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Home / Main Dishes

Easy Velveted Chicken Stir Fry

4
/5
35 minutes
24 Comments
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By: The Chunky Chefpublished: 09/10/2015

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

This healthy chicken stir fry is prepared in the authentic Chinese method of velveting.  It’s customize-able, so add whatever vegetables you like!

How much do you love cooking takeout meals at home?  Obviously I do, since it seems like every week or so I’m bringing you another takeout-inspired meal lol.  This one is super cool… it’s the stir fry you know and love, but cooked in the authentic Chinese cooking style of “velveting”!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Simply Potatoes. All opinions are 100% mine.

Velveted Chicken Stir Fry | The Chunky Chef | This healthy chicken stir fry is prepared in the authentic Chinese method of velveting. It's customize-able, so add whatever vegetables you like!

Soooooo what exactly is “velveting”?  Honestly, before this, I had never even heard of it!  It’s a cooking technique that involves marinating the meat in a mixture of egg whites, cornstarch, rice wine, and salt.  For this one, I added a bit of sesame oil to the marinade as well.  Most of the meats you’ve had from Chinese restaurants, have been velveted!

Now measuring egg whites accurately can be tough… so here’s an awesome solution for you… All Whites liquid egg whites!

AllWhites-Liquid-Egg-Whites

Not only are they a healthy source of protein, and a great way to always have egg whites on hand, but they’re also incredibly easy to measure out!  They’re found in the refrigerated section of your grocery store.

Velveted Chicken Stir Fry | The Chunky Chef | This healthy chicken stir fry is prepared in the authentic Chinese method of velveting. It's customize-able, so add whatever vegetables you like!

You can velvet the meat in oil as well… but why add those extra calories?  THIS article from Serious Eats showed that there really wasn’t a distinguishable difference between oil velveted and water velveted after the meat had been stir fried.

Once you’ve whisked together the velveting marinade, pour it over your chicken and set it in the refrigerator while you bring a pot of water to a boil.  Before cooking the chicken, quickly blanch your veggies, and remove with a strainer.  Now just carefully drop the marinated chicken into the water and boil for a minute or so, until the meat is opaque, but not cooked through yet.  Drain the chicken and let it dry.

At this point, it’s like a regular stir fry… you heat up some oil, add in your garlic and ginger, saute them, then add in your veggies and chicken, cover and steam, toss with sauce and that’s it!

Velveted Chicken Stir Fry | The Chunky Chef | This healthy chicken stir fry is prepared in the authentic Chinese method of velveting. It's customize-able, so add whatever vegetables you like!

One thing I love about stir fry’s is how customize-able they are!  If you aren’t a huge carrot or snow pea fan… feel free to swap for just about anything!  Mushrooms, asparagus, peppers, onions, broccoli… the sky’s the limit.

Velveted Chicken Stir Fry | The Chunky Chef | This healthy chicken stir fry is prepared in the authentic Chinese method of velveting. It's customize-able, so add whatever vegetables you like!

This meal comes together with minimal effort and time, and with maximum taste!!  It’s perfect for lunch, or a quick weeknight meal.  All Whites has more great healthy recipes at AllWhites Egg Whites Favorites.

Velveted Chicken Stir Fry | The Chunky Chef | This healthy chicken stir fry is prepared in the authentic Chinese method of velveting. It's customize-able, so add whatever vegetables you like!

I served this chicken stir fry over some brown rice, but feel free to make some long grain white rice or even some quinoa to really bump up the protein factor!!

Velveted Chicken Stir Fry | The Chunky Chef | This healthy chicken stir fry is prepared in the authentic Chinese method of velveting. It's customize-able, so add whatever vegetables you like!

f.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Velveted-Chicken-Stir-Fry-PINC.jpg”>Velveted Chicken Stir Fry | The Chunky Chef | This healthy chicken stir fry is prepared in the authentic Chinese method of velveting. It's customize-able, so add whatever vegetables you like!

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!

Velveted Chicken Stir Fry | The Chunky Chef | This healthy chicken stir fry is prepared in the authentic Chinese method of velveting. It's customize-able, so add whatever vegetables you like!

Easy Velveted Chicken Stir Fry

4 from 1 vote
Author: The Chunky Chef
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
(hover over # to adjust)
Print Rate Pin
This healthy chicken stir fry is prepared in the authentic Chinese method of velveting. It's customize-able, so add whatever vegetables you like!

Ingredients

  • CHICKEN VELVETING MARINADE:
  • 1 lb . boneless skinless chicken breasts or tenders, cut into ½ inch pieces
  • 1/4 cup AllWhites® egg whites
  • 2 Tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1 Tbsp rice wine
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • STIR-FRY:
  • 3/4 lb . fresh snow peas
  • 1/2 cup julienned carrot
  • 1/4 cup sliced water chestnuts
  • 2 Tbsp canola or peanut oil divided
  • 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 1 Tbsp grated ginger
  • 1/3 - 1/2 cup your favorite stir-fry sauce

Instructions

  • Mix chicken, AllWhites egg whites, cornstarch, rice wine, sesame oil and salt in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, bring a large pan of water to a boil. Add peas and carrots; cook about 30 seconds or until peas are bright green. Remove with a strainer or slotted spoon to a bowl; reserve hot water.
  • Remove chicken from refrigerator. Bring water back to a simmer; stir in 1 tablespoon oil. Add chicken to water, stirring to separate pieces. Cook about 1 minute or until chicken is opaque. Drain chicken.
  • Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and ginger; cook and stir until fragrant. Add the sugar snap peas and carrots; cook and stir 1 minute. Add chicken and water chestnuts. Cover and steam 1 to 2 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center.
  • Toss with stir fry sauce, sprinkle with sliced green onions and sesame seeds.

Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!

Chef Tips

** add in or even replace vegetables with ones of your choosing
Recipe from AllWhites

Nutrition Disclaimer

The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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Hey there! I'm Amanda. Wife, mother, photography nerd, and bacon lover! I believe that delicious meals should be easy to make. Now that you’re here, stay a bit, browse a few recipes, and let’s get cookin’!

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Recipe Rating




  1. Localbusybees says

    Posted on 11/29 at 10:29 pm

    This looks much healthier than the version I’ve made before. I’ll have to try this one soon!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 11/30 at 3:15 pm

      Thank you!! I hope you love it 😀

      Reply
  2. Janet says

    Posted on 11/29 at 6:07 pm

    Ok, I have to make this – it looks so good (I’m not even hungry but I’m craving it). We love Simply Potatoes at our house too. Thanks for sharing and I love how you put your blog name on the chopsticks in the photos!

    Blog on
    Janet

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 11/30 at 3:13 pm

      Thank you Janet!! I’m always finding ways to sneak a little watermark in the photos 😉

      Reply
  3. stef says

    Posted on 9/15 at 4:49 pm

    Looks super yummy!! I love a good stir fry! I have never velveted my chicken before so I am looking forward to giving this a go! 🙂

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 9/15 at 10:05 pm

      Thank you Stef!! I hope you love it 😀

      Reply
  4. Emily Marie says

    Posted on 9/14 at 7:31 pm

    This looks awesome and I cannot wait to try out that new technique. I always wondered why takeout chicken seemed a little different!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 9/14 at 10:17 pm

      Thanks so much Emily!! I had no idea why it was different either… was just one of those food mysteries 🙂

      Reply
  5. PORTRAITS-by-NC (@enzieshahmiri) says

    Posted on 9/14 at 2:40 am

    This recipe looks very delicious !Home Matters Linky Party #54 – Pinning to Pinterest

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 9/14 at 10:19 pm

      Thanks so much!! 🙂

      Reply
  6. jane @ littlesugarsnaps says

    Posted on 9/13 at 12:17 pm

    Now I think of it, chicken from Chinese restaurants is rather different. Now I know why. Thankyou Amanda, I’m enlightened and ready to dazzle my family with some new improved stirfrys

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 9/13 at 10:32 pm

      Thanks so much Jane!! I always just figured it was “restaurant magic”, but once I learned about this technique I knew I had to pass it on 🙂

      Reply
  7. Michelle @ Giraffes Can Bake says

    Posted on 9/11 at 3:00 pm

    I’d never heard of velveting before, I definitely need to try this!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 9/11 at 4:14 pm

      I hadn’t either… I kept thinking they were mispelling something lol. I hope you love it 😀

      Reply
  8. Jenny says

    Posted on 9/11 at 11:58 am

    I am intrigued by the technique of velveting. Your dish looks really delicious, and I can imagine the chicken is very tender! I will have to give that a try sometime! Thank you for sharing it with Fiesta Friday, and I hope you have a great weekend!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 9/11 at 4:13 pm

      Thank you Jenny!! It was a really fun process to learn and it definitely made the chicken nice and tender 😀 Thanks for co-hosting this week… enjoy your weekend 😀

      Reply
  9. Kaila (GF Life 24/7) says

    Posted on 9/11 at 11:29 am

    Thanks for teaching us about velveting. I liked your idea to do it in egg whites instead of oil. Very cool! This take out meal looks delicious, just like all of them that you make. I loved the splash of color from the carrots. Thank you so much for joining us at FF, and have a wonderful weekend!! 🙂

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 9/11 at 4:12 pm

      Thanks so much Kaila!! Also, thank you for co-hosting FF this week… enjoy your weekend 😀

      Reply
  10. Julie is Hostess At Heart says

    Posted on 9/10 at 11:56 pm

    I’ve never heard of velveted either. First I thought you misspelled Velveeta :). I made a chicken stirfry tonight too, but nothing like this one. I’ll be pinning it for a try!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 9/11 at 4:11 pm

      Lol, you should have seen me when the brand approached me about the process… I thought it was Velveeta too!! I hope you love it! 😀

      Reply
  11. Laura @MotherWouldKnow says

    Posted on 9/10 at 10:37 am

    I love to stir fry and this recipe looks marvelous. Like you, I’m a huge fan of Serious Eats and if Kenji says we don’t need oil to velvet the chicken, then I’m all for your lower fat version. Pinned so I remember to make this!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 9/10 at 9:57 pm

      Thanks so much Laura!! Serious Eats is just awesome… definitely my go to for all cooking related questions 🙂 I hope you love this version!

      Reply
  12. Arman @ thebigmansworld says

    Posted on 9/10 at 10:21 am

    Amanda, this looks absolutely delicious- I love how you added the egg whites in the marinade!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 9/10 at 9:56 pm

      Thanks so much Arman!! 🙂

      Reply

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