Recipe
Chicken in Black Bean Sauce
Tender chicken, red pepper and aromatics in a glossy black bean sauce, finished with spring onions and sesame oil for a balanced one-pan Chinese-style main.
Ingredients
Method
15 mins prep15 mins cook30 mins total
Mix the cornflour with the cold water. Measure the black bean sauce, soy sauce and chicken stock, then keep all the prepared ingredients beside the hob.
Heat a large wok or frying pan over a high heat and add the cooking oil. Stir-fry the chicken for 4–5 minutes until lightly browned and nearly cooked through, then transfer it to a plate.
Return the pan to the heat and add the onion and red pepper. Stir-fry for 2 minutes, then add the garlic and ginger and cook for 30 seconds until aromatic.
Add the black bean sauce, light soy sauce and chicken stock. Stir in the cornflour mixture, return the chicken and simmer for 3–4 minutes until the sauce is glossy and the chicken is fully cooked.
Turn off the heat and stir through the sesame oil. Taste before adding any extra salt, as the black bean sauce and soy sauce are already seasoned.
Scatter over the spring onions and serve immediately with steamed rice.
Notes
Keep the wok very hot and cook the chicken in batches if needed, so it sears rather than steams.
Black bean sauce is already salty, so taste before adding extra soy sauce; loosen it with a splash of water or stock if it becomes too thick.
About this recipe
This chicken in black bean sauce brings the savoury depth of fermented black beans together with tender chicken, sweet onion and crisp red pepper. It is a useful midweek stir-fry when you want a saucy main that comes together in one pan without losing the freshness of the vegetables.
The sauce is built from black bean sauce, light soy and chicken stock, then lightly thickened so it clings to the chicken and rice. Ginger, garlic, spring onion and a little sesame oil keep the finish aromatic rather than heavy. Have everything measured before you start, as the cooking moves quickly once the pan is hot.
