Velvety Soy Chicken And Broccoli Recipe

Leah Maroney

November 5, 2023 at 11:45 AM·7 min read

chicken and broccoli in a bowl with rice and chopsticks - Leah Maroney/Tasting Table

Chicken and broccoli is a classic American Chinese food take-out staple. It's sweet, it's rich, and it's comforting. Somehow, the chicken is always extra tender and the sauce is extra luscious. Turns out the secret lies with two special ingredients ... baking soda and cornstarch. In this recipe from Leah Maroney, baking soda is added to the chicken marinade and acts as an excellent meat tenderizer. A tiny bit goes a long way in tenderizing the meat. The meat is able to be marinated for a short amount of time while achieving maximum flavor and texture. The sauce in this recipe contains cornstarch, which is added after the chicken and broccoli have been cooked. It creates the thick, velvety texture that keeps you going back for more.

Maroney recommends using a wok on high heat for the best results, but any large pan will do. The goal is to cook the meat and broccoli quickly to preserve the vegetables' crispness and color and to prevent the chicken from drying out. This simple recipe comes together very quickly. You can even shorten the marinade time! Give it at least 20 minutes and you'll be ready to stir fry. Maroney loves classic white rice with this dish. "It soaks up all the delicious sauce so not a drop is wasted," she says. But, you can't go wrong with lo mein or fried rice ... or go crazy and serve all three.

Gather Your Ingredients For This Velvety Soy Chicken And Broccoli Recipe

ingredients for chicken and broccoli on white table - Leah Maroney/Tasting Table

In this recipe, tender chicken breast is marinated in soy sauce, dry sherry, and baking soda. The alkaline ingredient helps to further tenderize the chicken, making it extra succulent. The sauce is made from minced ginger and garlic combined with soy sauce, oyster sauce, pepper, brown sugar, and cornstarch. The last things you'll need are vegetable and sesame oil for cooking the chicken and broccoli over high heat.

Step 1: Cut The Chicken

chicken breast on a cutting board with knife - Leah Maroney/Tasting Table

Slice the chicken breasts into thin, 1-inch pieces.

Step 2: Prepare The Marinade

chicken marinade in a bowl with whisk - Leah Maroney/Tasting Table

Whisk together the baking soda, ¼ cup of the soy sauce, and the dry sherry in a bowl.

Step 3: Marinate The Chicken

marinated chicken in a bowl - Leah Maroney/Tasting Table

Add the sliced chicken to the marinade, cover, and marinate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.

Step 4: Prepare The Sauce

soy sauce mixed in a white bowl bowl - Leah Maroney/Tasting Table

Whisk together the remaining ¼ cup soy sauce, ½ cup water, brown sugar, cornstarch, black pepper, oyster sauce, ginger, and garlic and set aside.

Step 5: Heat The Oil

Heated oil in a pan - Leah Maroney/Tasting Table

Add the sesame oil and 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil to a wok or large sauté pan over high heat.

Step 6: Cook The Broccoli

cooked broccoli in a pan - Leah Maroney/Tasting Table

Add the broccoli to the wok and sauté until the broccoli becomes bright green, about 3 minutes.

Step 7: Steam The Broccoli

Steamed broccoli in a pan with slotted spoon - Leah Maroney/Tasting Table

Add a few tablespoons of water, allow to absorb, and then remove the broccoli from the pan.

Step 8: Cook The Chicken

cooked chicken in a pan - Leah Maroney/Tasting Table

Add the remaining oil and the chicken (leaving the marinade behind) to the hot pan.

Step 9: Finish Browning The Chicken

browned chicken in a pan with slotted spoon - Leah Maroney/Tasting Table

Cook until the chicken is browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes.

Step 10: Add In The Broccoli

broccoli and chicken in a pan - Leah Maroney/Tasting Table

Add the broccoli back to the pan.

Step 11: Add The Sauce

chicken and broccoli in sauce on a spoon - Leah Maroney/Tasting Table

Add in the prepared sauce and cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens, about 3 minutes.

Step 12: Serve With Rice

chicken and broccoli over rice, hands holding chopsticks - Leah Maroney/Tasting Table

Serve over rice and enjoy.

Can You Replace The Chicken Breast In This Chicken And Broccoli Recipe?

velvety soy chicken and broccoli in a pan - Leah Maroney/Tasting Table

We love subbing the chicken breast with chicken thighs. They're less expensive and so full of flavor, and they make an exceptional swap. Cut them into thin strips for the best texture. You can also replace the chicken breast with beef stew meat cut into thin strips. The marinade tenderizes the connective tissue in the stew meat nicely without having to marinate or cook for long periods of time. Sliced pork chops or tenderloins are also a great substitution. This sauce is so versatile that it even works with stir-fried shrimp and scallops.

If you're a vegetarian, try this sauce with additional vegetables instead of meat. Whether with carrots, water chestnuts, bell peppers, or baby corn, the vegetable possibilities are endless. We recommend the same cooking technique of sautéeing the vegetables in hot oil before adding water to finish with steaming. Then, add the sauce and let it cook down to delicious richness.

Can You Make Velvety Soy Chicken And Broccoli Ahead Of Time?

chicken and broccoli in a bowl with chopsticks - Leah Maroney/Tasting Table

Many components of this velvety soy chicken and broccoli can be made in advance. Make the marinade and the sauce ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator until you are ready to use them (up to five days in advance). You can also marinate the chicken overnight, as well as sauté the broccoli in the oil and store it in the refrigerator until it's time to complete the dish. The entire meal can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to four days. As many of us know, dishes like these tend to get even better with time. The flavors of the sauce really incorporate into the chicken and broccoli as the dish sits, making it more delicious than ever. Simply reheat the food in a sauté pan with a little water, or heat it in the microwave until the chicken and broccoli are steaming.