Popular around the globe, Hong Kong Chicken is the taste of authentic Hong Kong cuisine. This hearty dish is one of the most delicious chicken recipes out there, for sure.
The combination of mouth-watering flavors and juicy, crispy pieces of tender chicken, you’ll be craving this dish for breakfast, lunch and dinner!
Chicken dishes (you will enjoy our delicious Chinese Steamed Chicken Recipe) are a common dinner option for families, but cooking the same recipes time and time again can get boring.
So, if you’re looking to spice up your chicken dinners, treat yourself and your family and try making Hong Kong Chicken. Keep reading to find out more.
What is Hong Kong Chicken?
Hong Kong cuisine is largely influenced by Cantonese cuisine, European cuisines, as well as other Asian cuisines (checkout our asian octopus recipe) such as Korean and Japanese.
This Hong Kong chicken dish combines classic Asian flavors and ingredients such as crispy chicken, soy sauce, scallions, and ginger with a kick of red chili paste to create a deliciously spicy classic chicken dish, loved by all.
This dish also incorporates cashew nuts, fresh coriander, vinegar, sugar and more to create a sweet and sour style spicy meal, tasty enough to eat on its own or served with sticky or fried rice.
How do you make Hong Kong Chicken?
To properly experience this delicious dish you will need to visit Hong Kong yourself, but for the next best thing, you can make it at home.
If you would like to recreate this traditional chicken dish (you can’t resist our special Chinese Chicken On A Stick Recipe also), here’s the recipe:
You will need:
- Boneless chicken breast (1 cup cubed)
- Eggs (2) (check out our century egg recipe)
- Cornflour (3 tsp)
- Onion (1 cup)
- Cashew nuts (½ cup finely chopped)
- Red chili paste (½ cup)
- Ginger (¼ cup sliced)
- Garlic (¼ cup chopped)
- Oil (1 tbsp)
- Scallions (2 chopped)
- Soy sauce (1 tbsp)
- Chicken broth (¼ cup)
- Vinegar (1 tsp)
- Sugar (1 tsp)
- Salt & pepper (to taste)
- Coriander leaves (to taste)
Method:
Step 1: Prepare the chicken pieces in a bowl by mixing them with salt, pepper and 2 tsp of cornflour
Step 2: In a separate bowl, break the eggs and whisk. Add half of the eggs to the bowl of chicken and mix it in well. Leave the rest of the egg to one side to use later
Step 3: Heat up the oil in a deep pan on high and add the chicken pieces. Deep fry until golden and crispy then place onto paper towels to soak up the excess oil
Step 4: Chop the scallion bulbs in half and separate the layers. Keep the greens to one side to use later
Step 5: Heat a clean pan on high and add a splash of oil to saute the cashews, ginger, onions and garlic for about 1 minute. Then, mix in the red chili paste, soy sauce, chicken broth and scallion bulbs. Cook for another minute
Step 6: Add in the chicken with the vinegar, sugar and some more salt and pepper to taste with the rest of the cornflour. Cook on a low heat for a further minute
Step 7: Dice the greens of the scallions and mix ¾ into the sauce, leaving the rest for a garnish
Step 8: Serve hot for best results. Garnish with the remaining chopped greens and a few coriander leaves to taste
Cooking and Serving Tips
This recipe takes about 40 minutes in total to prepare and cook: 20 minutes preparation time and 20 minutes cooking time.
In terms of nutritional value, Hong Kong chicken is relatively healthy. It contains high amounts of protein and low in trans fat. To make this dish healthier, you could skip the oil-frying and cook the chicken in a light amount of sesame oil, avocado oil or coconut oil.
This will of course mean your chicken won’t be as crispy, but it is a great way to make it a healthier option.
This recipe uses red chili paste which can be pretty spicy so if hot dishes are not for you, you can easily swap it out for some tomato paste or use a mix of red chili paste and tomato paste to dilute the spice if you still want some spice.
In terms of serving advice, this recipe will serve two. Hong Kong Chicken can be eaten as is or served with sticky rice for a more filling meal.
How to make sticky rice
Making sticky rice at home is super easy and will elevate any Asian-inspired dish. All you need is short-grain rice, water and salt.
Method:
Step 1: pour 2 cups of rice into a pot and add 3 and a half cups of water. Leave to soak for at least 30 minutes (*tip: the longer you leave it to soak, the better the results)
Step 2: Next add in half a teaspoon of salt and mix well
Step 3: place the pot on to high heat and bring it to the boil. Then, turn down the heat to medium low and cover, leaving a small gap for the steam to escape. Leave to cook undisturbed for 10 minutes
Step 4: After this time, the rice should have fully absorbed all the water. To check, use a fork to create a small hole in the middle of the rice. If there is still water, it needs to cook for a little longer. Keep cooking in 5 minute increments until the water is fully absorbed
Step 5: Once cooked, remove the pot from the heat and secure the lid. Leave to stand for about 10 minutes before serving
Final Say
Hong Kong Chicken is a classic Asian dish that is enjoyed all over the globe. Despite its depth of flavor and traditional ingredients, this dish can be pretty easily made at home.
While the classic recipe is pretty spicy, you can reduce or replace the red chili paste to make it a milder dish without losing out on flavor.
So, next time you don’t know what to make for dinner, give Hong Kong Chicken a go – it won’t disappoint!
Also, give our delicious water chestnut flour recipe a trial…you will definitely enjoy it!
