstarch – The cornstarch acts as a thickening agent to make the sauce sticky and glossy.
Other vegetable options
- Onion, sliced
- Hot peppers, sliced
- Broccoli, cut to florets and blanched
- Mushrooms, sliced
- Snow peas, tough ends removed
Mise en place
- Marinated chicken
- Mixed sauce
- Sliced aromatics (green onion and garlic)
- Sliced pepper
How to make chicken with garlic sauce
- Brown the chicken, then transfer to a plate. It’s important to remove the chicken once it is just cooked, to prevent it from overcooking.
- Saute the aromatics to bring out the flavor.
- Briefly cook the peppers to ensure their crispness.
- Add the sauce, then stir to thicken it.
- Add back the cooked chicken and stir everything together.
How to serve chicken with garlic sauce
Chicken with garlic sauce tastes the best when served with steamed white rice, so you can use the rice to soak up the extra sauce. The dish works fairly well with noodles as well.
To make a full-on Chinese dinner, consider serving it with other appetizers, sides and a soup. For example:
Notes
- To make the dish Gluten-Free: Use tamari to replace the light and dark soy sauce. Use dry sherry instead of Shaoxing wine. Your dish will come out lighter in color due to the lack of dark soy sauce, but it should taste good nonetheless.
Nutrition
Serving: 1, Calories: 248kcal, Carbohydrates: 12.7g, Protein: 22g, Fat: 12.2g, Saturated Fat: 2.6g, Cholesterol: 62mg, Sodium: 884mg, Potassium: 306mg, Fiber: 0.9g, Sugar: 7.3g, Calcium: 30mg, Iron: 2mg