Spicy Hunan Chicken Recipe

When it comes to ordering takeout, Chinese food is a staple. Nothing beats the delicious smells of Hunan chicken stir-fry wafting through your living room, Netflix queued up, and your chopsticks at the ready to dig into your favorite dish. Recipe developer Angela Latimer of Bake It With Love says that she's been a big fan of Chinese-American food since childhood and loves to replicate her favorite dishes. 

There are a few key components that come into play to get the sauce-to-texture ratio just right, and luckily it only requires a few simple steps. While you may have taken the easy route in the past by tossing your chicken and veggies in some soy sauce and calling it a day, with a few extra steps, your finished product will go from bland to grand.

So put down your phone and exit out of your favorite food ordering app. This quick and easy recipe will have you convinced that you actually just ordered from your favorite restaurant. 

Start by prepping the usual suspects: vegetable oil for cooking, salt and pepper for seasoning, 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken cut into bite-sized chunks, 2 cups of broccoli florets, 2 to 3 roughly chopped ribs of celery, and 1 red bell pepper cut into 1-inch squares.

If the vegetables are prepped in advance, the recipe will come together more quickly.

Now it's time to build your sauce layers. While you'll be using 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, there are a few more ingredients to give your sauce that takeout flavor you've been missing. You'll need ½ tablespoon of minced garlic, ½ cup of chicken broth, 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce, 2 teaspoons of rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and 2 tablespoons of chili paste to give it that kick. 

Latimer recommends using a brand of chili paste like sambal oelek, which she says can be found in the Asian section at most grocery stores.

Last but not least, you'll want to make sure you have ¼ cup and 2 teaspoons of cornstarch in divided portions. Coat your cubed chicken in the ¼ cup of cornstarch and, once the oil is heated in your frying pan, add the chicken pieces in a single layer with some salt and pepper. Cook your chicken for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. The cornstarch will help give the chicken a nice and crispy texture.

You'll want to set aside your chicken on a paper towel-lined plate or tray while you cook your vegetables. This batch cooking will allow the chicken to stay juicy and tender without overcooking. Add your vegetables to your frying pan and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, then toss in your garlic. Whisk together your sauce ingredients, including the 2 teaspoons of cornstarch you set aside, and when fully combined, add it along to the vegetables along with your cooked chicken. The addition of the cornstarch will allow the sauce to thicken up after 1 to 2 minutes of cooking together. 

Then just mix everything together, serve it over some fluffy rice, and enjoy!