Chinese oyster sauce chicken stir fry with shiitake and snow pea leaves is an authentic dish with tender chicken tossed in the most savory delicious oyster chicken sauce.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Chinese, Taiwanese
Keyword oyster chicken, Oyster sauce chicken stir fry, recipe for chicken in oyster sauce
Hold your knife at a 45-degree angle and slice the chicken against the grain into thin pieces (about ⅛”). In a medium bowl, combine the chicken with ingredients from soy sauce to pepper, if using. Set it aside in the fridge to marinate for 15 minutes.
Prepare the garlic, scallion, and ginger. Trim the bottom ends of the mushrooms and separate them apart.
If using snow pea leaves, nip the tougher bits away. Break off any flowers or curly tendrils and discard those as well. If using spinach, dice it to sections. Rinse the vegetables and set aside to drain well. Pat them dry before stir frying.
Combine the sauce ingredients in a bowl. Set them aside ready to use.
Saute the chicken:
Preheat a large saute pan or wok over medium heat until it feels pretty hot, add 1 tbsp oil and swirl it around the skillet. Add the chicken, turn heat up to medium-high, and quickly spread out the chicken into a single layer. Pan fry them without disturbing until they are golden brown color, about 2-3 mins. Then use a spatula with a firm tip to flip and sear the flip side, about 1-2 mins. The chicken should be cooked through and golden brown on the outside. Transfer them out and set aside.
Aromatics:
Use the same pan, add 1 tbsp oil and saute aromatics with a small pinch of salt for 10 seconds. Turn heat up to medium-high, add the mushrooms, and saute for 30 seconds.
Vegetables:
Add snow pea leaves and ¼ tsp salt. Saute until the leafy greens are slightly wilted but not mushy or watery, about 1 minute. If the pan feels dry, add half more tablespoon of oil.
Sauce:
Turn heat up to high, return the chicken and scallion greens to the pan. Stir the sauce again then pour it in. Keep tossing and stirring for 30 seconds to coat the sauce over the chicken. Turn off the heat and transfer to a large serving plate. Serve hot with rice.
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Notes
Spinach has a softer texture than snow pea leaves. If you use spinach, reduce cooking time. The goal is to saute the leafy greens until they are just slightly wilted but don’t overcook them. The greens should remain crisp and not soggy. Watery vegetables will dilute the sauce and therefore make the dish less tasty.
Use a large saute pan, 12-inch at least, to help you saute the ingredients quickly and evenly.
Make-ahead: Slice and velvet the chicken, dice aromatics, and prep the vegetables (rinse, drain, and pat dry) ahead of cooking.
Storage: Once cooked, store leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Reheat: In a microwave on high for 1 minute or reheat on a stovetop until warmed through. If the dish feels a bit dry, add a few tablespoons of chicken stock to help moisten it.