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Sticky Chicken with Vegetable Fried Rice Recipe

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★★★★★

5 from 74 reviews

This Sticky Chicken with Vegetable Fried Rice is a vibrant and flavorful dish combining tender chicken thigh fillets coated in a sweet and tangy sticky sauce, paired perfectly with a colorful vegetable fried rice. The recipe features a delightful blend of soy sauce, honey, garlic, and fresh ginger for the chicken marinade, while the fried rice is cooked with carrot, peas, baby corn, bok choy, and aromatic seasonings. A quick and easy stir-fry method delivers a restaurant-quality meal suitable for a satisfying weeknight dinner.

Ingredients

Scale

Chicken and Marinade

  • 250g (8oz) chicken thigh fillets, sliced into 1cm (1/3″) slices
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp tomato sauce
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 1/2 tbsp honey (or substitute with 1 tbsp brown sugar)
  • 1/2 tsp fresh ginger, minced or finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp sriracha (or other hot sauce) (optional)

Fried Rice

  • 1 cup long grain rice, uncooked
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked rice
  • 1/2 brown or white onion, diced
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled and smashed
  • 1 carrot, diced
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
  • 1/2 cup baby corn, cut into 1cm (1/3″) slices (or canned or frozen corn)
  • 3 bok choys
  • 1 1/2 tbsp peanut oil, separated
  • 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (shao hsing wine) or dry sherry
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp chicken stock powder or crumbled bouillon cube (or 1/2 tsp salt)
  • 1 shallot/scallion, finely sliced
  • 1 tsp sesame seeds (optional)

Instructions

  1. Make Ahead Preparation: Combine the chicken thigh slices with soy sauce, tomato sauce, rice vinegar, honey, minced ginger, garlic, and sriracha in a bowl. Mix well to coat evenly. Either let it marinate for 20 minutes at room temperature or place in a ziplock bag and freeze until needed.
  2. Cook Rice: Place 1 cup uncooked long grain rice and 1 1/2 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until the water is fully absorbed, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let the rice rest covered for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork, allow to cool, then divide into freezer bags (about 1 1/2 cups per bag) and freeze. Use one bag for this meal.
  3. Prepare Vegetables: When ready to cook, thaw chicken and cooked rice. Remove bok choy leaves from stems, then cut stems vertically into 1cm (1/3″) thick sticks.
  4. Toast Sesame Seeds: Heat a wok or large frying pan over high heat. Add sesame seeds and toast for 15 seconds until fragrant, then remove and set aside.
  5. Flavor Oil: In the hot wok, add 1 tablespoon peanut oil. Add the smashed garlic clove and stir-fry for 20 seconds to infuse the oil with garlic flavor. Remove and discard the garlic.
  6. Cook Vegetables: Add diced onion to the wok and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Then add diced carrot, thawed peas, and sliced baby corn, stir-frying for an additional 30 seconds.
  7. Add Bok Choy Stems: Add the bok choy stems and cook for 30 seconds, maintaining high heat to keep vegetables crisp.
  8. Finish Fried Rice: Add the cooked rice, Chinese cooking wine, soy sauce, and chicken stock powder to the wok. Stir-fry for 30 seconds, mixing thoroughly to combine flavors.
  9. Add Bok Choy Leaves: Remove the wok from heat and quickly stir in the bok choy leaves, tossing to wilt slightly from residual heat. Transfer the fried rice to a large bowl.
  10. Cook Chicken: Add remaining 1/2 tablespoon peanut oil to the wok and return to high heat. Remove chicken from marinade (reserve marinade). Stir-fry chicken slices in the wok for 1 1/2 minutes until nicely browned but not fully cooked.
  11. Make Sticky Sauce: Add reserved marinade and 2 tablespoons water to the wok with the chicken. Cook for about 30 seconds until the sauce thickens to a syrupy consistency and the chicken is cooked through. Remove from heat.
  12. Serve: Spoon the vegetable fried rice into serving bowls and top evenly with the sticky chicken. Garnish with finely sliced shallot/scallions and toasted sesame seeds, if using.

Notes

  • Marinating chicken longer than 20 minutes intensifies flavor; freezing the marinated chicken allows easy meal prep and enhances taste.
  • Cooked rice can be prepared ahead and frozen for convenience.
  • Bok choy provides a nice crunchy texture; use baby bok choy if available for tenderness.
  • Adjust sriracha to your heat preference or omit for a milder dish.
  • Using peanut oil allows for a high-heat stir-fry with a subtle nutty flavor. Substitute with other vegetable oils if necessary.
  • The use of Chinese cooking wine enhances umami; dry sherry is a suitable substitute.
  • Reserve some sesame seeds for garnish to add a toasted aroma and visual appeal.

Keywords: Sticky Chicken, Vegetable Fried Rice, Asian Chicken Stir Fry, Easy Dinner, Weeknight Recipe, Chicken Thigh Recipe

Find it online: https://familyfavplates.com/sticky-chicken-with-vegetable-fried-rice-recipe/