hoisin sauce Archives - Cooking Classy

Kung Pao Chicken

Jaclyn — Mon, 31 Aug 2020 04:23:54 +0000

An easy Kung Pao Chicken recipe that's better than take-out and sure satisfy those cravings! It's a seriously delicious dish made with tender chicken pieces coated in a flavorful, spicy sauce and it's finished with rich crunchy peanuts.

What is Kung Pao Chicken?

Kung Pao Chicken is a popular Chinese stir fry dish made up of chopped chicken, vegetables, peanuts and it's all coated in a spicy sauce that's lightly sweet, salty and tangy.

And I'd have to say this easy homemade version is definitely better than Panda Express or Pei Wei's Kung Pao chicken! Homemade usually always wins right?

It's a quick and tasty dinner that's perfect for serving any day of the week. You can have it ready in 30 minutes or less!

Asian Lettuce Wraps

Jaclyn — Wed, 18 Apr 2018 14:00:47 +0000

Asian Lettuce Wraps! Who doesn't love the fresh and tasty handheld wraps from Asian restaurants? This homemade version tastes like PF Chang's Lettuce Wraps (and Pei Wei's), and they are so easy to make. They can be ready in 20 minutes!

My Go-To Healthy Lettuce Wraps Recipe

There's just something so satisfying about hand held finger food, as in no forks or chopsticks required. Just pick it up and dive in! None of that dicing it up and eating it slowly like a lady/gentlemen, just shove it in your face because we are hungry, right?

These Asian lettuce wraps make a delicious main dish for busy weeknights or can be enjoyed as an appetizer for a Chinese take-out style dinner party on the weekend.

I love the rich, slightly salty, slightly sweet, slightly sour blend of flavors here. And I'll never get enough of that crunch. I love the crisp lettuce and water chestnuts.

This is most definitely one of those super easy recipes you'll want to use time and time again. They're healthy lettuce wraps that will leave you thinking you don't really need noodles, rice or a wrap.

Copycat PF Chang's Lettuce Wraps Recipe

Why spend $10 plus tip, plus travel time, plus all the wait time when you can make enough to feed a family for the same price, in a fraction of the time, and you can enjoy them in the comfort of your own home? Copycat recipes at home are the best!

Asian Lentil Lettuce Wraps

Jaclyn — Wed, 22 Nov 2017 05:45:07 +0000

Asian Lentil Lettuce Wraps with these no one will even miss the meat! They're easy to make, full of flavor and you'll love all that crunch!

This post was sponsored by USA Pulses and Pulse Canada, however all thoughts and opinions are my own.

A Healthy Lettuce Wrap Recipe

I know this week with Thanksgiving just around the corner it's going to be all about a calorie and dessert splurge so I've been trying to squeeze in a lot of healthy meals for lunch and dinner for my family this week.

Dinners like these delicious Asian Lettuce Wraps! You wouldn't believe how good these are!

Want to see how easy this lettuce wraps recipe is? Watch the video!

[wprm-recipe-video]

They have no poultry or meat, rather they are made with protein-rich ultra filling lentils and no one could hardly taste the difference between these and the chicken version (plus lentils are a cheaper alternative).

Cashew Chicken

Jaclyn — Fri, 08 Sep 2017 14:24:01 +0000

Cashew Chicken is a Chinese takeout classic that's sure to satisfy those take-out craving! Chicken pieces, fresh veggies and crunch cashews are coated with an addictive sauce. It has a nice blend of textures and it's a rich in protein.

The Sauce Makes This the Best Cashew Chicken!

This sauce in this recipe has that perfect blend of Asian flavors. It's lightly sweet, lightly sour and it's the perfect addition to chicken.

And I made sure there was plenty of sauce, because stir fries are always best with extra sauce!

And the blend of textures here keeps it interesting. You'll love those crunchy cashews and tender, ever so lightly crisp veggies.

Then when you serve it over soft and fluffy rice it's a match meant to be! Or add one more veggie and serve it over cauliflower rice instead, love that stuff!

