This Sha Cha Chicken recipe is another win for lazy cooks everywhere. Just 9 ingredients and 10 minutes are required to make this dish, but the results are no less impressive. In fact, you’ll be able to make a plate of sha cha chicken faster than your rice cooker can steam rice, so make sure to get your rice going before you start prepping!
(I’ve made that mistake before, and believe me, it is TORTURE waiting for your rice to cook when you’ve got a full wok of deliciousness waiting.)
It took me a little while to warm up to sha cha sauce in general. Sometimes translated as “Chinese BBQ sauce,” sha cha sauce is made from seafood (brill fish and dried shrimp, generally), shallots, garlic, and chilies. It has a faint seafoody air about it that made my formerly seafood-averse self shy away from it (everyone makes mistakes).
But today, it’s one of my favorite things to cook with. This sha cha chicken has a savory, delicious flavor with just a hint of seafood that helps you achieve an intense umami character with very few ingredients and that humblest of proteins––chicken breast.
That said, if you’re not a chicken person, you can also check out our recipe for Sha Cha Beef Stir-fry.
Ok, let’s get on with the recipe!
Start by adding your sliced chicken breast, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 2 teaspoons cornstarch and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to a medium bowl. Mix well. Heat your wok over high heat until smoking. Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, and sear the chicken until it just turns opaque (it can still be slightly pink).
Remove the chicken from the wok and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium, and add another couple tablespoons of oil to the wok. Add the ginger and cook for 1 minute.
Add the garlic, sha cha sauce, and sugar, and fry this mixture for 2 minutes.
Then add the chicken back to the wok along with the scallions and the remaining tablespoon of soy sauce. Increase the heat to high, and stir-fry for 1 minute, until the scallions are wilted.
Serve immediately with steamed rice!
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced (can also substitute boneless skinless chicken thighs)
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce, plus 1 tablespoon
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- Vegetable oil
- 1-2 tablespoons minced ginger
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons Sha Cha Sauce
- 2 teaspoon sugar
- 5 scallions, cut on an angle into 2-inch lengths
- In a medium bowl, add the sliced chicken breast, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 2 teaspoons cornstarch and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Mix well. Heat your wok over high heat until smoking. Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, and sear the chicken until it just turns opaque (it can still be slightly pink). Remove the chicken from the wok and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium, and add another couple tablespoons of oil to the wok. Add the ginger and cook for 1 minute. Add the garlic, sha cha sauce, and sugar, and fry this mixture for 2 minutes.
- Then add the chicken back to the wok along with the scallions and the remaining tablespoon of soy sauce. Increase the heat to high, and stir-fry for 1 minute, until the scallions are wilted. Serve immediately with steamed rice!
Nico says
你好！As I bought a wok recently, I was looking for some tips to season it and also a recipe to give it a first go… The Sha Cha chicken was a big hit tonight and I will do it again. No problem to find the Sha Cha Jiang sauce as living in Shanghai at the present time :) Even my partner, not a big fan of dried fish/shrimp, couldn’t stop eating! So definitely all thumbs up!
Thanks again for all the recipes and the very clear explanations, and I will keep you posted if I try any other recipe! 再见！
Sarah says
Thanks for your feedback Nico!! So glad you enjoyed this chicken recipe :)
Sara says
I hate fish with a passion but absolutely loved the sa cha sauce! Perfect weeknight dinner!
Sara says
Btw now that I own this amazing sauce, what else can I do with it?
Sarah says
– Mix it into your dipping sauces for hot pot: https://thewoksoflife.com/how-to/hot-pot-how-to/
– Try our hot pot sauce noodles: https://thewoksoflife.com/2018/07/hot-pot-sauce-noodles/
– Or Sha Cha Beef: https://thewoksoflife.com/2018/04/sha-cha-beef/
Hope that helps!
Sara says
Thanks I’ll definetly give those recipes a go! I was also planning on doing a rice cake stir fry this week, would that work with sacha sauce? (I know you have rice cake recipes but since I have no idea how long the sacha sauce stays good in the fridge, I’m trying to use it as much as I can)
Sarah says
Hey Sara, you could definitely throw some rice cakes in here and it would be delicious, so I don’t see why not!
Sarah says
Couldn’t agree more, Sara!
Deb says
Really liked this recipe and our daughter took the leftovers for her lunch. It was simple to prepare. Biggest issue (not your fault) was finding the Sa Cha sauce, even in our well stocked, large Asian grocery store. I asked two clerks, showed a picture and finally found it myself in the Lee Kum Kee section and never did see other brands. Some jars were just marked Korean Barbecue Sauce and I wonder if that was similar but the ingredients listed were different. If you have any other brand recommendations that would be great, I’m sure they have it but I just wasn’t finding it. My husband and I probably prefer slightly hotter/spicier but we can solve that with a little hot sauce. Will make again!
Thanks to your blog, we’ve tried making the Drunken Noodles and Pad See Ew and will keep on going!
Deb says
Reading through your recipe, I followed the link on “sha cha sauce” and saw your picture of Bullhead. I’ll look for that next trip to the Asian store!
Sarah says
Yay! Just show the photo to the store staff if you can’t find it.
Anna says
Wow! this is really quick cook but its very delicious i really love it. I will try this at home. Thanks for sharing. 2 thumbs up for you my friend.
Sarah says
Thanks Anna!
keeley says
Hi, I have sourced the tin of Sha Cha sauce here in NZ..a miracle. How long does it last once opened would you say? and do u think i can freeze it or just keep in fridge/? Im making the recipe tonight so fingers crossed :)
Sarah says
Hey Keeley, it lasts a few months in the fridge––just make sure to use a clean utensil every time you dip into it so as not to contaminate the entire jar.
Emily says
Hi Sarah, thank you for the wonderful recipe, and the wonderful website in general. Every recipe I have tried from this site has been a huge hit.
I have a question about Sha Cha sauce, specifically: how does it differ from XO sauce? I could only find the latter in H-Mart the other day, but the ingredients seem very similar.
Thank you!
Sarah says
Hey Emily, XO sauce is made from more types of dried seafood, and is generally thicker and chunkier than sha cha with a more intense seafood flavor. You could also try it in this recipe––would probably be delicious!
Kelly says
Is Sha cha sauce like Hoisin sauce? If not what is the difference? Can I substitute hoisin for sha cha sauce. thanks Kelly
Sarah says
Hey Kelly, Sha Cha sauce and hoisin sauce are completely different! Hoisin is a sweet sauce made from soy beans, while sha cha is made from dried seafood, shallots, and chilies. Check out our Chinese Sauces ingredients glossary page for more details and explanations!
https://thewoksoflife.com/chinese-sauces-vinegars-oils/
John says
I love virtually all your recipes including this one. You are all amazing. One of the consistent features I like is cooking something delicious in such a short period of time, and with minimal prep. You’re performing a great service for your fans!
Sarah says
thank you so much for your kind words, John!
David W Valentine says
I love this type of food but my wife is always on a diet and likes to count calories. Might you at least take a guess at the calories in your recipes? It would benefit me greatly, and perhaps others as well.
I am the cook and sometimes I hide the fact that it is ‘bowl’ food by putting it on a plate. But she is catching on rapidly.
Sarah says
Hey David, it’s definitely a big undertaking to get nutritional information on all our recipes, but it’s been on our to-do list for a while!