Stir-Fried Velvet Chicken with Snap Peas and Lemon-Ginger Sauce Recipe

By
J. Kenji López-Alt
Kenji Lopez Alt
Culinary Consultant
Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.
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Updated August 30, 2018
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J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

For best results cook on an outdoor coal-fired kettle grill fitted with a Weber 8835 Gourmet BBQ System Hinged Cooking Grate (full instructions here). Alternatively, cook in batches using this method.

Recipe Details

Stir-Fried Velvet Chicken with Snap Peas and Lemon-Ginger Sauce Recipe

Active 15 mins
Total 35 mins
Serves 4 servings
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 1 large egg white

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce (divided)

  • 1/2 cup Shaoxing wine or dry sherry (divided)

  • 3 tablespoons corn starch, divided

  • 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound), sliced into 1/4-inch slices

  • 1/2 cup low-sodium homemade or store-bought chicken stock

  • 1/4 cup juice from 2 to 3 lemons

  • 4 strips lemon zest, removed with a vegetable peeler, about 2 inches long and 1 inch wide

  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil

  • 1 tablespoon sugar

  • 2 tablespoons grated ginger, divided

  • 1 pound sugar snap or snow peas, trimmed

  • 2 medium cloves garlic, finely minced (about 2 teaspoons)

  • 3 scallions, whites only, finely minced

  • 1/2 cup vegetable, peanut, or canola oil, divided

  • Kosher salt to taste

Directions

  1. Combine egg white, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 tablespoons shaoxing wine, and 1 tablespoon corn starch in a medium bowl and whisk until homogeneous. Add chicken and toss to coat. Let marinate at room temperature for at least 20 minutes and up to three hours.

  2. Meanwhile, combine remaining soy sauce, wine, and cornstarch in a small bowl and whisk to break up any clumps of cornstarch. Add chicken broth, lemon juice, lemon zest, sesame oil, sugar, and 1 tablespoon ginger. Whisk to combine. Set aside. Combine remaining ginger, garlic, and scallions in s amall bowl and set aside.

  3. To Grill With a Wok Insert: Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and arrange the coals in a pile on center of cooking grate. Place Weber 8835 Gourmet BBQ System Hinged Cooking Grate on grill and set wok in center. Add all but 1 tablespoon oil and heat until shimmering. Add marinated chicken and cook, stirring and tossing until barely white, about 1 minute. Remove from wok with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl. Wipe out wok. Add remaining oil and heat until smoking. Add snow peas and cook, stirring until lightly charred, about 30 seconds. Return chicken to wok and toss to combine. Add garlic/ginger/scallion mixture to center of wok and cook, tossing and stirring until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are just barely tender, about 30 seconds longer. Stir sauce and pour into wok (it should immediately start to boil). Toss all ingredients to coat in sauce and cook until lightly thickened, about 30 seconds. Season to taste with salt. Carefully transfer to a serving platter and serve.

  4. To Cook On A Burner: When ready to cook, add all but 1 tablespoon oil to wok and heat over high until shimmering. Add half of marinated chicken and cook, stirring and tossing until barely white, about 1 minute. Remove from wok with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl. Repeat with second half of chicken. Wipe out wok. Add half of remaining oil and heat until smoking. Add half of snap peas and cook, stirring until lightly charred, about 30 seconds. Transfer to bowl with chicken. Repeat with remaining oil and snap peas. Return chicken to wok and toss to combine. Add garlic/ginger/scallion mixture to center of wok and cook, tossing and stirring until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are just barely tender, about 30 seconds longer. Stir sauce and pour into wok (it should immediately start to boil). Toss all ingredients to coat in sauce and cook until lightly thickened, about 30 seconds. Season to taste with salt. Carefully transfer to a serving platter and serve.

Special equipment

Wok, charcoal grill with wok insert (optional)

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
354Calories
13gFat
23gCarbs
33gProtein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories354
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 13g16%
Saturated Fat 2g9%
Cholesterol 72mg24%
Sodium 697mg30%
Total Carbohydrate 23g8%
Dietary Fiber 4g15%
Total Sugars 9g
Protein 33g
Vitamin C 67mg337%
Calcium 84mg6%
Iron 4mg20%
Potassium 669mg14%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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