Chicken Sauteed with Sha Cha Jiang/Chinese BBQ Sauce (Sha Cha Ji)

I took a cue from the Taiwanese dish, Sha Cha BBQ Beef with Noodles, and decided to make a variation of it using chicken instead since this was the only meat I had in the frig. I opted to serve the sautéed chicken with steamed rice rather than tossed with noodles. Sha Cha BBQ sauce is a savory and mildly spicy Taiwanese sauce that's made from dried shrimp, brill fish, chiles, soybean oil, shallots and garlic. It's the traditional condiment used for hot pot (we always mix ours with a bit of ketchup and soy sauce), but it is also great as a seasoning for stir-fried meat dishes like this one. Pork or beef would also work well in place of chicken.

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and thinly sliced

1/2 tsp. rice wine

1 tbsp. soy sauce

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 tbsp. cornstarch

2 tbsp. minced ginger

5-6 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced

1/2 cup thinly sliced yellow onion 

1 Fresno or jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced

5 tbsp. Sha Cha Sauce

1 tbsp. sugar

2 tbsp. soy sauce

6 scallions, cut along the bias into 2" sections

1. Trim the chicken thighs of any extra fat or tendons, then cut into thin slices along the grain; place into a medium bowl.

2. Add 1/2 tsp. rice wine, 1 tbsp. soy sauce, 1 tbsp. vegetable oil, and 1 tbsp. cornstarch to the sliced chicken and mix well to combine; cover and set aside in the frig for 30 minutes to marinate.

3. Heat 2 tbsp. of vegetable oil in a wok or large saute pan over high heat; add the sliced chicken and saute for 2-3 minutes or until the meat has just cooked through. Immediately remove the chicken to a plate and set aside.

4. In the same pan, add another 2 tbsp. of vegetable oil and reduce heat to medium. When oil is hot, add the minced ginger, sliced garlic, yellow onions and Fresno chili and saute briefly for 5-10 seconds. Add the Sha Cha sauce, 1 tbsp. sugar, and 2 tbsp. soy sauce; stir to combine.

5. Add the reserved cooked chicken back to the pan, including any juices and toss to combine. Add the scallion sections and stir-fry for 10-20 seconds. 

6. Immediately plate the chicken onto a serving platter. Serve with steamed white rice.

Sha Cha Sauce

Saute the marinated chicken until just cooked through; remove and set aside.

Saute the ginger, garlic, onions and Fresno chiles in the same pan.

Add the Sha Cha sauce, sugar and soy sauce.

Add the reserved cooked chicken.

Toss in the scallions.

Remove to a serving dish and serve with steamed white rice.