30 Minute Chinese Imperial Chicken With Garlic Rice
A healthy fast dinner this Imperial Chicken Chinese Recipe checks all the boxes. Tender chicken stir-fried with red bell peppers in a flavorful homemade sesame stir-fry sauce and served over garlic-scented rice.
Looking for more? Check out our Tofu and Asparagus Stir-Fry or our Lemon Garlic Basil Vegetable Stir-Fry!
I’m always looking for new Chinese recipes to try. This Imperial chicken recipe is one of those great healthy recipes with amazing flavors and is always a big hit at our house.
As much as we love Chinese takeout there’s unfortunately not a good Chinese restaurant in our town so it’s up to me to bring those flavors home.
This is one of those great Chinese dishes that I can easily make on a weeknight. Nothing fancy, just a simple stir-fry that is a breeze to make and not too many ingredients or chopping (as far as stir-fries go). It is brimming with saucy flavor that is the perfect combination of sweet ginger and sesame.
Serve with fluffy garlic-flavored rice that is a cinch to prepare and steams while the chicken cooks. I prefer to use fresh minced garlic but you could use a tsp of garlic powder to make it even easier.
Have everything prepped before you begin this chicken imperial recipe because once you start cooking it goes very fast. It is ready is less time than ordering take out from your favorite Chinese restaurant I assure you.
Ingredients
- Avocado oil
- Jasmine rice
- Fresh garlic
- Water or chicken broth
- Kosher salt
- Soy sauce
- Brown sugar
- Fresh ginger
- Toasted sesame oil
- Oyster sauce
- Rice vinegar or Chinese cooking wine or white vinegar or even white wine in a pinch
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Red bell pepper
- Green onions
- Toasted sesame seeds
- Chili oil. Optional for drizzling over the top.
How To Make This Recipe
step one
Start the rice. Rinse the rice a couple of times in cold water and drain.
step two
Cook the garlic. Heat a small amount of oil (1 tablespoon) in a large saucepan over medium heat and add the garlic. Cook until fragrant then add the water and salt. Cover and bring to a boil.
step three
Cook the rice. Stir in the rice, cover and simmer for 12 minutes. Remove from heat and keep covered while you make the chicken.
step four
Make the sauce. Combine the sauce ingredients: soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger (1 tbsp), sesame oil (2 teaspoons), oyster sauce, and rice vinegar in a small bowl. Whisk to dissolve the brown sugar. Set near the stove.
step five
Fry the chicken. Heat wok or large frying pan over high heat. Add oil and stir fry the chicken pieces in two batches giving them plenty of room to get nice and golden brown without steaming.
step six
Finish the dish. Add the bell peppers, all the chicken, and the sauce mix to the pan. Mix chicken in the sauce and let the sauce boil and reduce for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and sprinkle the green onion and sesame seeds over the top.
step seven
Serve. Fluff the garlic rice and divide between bowls. Top with the chicken and sauce and serve.
Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Top 5 Most Popular Chicken Recipes
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The Next Time You Want To Order Take Out…
Stop! And make Chinese food at home. Try this imperial chicken Chinese recipe and let me know what you think. Share a photo and tag me on Instagram using @katesbestrecipes so that I can see. Or leave me a comment below (don’t forget to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating)! Also, sign up for my weekly recipe newsletter so you never miss a thing.
30 Minute Chinese Imperial Chicken With Garlic Rice
Ingredients
For The Rice
- 2 cups Jasmine rice
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or grapeseed or peanut oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 1/2 cups water (or broth)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
For the chicken
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or Chinese cooking wine
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil or grapeseed or peanut oil
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 large red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
For the Rice
- Rinse rice a few times in cold water and drain.
- Heat the 1 tablespoon of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the 2 cloves minced garlic and cook until fragrant but not brown, about 1 minute.
- Add water and salt and cover. Bring to a boil over high heat (the lid will keep the water from evaporating and boil faster).
- Stir in rice and cover. Return to a boil then lower heat so it is gently simmering. Let cook covered for 12 minutes.
- Remove from heat and keep covered while you prepare the chicken.
For the Chicken
- Whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, and fresh ginger in a medium bowl until combined. Keep near the stove.
- Heat oil in a large frying pan or wok over high heat. Add chicken in two batches and fry until golden on all sides, about 3 minutes. It's okay if it is not cooked through all the way it will continue cooking in the sauce.
- Add all the chicken back to the pan along with the red pepper and the sauce. Let the sauce come to a boil for 2 minutes.
- Stir in the green onion and sesame seeds and serve with the rice.
Notes
- Optional cornstarch: If you want the sauce to be thicker, toss the chicken pieces with 1 tablespoon cornstarch before frying. The residual cornstarch will thicken the sauce when it hits the hot pan.
- Add more vegetables: Add 2 cups finely chopped broccoli, sugar snap peas, frozen peas, or a few handfuls of baby spinach along with the bell peppers.
- Storage: Any leftovers can be kept in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Sub the protein: Use thinly sliced pork tenderloin or steak or try with peeled and deveined shrimp.
Video
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