Ingredients You'll Need for This Recipe

Chicken breasts
Cornstarch
Olive oil
Low sodium chicken broth
Hoisin sauce
Soy sauce
Rice vinegar
Honey
Sesame oil
Fresh ginger
Fresh veggies - broccoli, bell pepper, garlic, green onions
Unsalted cashews

How to Make Cashew Chicken

Toss chicken with 1 Tbsp cornstarch then cook half and time in skillet, transfer.
In a bowl whisk chicken broth, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, sesame oil and remaining 2 tsp cornstarch until well blended.
Saute green onions, garlic, ginger, broccoli and bell pepper.
Pour in sauce mixture and cook until thickened.
Stir in cooked chicken, veggies and cashews. Serve over rice with green onions and sesame seeds.

No More Boring Chicken

If you cook with chicken as much as I do then hopefully you'll appreciate this recipe as much as I do. Chicken can seem drab sometimes if you are eating it day after day after day but this really brightens things up.

The Vegetable Addition

This actually used to only take about 25 minutes to make but I've updated the recipe to include veggies, so now you've got 5 more minutes prep and a few more minutes for cooking but it's worth it!

More color, more flavor, more nutrition and ready in 35 minutes!

More Asian Recipes You Might Like

Cashew Chicken

This Cashew Chicken is a Chinese takeout classic that's sure to please! Delicious flavors and lots of veggies!

1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, (diced into 1-inch pieces)
1 Tbsp + 2 tsp cornstarch, (divided)
2 1/2 Tbsp olive oil, (divided)
Salt and white or black pepper
6 Tbsp low-sodium chicken broth or water, (then more as needed)
3 1/2 Tbsp hoisin sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp honey
1/2 tsp sesame oil
4 green onions, (chopped, plus more for serving if desired)
4 cloves garlic, ( minced)
1 Tbsp finely grated, (peeled fresh ginger)
2 cups diced broccoli florets ((small pieces))
1 medium bell pepper, (chopped)
3/4 cup unsalted cashews, (roughly chopped)
Sesame seeds, (for serving (optional))

In a mixing bowl, toss chicken with 1 Tbsp cornstarch to evenly coat. In a large skillet, heat 1/2 Tbsp oil over medium-high heat.
Once oil is hot, add half of the chicken, and cook stirring frequently, until chicken is is golden brown and has cooked through, about 5 minutes.
Transfer chicken to a plate and add another 1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil to skillet. Cook remaining chicken until golden brown and cooked through, then transfer to plate with first batch of chicken.
In a mixing bowl (or liquid measuring cup used to measure chicken broth), whisk together chicken broth, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, sesame oil and remaining 2 tsp cornstarch until well blended, set aside.
Heat remaining 1 1/2 Tbsp oil in skillet over medium heat. Add in green onions, garlic, ginger, broccoli and bell pepper and saute until veggies are tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large plate.
Pour in hoisin sauce mixture and cook, whisking constantly, until sauce boils and thickens (don't let it reduce it will be too salty, just cook long enough to thicken). Thin with 1 - 2 more tablespoons of broth or water if desired.
Remove from heat, add chicken, veggies and cashews to sauce and toss to evenly coat. Serve warm with white or brown rice, cauliflower "rice" or quinoa and sprinkle with green onions and sesame seeds.
Recipe has been updated to include broccoli and bell pepper. Originally shared Jan. 2014.

Main Course

Chinese

Cashew Chicken

Hoisin Glazed Grilled Chicken

Jaclyn — Wed, 25 May 2016 04:15:05 +0000

The best part of late Spring? Grilling season is baaaack! Okay, that and the sunshine. I've been out soaking up sunshine and grilling everything lately, and I'm sure I won't be getting sick of it any time soon. Today I felt like an Asian spin on grilled chicken so I made this easy, yet perfectly flavorful and delicious Hoisin Glazed Grilled Chicken. It starts with a store-bought Hoisin sauce but it's kicked up with some basic pantry staples (like soy sauce and vinegar. You can even add a little honey if you want a little more sweetness to it), then there's a few fresh ingredients, and a little Asian Five Spice Powder to keep things interesting. This chicken can be ready in 25 minutes or less and it's layers of flavor will leave you craving more. It has a nice blend of sweet, salty and sour - plus it has a nice background flavor from the sesame oil and the spices. If you are like me and totally appreciate a quick and easy chicken dinner that doesn't disappoint then don't pass this one by! It is the perfect beginning to a great summer meal and it makes for a dinner your whole family can agree on!

