This Chinese chicken stir-fry with yellow chives recipe is flavored in soy sauce, shaoxing wine, and chinkiang vinegar. It is a quick and easy dinner idea to serve with rice. Yellow chives are available in Asian grocers. If unavailable, replace them with sliced scallions, leeks, or onions.
I often cook this chicken stir-fry dish for a quick weeknight dinner. Thin, tender strips of chicken breast are quickly stir fried with Chinese yellow chives in a simple savory sauce made with soy sauce, shaoxing wine, and chinkiang vinegar.
It serves as a quick meal for busy evenings. This yellow chives recipe is versatile and you can use beef or pork instead of chicken–a perfect Asian dinner recipe for the busy weeknight!
What are Chinese Yellow Chives?
The common green Chinese chives (jiu cai, 韭菜) are a popular ingredient in Chinese cuisine and other Asian cuisines as well, including Korean and Japanese. This type of Asian green chives has a strong taste and smell. It tastes great when used in dishes but the strong fragrance can be unpleasant if the dish is left out too long.
Chinese yellow chives (jiu huang, 韭黄) are chives that have been grown under cover without direct exposure to sunlight, resulting in a pale color. The taste is similar to its cousin, green chives, but the texture and flavor is more delicate and mild.
Yellow chives are inexpensive and can be found in many Asian grocers. If necessary, you can substitute with green onion (scallion), Asian leek, or onion, with a little bit of garlic added in the recipe.
Yellow Chives and Chicken Stir-Fry Recipe Instruction
Step 1: Slice chicken breast into thin matchstick slivers and place in a bowl. Add shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, salt, and potato starch (or cornstarch); toss well and set aside for 5 minutes.
Step 2: In a small mixing bowl, combine shaoxing wine, chinkiang vinegar, light soy sauce, chicken stock, and potato starch; mix well and set aside.
Step 3: Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok (or skillet) over high heat. Add the chicken and stir-fry until fully cooked, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.
Step 4: Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, add ginger, garlic, and chili, and stir fry for 20 seconds.
Step 5: Add the yellow chives and continue stir-frying for another 10 seconds.
Step 6: Add the chicken and the reserved sauce. Cook until the sauce is thickened, about 10 seconds.
Serve this Yellow Chives and Chicken stir-fry immediately with rice.
Stir-Fry Tips for Success
- Use a Chinese wok or a large skillet with plenty of space for tossing ingredients.
- Have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go before you start cooking.
Yellow Chives and Chicken Stir-Fry Recipe
Tender strips of chicken breast is stir-fried with Chinese yellow chives in soy sauce, shaoxing wine, and chinkiang vinegar. Use scallion or leek if yellow chives are not available.
For stir-fry
- 1 chicken breast, sliced into thin matchsticks
- 1/4 lb Chinese yellow chives (or green onion, or Asian leek), cut into 2-inch slices
- 1 red chili, optional, seeded and sliced
- 1 inch fresh ginger, sliced into thin strips
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp oil
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To marinade chicken, coat chicken with shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, salt, and potato starch (or cornstarch) in a bowl; toss well and set aside for 5 minutes
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To make the sauce, combine shaoxing wine, chinkiang vinegar, light soy sauce, chicken stock, and potato starch in a small mixing bowl; mix well and set aside.
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To stir-fry, heat 1 tablespoons of oil in a wok (or skillet) over high heat. Add the chicken and stir-fry until fully cooked, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.
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Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, add ginger, garlic, and chili, and stir fry for 20 seconds. Add the yellow chives and continue stir-frying for another 10 seconds.
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Add the chicken and the reserved sauce. Cook until the sauce is thickened, about 10 seconds. Serve this Yellow Chives and Chicken stir-fry with rice.
You can also try with beef or pork instead of chicken.
Calories: 319kcal, Carbohydrates: 9g, Protein: 28g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 10g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 73mg, Sodium: 494mg, Potassium: 737mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 2717IU, Vitamin C: 68mg, Calcium: 71mg, Iron: 2mg
