This Copy-cat Chinese Mushroom Chicken recipe is just one of many examples of why knowing your ingredient flavors can save you in the kitchen. I was excited to try a Mushroom Chicken recipe from CJ Eats but I didn’t have some of the ingredients he called for and didn’t have time to run to the store. Despite this, I was able to adapt his recipe with the Asian ingredients that I did have in my fridge and pantry. Being flexible with your ingredients is becoming more and more of a needed skill to have when budgets are tight and you need to make do with what you have.
Why this recipe is great to have around
This mushroom chicken recipe is a great way to use up hoisin sauce that you bought for the one or two random recipes you made a while ago. (Ahem, lettuce wraps!) Even though hoisin sauce does last a long time in your fridge, it’s good to make sure you use up your different sauces and spreads within a couple of months to minimize the growth of bacteria in those sauces.
With this recipe, you don’t need to add sugar because the hoisin is sweeter than oyster sauce. It also doesn’t use Chinese cooking wine so it is perfect for those who don’t cook with alcohol.
The key to the flavor of this dish
When it comes to ground white pepper, CJ was right. It is the key ingredient to this dish. I had no idea the earthy warmth that you taste in this Chinese stir fry was from the ground white pepper since this is not something I saw often growing up. Ground white pepper is a must! Don’t skip it!
Chicken Thigh Health Benefits
Despite the higher fat content, there are reasons to choose chicken thighs over breasts. Chicken thighs have more iron and zinc than breasts so it’s great for those who don’t eat red meat often.
The extra fat in the thighs also make it much more forgiving to cook. Chicken thighs are easy to overcook and dry out. If you cook chicken thighs longer than you planned, it will still taste moist. There are always thighs in my fridge or freezer for quick weeknight meals.
Round out your week with these weeknight dinner recipes.
Copy-cat Chinese Mushroom Chicken
Equipment
- 1 large cutting board
- 1 chef's knife
- measuring cups and spoons
- 1 medium bowl
- 1 small bowl
- 1 medium saucepan
- 1 Colander
- 1 5-quart stainless steel saute pan
- 1 large plate
Ingredients
Stir Fry Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken thighs cut into 1" pieces
- ¼ tsp white pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp canola oil or neutral-tasting oil
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 medium zucchini cut into ½" quartered circles
- 8 ounces mushrooms halved
- 1" fresh ginger peeled and diced (or ¼ tsp ground ginger added to the sauce)
Sauce
- 2½ tbsp soy sauce
- ½ tbsp hoisin sauce
- ¼ tsp white pepper
- ½ stick dashi powder (about 2 g to 3 g)
- ½ cup water
- ½ tbsp cornstarch
Oil
- ¼ cup canola oil or neutral-tasting oil
Instructions
- Cut the chicken thigh into 1-inch pieces and place into a medium bowl. Add the white pepper, salt, canola oil, sesame oil, and cornstarch, mix well, and marinate for at least 10 minutes, up to 30 minutes.
- In a small bowl, add the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, white pepper, sugar, dashi powder, water, and cornstarch. Mix until well combined and set aside.
- Chop your vegetables while the chicken marinates.
- Put water into a medium pot and bring water to a boil. Add the zucchini and blanch for 10 to 20 seconds. Drain zucchini in a colander and set aside.
- In the 5-quart stainless steel saute pan, heat the ¼ cup of canola oil until it just starts to smoke. Carefully drop the chicken into the oil and cook for 2 to3 minutes. Don’t touch the chicken for the first minute, then stir constantly for the remaining time. Remove chicken and set aside on a plate or bowl.
- Add the mushrooms, garlic, and ginger to the pan and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently so the garlic and ginger don’t burn.
- Add the chicken, zucchini, and sauce to the pan. Mix well to combine for about 1 to 2 minutes or until the sauce is thick. Serve immediately.
