Velveting Chicken: Tender Stir-Fries Secret
A fundamental Chinese cooking technique that tenderizes chicken, making it incredibly moist and silky, perfect for stir-fries and other quick-cooked dishes.
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breast or thigh cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 tbsp water or Shaoxing wine
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 0.25 tsp white pepper
- 0.5 tsp baking soda
- 1 large egg white
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into uniform bite-sized pieces and pat them thoroughly dry with paper towels.
- In a medium bowl, combine the chicken with water (or Shaoxing wine), salt, white pepper, and baking soda. Mix well until the liquid is fully absorbed by the chicken pieces.
- Add the egg white to the chicken mixture. Mix vigorously for about 1-2 minutes until a frothy, cohesive coating forms on all the chicken.
- Finally, sprinkle in the cornstarch and mix until the chicken is evenly coated and feels slightly slick. This creates the protective barrier.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours, before cooking the chicken in your desired recipe (e.g., stir-frying, blanching, or deep-frying).
Notes
For best results, marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours. You can quickly blanch the velveted chicken in hot water or oil before stir-frying for an even silkier restaurant-quality texture. This technique also works wonderfully for tenderizing beef or pork.