Slow Cooker Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Jaclyn — Wed, 04 Feb 2015 17:00:13 +0000

These Slow Cooker Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps are so simple to put together and make such a delicious and healthy weeknight dinner. These wraps are so easy to adapt and can be topped with your favorite sauces, dips and veggies.

Slow Cooker Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I don't know how many years it's been that I've said I'm going to try making Asian lettuce wraps at home and I've finally done it! I went the simplified route with a slow cooker version that couldn't be any easier.

I always order them at Pei Wei's and P.F. Chang's, they're just one of those things that you have to get. Even my kids like them. I wanted a recipe I could make at home that tasted similar but didn't require 101 ingredients.

Grilled Ginger-Sesame Chicken Chopped Salad

Jaclyn — Fri, 16 May 2014 15:08:33 +0000

Do you get easily bored of the same salads all the time? I know I do, so I'm always trying out new salad recipes. This grilled ginger-sesame chicken chopped salad is a great one to add to your rotation. It's easy, it is incredibly flavorful and all the textures in this salad are amazing - the crunch, the chew, the tenderness and the unique bite from the sesame seeds. I love that it is healthy too! Good for you food doesn't have to be bland and boring, with the right flavors and a few fresh ingredients you've got a meal worth remembering.

The best part of this salad is the marinated and grilled chicken. I enjoyed it so much that I will likely just start making it all it's own on occasion. It has the perfect blend of flavors and the marinade was quick and easy to throw together. Another great thing about this salad is the cabbage, how often do we get caught making salads over and over with the same types of lettuce. It's nice to have a little variation. Summer is salad season so keep this recipe handy and try it soon!

General Tso’s Chicken

Jaclyn — Fri, 17 Jan 2014 02:33:45 +0000

This is General Tso’s Chicken done right. Yes, the prep might be a bit lengthier than some of your simpler General Tso Chicken recipes, but I’m telling you, it is worth it. Enjoy!

Homemade General Tso's Chicken Recipe

Yesterday I mentioned that I had a cashew chicken recipe fail that I ended up tossing down the drain. Well, that fail left me with a whole lot of white rice so I decided I better try out a different Asian-inspired recipe today. Enter: General Tso's Chicken!

I'm happy to say this one was a complete success! I could have probably finished the entire batch myself. The flavors, the textures, everything, I just loved my homemade General Tso's Chicken.

Maybe it has something to do with the fact that this one was fried in oil and the other was only sautéed in a few tablespoons of oil. When it comes to Chinese food I think I prefer it take-out style, deep fried in oil.

It's just so much better that way! I love how that fried to perfection, golden crispy coating begins to soak up all that saucy goodness.

This General Tso's Chicken recipe is simply amazing thanks all the exciting flavors going on. You'll love the depth of flavor the rich hoisin or General Tso sauce adds, and the freshness the ginger and garlic offer to this dish.

If you've ever wondered if you could make General Tso's Chicken at home, this recipe is for you!

What is General Tso's Chicken?

If you've never had this classic Chinese take-out dish, you're missing out! Essentially, General Tso's chicken is a dish comprised of deep-fried chicken pieces smothered in a slightly spicy sauce.

Unlike other Chinese chicken dishes, General Tso's chicken typically isn't made with any type of vegetable. So if you want fresh veggies with your meal, you'll need to prep those separately.

