Chicken and Broccoli is the Spaghetti and Meatballs of the Chinese takeout world—basic, familiar, and ubiquitous. This is a healthy, tasty, and super easy dish to make at home. This version of the dish is a really light, pure-flavored one in a white sauce rather than brown sauce, and it’s also a bonus for all of you gluten free folks since this recipe does not use any soy sauce.
For those of you who like the brown sauce you can add a teaspoon of light soy and a teaspoon of dark soy and use less salt. If you want to kick it up, them add a teaspoon of oyster sauce too!
And, for those of you who are not fond of the cornstarch based gravy or just trying to avoid the carbs, just leave out the corn starch slurry and eat you chicken and broccoli without any gravy. I mean why would you even consider going to the takeout place and ordering from the “healthy” menu when you can whip this up at home?
I like my chicken with broccoli with some hot white rice but you can have it any way you like!
What can I say, this chicken and broccoli is just a great, simple dish and with that, it deserves a simple post so on with the recipe!
Recipe Instructions
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the broccoli, drain, and set aside. Some like it crunchy and some like it soft so you just cook it the way you like it!
Then blanch the chicken until it turns opaque. This makes for really clean flavors in the final dish. My dad tells me this is how a lot of the restaurants do it.
Heat your wok over medium high heat and add the oil and garlic. Throw in the broccoli and the chicken and stir-fry for a minute. Then pour in the chicken stock, sugar, salt, sesame oil, Shaoxing wine, and white pepper.
The chicken stock is key, so it’s best to make Judy’s homemade chicken stock recipe or use a good organic chicken stock/chicken bouillon. Keep stirring for another minute to combine.
Just remember to put enough salt into this dish and balance it accordingly with sugar (1 part sugar to 2 parts salt) or your dish will just taste bland and you may not make this again at home!
Mix the cornstarch and water into a slurry.
Move the chicken and broccoli to the sides of the wok. There should be a little well of chicken stock/liquid at the center of the pan. P
our the cornstarch slurry into the liquid and stir until it thickens until the sauce clings to the chicken and the broccoli—just like you get at a good Chinese takeout restaurant.
Give everything a final stir. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed and plate!
Serve your homemade chicken and broccoli over white rice!
Chinese Takeout Chicken and Broccoli
Ingredients
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- 1 chicken breast (sliced)
- oil
- 3 cloves garlic
- ¾ cup chicken stock (180 ml)
- 1/8 teaspoon sugar
- salt (to taste)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon shaoxing wine
- white pepper (to taste)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch (mixed with 1 tablespoon water)
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the broccoli, drain, and set aside. Then blanch the chicken until it turns opaque.
- Heat your wok over medium high heat and add the oil and garlic. Throw in the broccoli and the chicken and stir-fry for a minute. Then pour in the chicken stock, sugar, salt, sesame oil, wine, and white pepper. Keep stirring for another minute to combine.
- Mix the cornstarch and water into a slurry. Move the chicken and broccoli to the sides of the wok. There should be a little well of chicken stock/liquid at the center of the pan. Pour the cornstarch slurry into the liquid and stir until it thickens.
- Give everything a final stir. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed. Plate and serve!
Minced garlic, I presume? I’m about to try :-)
Is there a particular brand of Xiaoxing wine we should look for? My grocery had a pretty cheap and only option, but I dislike the taste of it as I can always pick out it’s strong flavor in the final dish. Does it make a big difference to omit it all together?
Hi Joyce, if you don’t like the strong flavor of the Shaoxing wine, you can use a dry sherry wine or a clear rice wine instead. Both (especially the clear rice wine) have a milder flavor than the yellow Shaoxing wine.
This white sauce is subtle and sublime. I’ve made it with chicken as written, and also with shrimp. Both are absolutely delicious. Thank you so much for this great recipe!
Hi Amy, you’re welcome and glad you liked it. Take a look at our All purpose white sauce recipe as well ;-)
Mmmmmmm my mouth is watering…..this recipe sounds right up my alley. I order this all the time at my local Chinese joint. Garlic white sauce allllllll the way! Can’t wait to make this! Thanks for sharing
You’re welcome Carla – hope you enjoy it!
Ok. Would not make again. Not much flavor.
Hi Stephanie, the flavor is mostly from the aromatics, but I understand. You should try our – Chicken and broccoli in brown sauce ;-)
So delicious!! But unless you substitute cooking sherry for the Shaoxing wine, it’s still not gluten free, even without the soy sauce. :)
Excellent point Melissa. Dry sherry is a great substitute for Shaoxing wine.
Wonderful wonderful wonderful!!!
:) :) :)