Stir fry corn with chicken recipe

5 from 1 vote

Discover the delicious Stir Fry Corn with Chicken, a popular dish in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China. Perfect for quick dinners & meal prep!

Prep Time20

Cook Time10

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese, Taiwanese

Keyword: pan fried corn, Stir fry corn, Stir fry corn with chicken, Sweet corn stir fry

Servings: servings

4 ears corn roughly 3 cups of corn kernels
0.2 oz ginger finely minced, half one thumb size
0.75 oz garlic cloves thinly sliced, 3 large
3 oz. yellow onion half of one small
1 lb chicken thighs skinless and boneless
⅛ tsp ground white pepper plus a dash more for serving
¼ tsp coarse sea salt plus a pinch more
¼ tsp garlic granule
1 tbsp starch
1.5 tbsp avocado oil
Small splash Taiwanese michu Chinese shaoxing wine, or gluten-free mirin, optional
2 spring onions diced for garnish

Remove the husk. Place the whole corn on a steady cutting board. Use a sharp chef’s knife, cut it lengthwise, as close to the base of the kernels as possible. Turn the flat side down, cut lengthwise again and repeat the cut until all the kernels have been removed.
Then turn the corn cob in an upright position and trim downward in all 4 corners to remove remaining kernels. Gather the kernels in a bowl and set aside.

Finely mince the ginger, thinly slice the garlic, and dice the onion to small cubes, similar to the size of the corn kernel. Set them aside on one plate.
Combine the sauce and set aside ready to use.

Slice the chicken into small cubes, roughly ¼-inch (0.6 cm) cubes. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Season with pepper, 1/4 tsp salt, garlic and toss with starch.

Preheat a large saute pan or wok over medium-heat until it feels warm. Add the oil. Add the chicken and quickly spread them out into a single layer.
Turn heat up to medium-high. Pan fry the first side without touching for 3-4 minutes or until you see the bottom starts browning. Flip with a spatula and fry for 2 more minutes.

Add the ginger, garlic, and onion. Season with a small pinch of salt. Saute for 1 minute
Add the corn and saute for 1 minute.
Pour in the sauce, toss for 30 seconds. Add a small splash of cooking wine, if using, toss for 10 seconds. Turn off the heat.

Transfer to a large serving plate. Garnish with scallions and an extra dash of white pepper. I recommend serving it with a bowl of fluffy steamed rice. Serve warm.

What to do with the corn cobs: Store the leftover corn cobs in the freezer to make soup stocks later - pork rib soup, chicken corn egg drop soup, Chinese chicken soup, wonton egg drop soup.
If using canned whole kernel corn, drain the corn well before adding to the stir fry. The dish will be more moist so add a few teaspoons of starch to the sauce to help thicken the texture.
You can also use frozen corn kernels.
Make-ahead: Can trim the corn cobs a day ahead to save time.
Store: 3-4 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
Reheat: Microwave on medium for 1 minute, stir, and 30 more seconds.