General Tso's Chicken Ingredients

For the General Tso's sauce, you'll need:

Hoisin sauce
Rice vinegar
Low-sodium soy sauce
Light brown sugar
Cornstarch
Chicken broth

And for the chicken, you'll need:

Chicken breasts
Vegetable oil
Green onions
Garlic
Fresh ginger
Red pepper flakes
Egg whites
Cornstarch
All-purpose flour
Baking soda
Salt and pepper

How to Make General Tso's Chicken

Whisk together General Tso's sauce ingredients in a liquid measuring cup.
Place diced chicken breasts into a zip-top bag and pour 6 tablespoons of the sauce mixture over top. Let marinate for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, sauté the green onions, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes in a skillet.
Add 2 cups of the sauce mixture to the skillet and cook until thickened.
In a small dish, whisk the egg whites until foamy. In another dish, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and remaining sauce mixture.
Coat the marinated chicken pieces first in the egg whites, then in the flour mixture.
Fry chicken pieces in batches until golden brown. Add to large bowl and toss with thickened sauce to coat.

How Spicy Is This Recipe?

The spiciness of this Chinese chicken totally depends upon how much crushed red pepper flakes you add in. If you don't like spicy foods, add less than the amount listed in the recipe.

Do I Have to Deep Fry the Chicken?

Technically, no. You can pan fry the chicken with just a little oil. However, if you don't deep fry the chicken it won't be as crispy as what you get from a Chinese restaurant.

Tips for the Best General Tso's Chicken

Pat the marinated raw chicken pieces with paper towel before coating in the egg whites and flour mixture. This will help the coatings stick to the chicken more easily.
Check the temperature of the oil before deep frying the chicken. If the oil isn't hot enough, the chicken will soak up lots of oil rather than fry in it.
Place the fried chicken on a paper towel-lined plate to soak up the excess grease.

More Chinese Recipes You'll Love:

General Tso’s Chicken

Even better than take-out! Perfectly fried chicken pieces coated with a flavorful sweet and tangy, sticky sauce.

1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
3 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
3 Tbsp packed light-brown sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (, diced into 1-inch pieces)
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 green onions (, sliced, greens and whites divided)
4 cloves garlic (, minced)
2 Tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (, or to taste)

Coating

3 egg whites
1 1/2 cups cornstarch
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
Salt and white or black pepper (, as desired)
4 cups vegetable oil (, for frying)

In a mixing bowl, whisk together hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, 2 Tbsp cornstarch and the chicken broth. Place chicken in a large Ziploc bag and pour 6 Tbsp of the hoisin mixture over chicken, seal bag and allow to marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1 Tbsp vegetable oil over medium heat. Once hot, add chopped whites of green onions, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes and saute 1 minute. Add 2 cups of hoisin sauce mixture (reserve remaining little bit) to skillet, season with salt and white pepper to taste (you may not even need salt) and cook, stirring constantly until mixture has thickened. Remove from heat, cover with lid.
In a shallow dish, vigorously whisk egg whites until foamy, set aside. In a separate shallow dish, whisk together cornstarch, flour and baking soda, then add remaining hoisin sauce mixture and stir until mixture resembles coarse meal.
Heat 4 cups oil in a dutch oven over medium heat to 350 degrees F.
Meanwhile, remove chicken from refrigerator and remove chicken from marinade, shaking off excess marinade, and transfer to a large plate lined with several paper towels. Cover with more paper towels and pat dry.
Place half of the chicken into the egg whites and toss to coat, then lift and allow excess to run off and immediately transfer to cornstarch mixture. Toss in cornstarch mixture (separating pieces as they stick together or working with just a few at a time) to evenly coat then transfer to a plate and repeat coating process with remaining chicken.
Fry coated chicken in batches in hot oil (I did three batches for all of the chicken, just so it's not overcrowded and dropping the oil temperature), until chicken is golden brown and has cooked through, about 3 - 4 minutes, turning chicken once during frying. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain and repeat frying process with remaining chicken.
Warm sauce over medium-low heat until heated through. Place chicken in a large bowl and toss with warm sauce to evenly coat. Serve warm topped with sliced green onions and optional sesame seeds if desired.

Check the temperature of the oil before deep frying the chicken. If the oil isn't hot enough, the chicken will soak up lots of oil rather than fry in it.
Recipe Source: adapted from Cook's Illustrated via What's Cookin, Chicago?