Ingredient Notes

These notes are here to help make this recipe a success; they cover some but not all ingredients. For a complete ingredient list, check out the recipe card below.

Chicken breast: Chicken breast is perfect for stir-fry recipes as it cooks quickly. Check out my top tip below for making it meltingly tender just like takeout! 

Baking soda: This is also known as bicarb of soda, bicarbonate of soda, and sodium bicarbonate. This is what will tenderize the chicken. Don’t get it muddled with baking powder! 

Light soy sauce: This adds an extra salty flavor. You can just use more all-purpose if that is all you have. 

Dark soy sauce: This adds color and flavor to the dish. If you don’t have it available, just use more regular soy sauce.

Chicken broth: Use a low-sodium broth to avoid an overly salty sauce. It also wants to be cold so that the cornstarch dissolves smoothly without lumps. You can sub in veg broth. 

Hoisin sauce: I recommend the Lee Kum Kee brand as I think it has the best flavor. But use what you can find in your local grocery store.

Chinese cooking wine: This is also known as Chinese Rice Wine, Shaohsing Rice Cooking Wine, Shaoxing Wine, or Shaoxing Cooking Wine. You can find it in most grocery stores in the Asian section. It is also readily available on Amazon, or you’ll find it cheapest in your local Asian grocery store. You can use dry sherry or sake if you can’t find Chinese Cooking Wine. 

Cornstarch: This is called cornflour in some parts of the world. This thickens the sauce. If you want a very thick sauce, you can add another teaspoon. Or if you prefer a thinner sauce, use half the amount suggested.

Honey: Any honey works, or you can use sugar.

White pepper: White pepper adds a more authentic flavor, but you can substitute it with black pepper.

Spring onions: Also called green onions in some places. Look for ones that have a long white part and thin green tops. 

Onion: I use a regular brown onion, but you can use a red, yellow, or white onion.

Bell Peppers: We like to do a mixture of colors here. Red and Green look pretty, but red and yellow would also be great. Or use two red bell peppers if you like.