Where does this recipe come from? It’s a Chinese-inspired dish that has been Westernised and popularised by a U.S. Chinese restaurant chain. I loved the idea of serving it in lettuce wraps and have made it for guests dozens of times since.
Chicken with hoisin sauce pairs the rich nuttiness of sesame oil with the sweet-savoury notes of hoisin. If you’re unfamiliar with hoisin, it’s the sauce traditionally served with Peking duck. Trust me, you can’t go wrong with it.
Tips for chicken with hoisin sauce
Serving the chicken in large lettuce leaves is a great touch. If you’re offering it as a starter, I highly recommend this presentation.
Be patient and let the sauce reduce thoroughly; the final flavour depends on it.
If you enjoyed this dish, I also have a recipe for Peking duck that you can easily make at home and one for Sha Cha chicken.
The ingredients for chicken with hoisin sauce
Rice vinegar: Classic white rice vinegar used throughout Asian cooking. You can buy it here, but thanks to sushi’s popularity it is now widely available in many supermarkets.
Light soy sauce: The standard salty soy sauce now stocked in virtually every supermarket. There is really no excuse not to keep a bottle on hand!
Sesame oil: An aromatic oil with a wonderful flavour – it is very potent, so use it sparingly!
Hoisin sauce: This is the Chinese barbecue sauce you can make yourself by clicking here. It is famously served with Peking duck, and its flavour is simply delicious.
Chicken with Hoisin Sauce
Matériel
- 1 Wok
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 500 g ground chicken or chicken cut into small pieces
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- Lettuce leaves for serving
- Rice to serve Optional
Procédé
- Prepare the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar and sesame oil.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat one tablespoon of oil. Add the onions and cook until softened (about 5 minutes), then stir in the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant (1 minute more). Add the chicken and cook until it is no longer pink. If using ground chicken, break up the meat with a wooden spoon.
- Pour in the sauce and cook until it has reduced significantly and the chicken is fully cooked. Turn off the heat and fold in the green onions. Season with salt and pepper.
- Spoon rice, if using, and a generous scoop of the chicken mixture into the center of each lettuce leaf.
