Browsed by
Tag: shiitake mushrooms

Chicken & Bean Sprouts

Chicken & Bean Sprouts

Comments 0 Comment

Yield: 2 Servings

Woks of Life

Chicken and Bean Sprouts is a classic Chinese stir-fry dish and is a refreshing, and easy-to-make stir fry made with chicken breast and crunchy bean sprouts.

Chicken marinade:

  • 8oz chicken thighs (or chicken breast, cut into thin strips)
  • 1TBS water
  • 1tsp vegetable oil
  • ½tsp soy sauce
  • 1tsp cornstarch

Rest of the dish:

  • 1lb fresh mung bean sprouts
  • 4scallions (cut in half lengthwise, and then into 2-inch pieces, white and green parts separated)
  • 2cloves garlic (minced)
  • 5shiitake mushrooms (fresh or dried/reconstituted, sliced)
  • 3TBS vegetable oil (divided)
  • 2tsp Shaoxing wine
  • 2tsp oyster sauce
  • ¾tsp salt
  • ¼tsp sesame oil
  • ⅛tsp ground white pepper
  • ¼tsp MSG (optional, really gives that extra restaurant flavor)
  • 1tsp cornstarch (dissolved in 2 tsp water)


For the chicken:

Mix 1 TBS of water with the strips of chicken until the water has been completely absorbed by the meat. Add the oil, soy sauce, and cornstarch, and mix until well combined. Set aside for 20 minutes.

For the mung bean sprouts:

Next, wash the mung bean sprouts in a large bowl of cold water, leaving the bean sprouts in the water for two to three minutes so they are rehydrated. This step not only washes the sprouts but also allows them to absorb some of that cold water to regain their freshness and crunch. Transfer them to a colander, setting them over a bowl or the sink to let the excess water drain completely. The root portion of the bean sprout can be a bit stringy and unpleasant, and some folks do pinch it off–but a word of caution that it is a lot of work, so we usually settle for a good couple of rinses in cold water.

For the other vegetables:

Finally, prepare the other ingredients–namely the scallions, garlic, and mushrooms. Cooking this dish quickly is important, so your bean sprouts don’t turn to mush. If you’re not great at adding quick measurements of spices, oils, and sauces, it’s best if you have all those ingredients prepped and measured in advance, in addition to the fresh ingredients.

Stir Fry:

Heat your wok on high heat until it just starts to smoke and spread 2 TBS of oil around the perimeter of the wok. Add the chicken and use your spatula to spread the meat evenly across the wok. Sear for another 20 seconds (i.e., without mixing the chicken around), stir fry for another 20 seconds, and transfer the chicken to a bowl.

Add another TBS of oil to the wok, along with the mushrooms and the white portions of the scallions. Stir fry for 10 seconds and add the garlic. You should have the wok at the highest heat you can muster at this point!

Next, add the mung bean sprouts and stir fry everything together. Spread the Shaoxing wine around the perimeter of the wok and give everything another quick stir. Then add the oyster sauce, salt, sesame oil, white pepper, and MSG, if using.

Add the chicken back to the wok, along with any liquid in the bowl, and the green portions of the scallions. Again, the burner should be at maximum heat at this point!

Stir-fry for another 10 seconds until everything is well combined, making sure to spread the mixture around the sides of the wok to get that Wok Hei sear and flavor. There will be some liquid in the wok and when that is bubbling, stir in the cornstarch and water mixture.

Stir fry for another 15 seconds or so, until the mung bean sprouts are just starting to turn transparent. Serve!