If you’re craving takeout but don’t want the overload of sodium and MSG, this recipe for Sweet and Spicy chicken is a healthier, more satisfying way to go. This dish is delicious and filling, combining crispy fried chicken with a sticky sauce, toasted sesame seeds, and tender broccolini. It can be served by itself or with rice. This recipe is also gluten-free if you use gluten-free soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sriracha! You can even use the natural sugar-alternative allulose to make it low-sugar.
On the Ingredients
- Broccolini may look like an adolescent version of broccoli, but it’s actually a hybrid of Chinese kale (gai lan) and broccoli. It was initially cultivated by Sakata Seed Company of Yokohama, Japan, in an effort to create a milder version of broccoli that would grow in hot climates. This process was done with old-fashioned hybridization, not genetic modification. The entire plant is edible and has a mild broccoli and asparagus flavor. Sautéing, steaming, frying, and boiling are common cooking methods for broccolini. Broccolini is a good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, and glucosinolates. (Read more about broccolini.)
- Sriracha is a type of hot sauce that comes from Thailand. It’s made with chili peppers, vinegar, garlic, and sugar and is a great all-purpose hot sauce.
Sweet and Spicy Chicken with Broccolini
4
servings30
minutes30
minutes30
minutes1
hour30
minutesIf you’re craving takeout but don’t want the overload of sodium and MSG, this recipe for Sweet and Spicy chicken is a healthier, more satisfying way to go. This dish is delicious and filling, combining crispy fried chicken with a sticky sauce, toasted sesame seeds, and tender broccolini. It can be served by itself or with rice. This recipe is also gluten-free if you use gluten-free soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sriracha! You can even use the natural sugar-alternative allulose to make it low-sugar.
Ingredients
- Fried Chicken Ingredients
2 lb skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1-inch piece of ginger root (grated)
2 garlic cloves (grated)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp chili powder
1 tbsp sriracha
1 cup potato starch OR cornstarch
oil for frying (we like to use coconut oil)
- Sweet and Spicy Sauce Ingredients
6 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp sriracha
1/3 water
6 tbsp brown sugar OR 8 tbsp allulose
2 tbsp potato starch OR cornstarch
- Other Ingredients
2 tbsp sesame oil
1/3 cup toasted sesame seeds
2 bunches of broccolini (chopped)
salt and pepper to taste
2 scallions (minced)
Directions
- Cut the chicken into pieces (roughly around 1.5-2”) and put them in a bowl. Add the ginger, Alaric, soy sauce, sesame oil, chili powder, and sriracha. Mix to coat the chicken evenly. Cover and let it marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- In a thick-bottomed skillet or dutch oven, add oil so it’s about two inches high. Set the heat to medium-low and bring the oil up to 350°.
- While the oil is heating, put the potato starch in a bowl, and using a pair of chopsticks or tongs, lightly coat each piece of chicken in the starch, putting them on a plate ready for frying.
- When the oil is hot enough, fry the chicken in batches, don’t crowd, or you’ll bring the oil’s temperature down. Cook the chicken until crispy and golden brown (about 5-8 minutes, turning them halfway). Set it on a paper bag to absorb excess oil as each batch is done.
- Heat the sesame oil in a wok or skillet over a medium flame. Add the chopped broccolini and sauté until bright green and fragrant—salt and pepper to taste.
- In a saucepan or skillet, combine sweet and spicy sauce ingredients. Cook the sauce on low while stirring continuously until it is thickened.
- Place the fried chicken in a mixing bowl and add the sauce, sesame seeds, and scallions, mixing to coat the chicken evenly. Add the chicken to the broccolini and stir together.
- This dish can be served as is or with rice.
