An easy, real food alternative to Chinese takeout! Only 9-ingredients and 30 minutes.
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Truth: We love breaded fried Chinese takeout, but we almost never buy it. For obvious reasons.
And unfortunately, many copycat recipes load the sauce (the most delicious part) with sugar and cornstarch.
However, last week I got my hands on Lisa Leake’s brand new cookbook, 100 Days of Real Food on a Budget.
While I had mixed feelings about the cookbook (read my very honest review here), Lisa’s recipes are reliably delicious and simple.
She gave me permission to share one with you here. If you miss Chinese takeout as much as we do, you will love it.
The Sauce Only Uses 6 Ingredients:
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Crushed chili flakes
- Soy sauce
- Honey
- Water
This Chinese Chicken & Veggies Recipe is:
- Dairy-free
- Egg-free
- Gluten-free (if you use gluten-free flour and gluten-free soy sauce)
- Delicious
- Healthy
- Budget-friendly
- Easy
- Real-food
- Veggie-packed
And there are 9 ingredients in the whole recipe! So here it is. This is how I cooked it. Lisa’s is a little different, but I was trying to save a few extra pennies.
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I’ve mentioned this before, but the Pyrex bowls with lids are my favorite – excellent price and perfect for mixing, serving, and storing all in one bowl!
Same goes for the Pampered Chef Mini Prep Bowls. Not as good a price, but I got them as a gift years ago, and we use them daily for measuring (they have cup and milliliter measurements on the side), storing, mixing, and serving.
If you’re looking for ways to keep your kitchen efficient, pretty, and clutter-free, I highly recommend both of these. More simple kitchen recommendation here.
This is just 1 out of 100 frugally-minded recipes in 100 Days of Real Food on a Budget. I tagged like 50 of them with sticky notes to try in the future, including Loaded Biscuits, Simple Zucchini Soup, and Fast Food Chicken Nuggets. While I had mixed feelings about the book overall, this recipe was an instant winner in our house.
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag a photo #cheapskatecook and @cheapskatecook on Instagram.
Easy Real Food Chinese Chicken
An easy, real food alternative to Chinese takeout! Only 9-ingredients and 30 minutes.
Inspired by 100 Days of Real Food on a Budget
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 1/2 lbs chicken thighs or breasts, boneless, skinless
- 1 cup flour, (whole wheat, white, spelt, or gluten-free)
- 4 tbsp oil, (coconut, avocado, grapeseed)
Sauce:
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp ginger powder
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup water
Veggies & Rice
- 2 tbsp oil, vegetable broth, or water, (coconut, avocado, grapeseed)
- 3-5 tbsp water
- 6 cups cabbage, shredded
- 1 cup carrots, shredded
- 4 cups rice, prepared, (white or brown)
Instructions
Make the Chicken:
- Cut the chicken in 2-inch cubes.
- Make the marinade by combining the soy sauce and water in a small bowl with a lid. Place the chicken in the bowl and let it marinate for 15 minutes or covered in the fridge for several hours.
- Pour flour into a large container with a tight-fitting lid. Remove chicken from marinade into the flour. Seal with the lid, hold the lid on tightly and shake the container for several seconds to thoroughly coat the chicken.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken for 6-8 minutes, until cooked thoroughly. During that time, use tongs to flip them several times to ensure even cooking.
- When finished, place chicken on a plate.
Make the Sauce:
- Pour all ingredients into the same pan in which you cooked the chicken. Whisk thoroughly, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom.
- Bring to a boil and cook 2-3 minutes, whisking frequently. When sauce thickens, pour half of it into a bowl with the chicken and toss to coat. Pour the other half into a separate bowl to serve with dinner.
Steam-Saute the Veggies:
- Heat the oil or broth in a large pan over medium heat.
- Toss in the veggies, and stir. Cook and stir occasionally for 5-10 minutes, until soft, adding a few tablespoons of water if necessary.
To Serve:
- Pile plates with rice and veggies. Top with chicken and drizzle generously with sauce.
- If desired, top with roasted sesame seeds or sunflower seeds.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 6 Serving Size 1 cupAmount Per Serving Calories 660
Please note: The actual calories and nutrition of this dish will change depending on what ingredients you use. Nutrition information is not always accurate.
What You Can Do Now:
What are some recipes you’ve tried in order to save money and still enjoy that take-out food taste?
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Great recipe! Simple and inexpensive. Can’t wait to make it.
Step 5, above, says “place chicken on a plate.”
The next section, with the sauce, says “pour half of it into the bowl with the chicken”.
I guess in Step 5, the chicken should be placed in a bowl, not a plate?
Thank you very much for all you do. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
Glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for noticing – it now reads “When sauce thickens, pour half of it into *a* bowl with the chicken and toss to coat.” The freshly browned chicken should go on a plate instead of a bowl at first so the breading doesn’t get rubbed off of it. After a brief rest, it’s fine to toss it in a bowl with the sauce. Thanks again!
This is such a wonderful and easy to make recipe. It will be perfect for days when I can’t make a fancy meal. Absolutely loved it, thank you for sharing this.