Description
This Chinese Style Mango Chicken Stir Fry combines tender, crispy chicken pieces with a vibrant mango-infused sauce, bursting with sweet, spicy, and tangy flavors. A quick and delightful stir-fry recipe perfect for a flavorful weeknight dinner that serves 4.
Ingredients
Chicken and Coating
- 1 pound skinless boneless chicken breasts or thighs (500 g), cut into bite-size cubes
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Neutral flavored oil (for frying)
Sauce and Stir-Fry
- 3 tablespoons cooking oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
- 2-3 green chilies, chopped
- 1 large onion, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 cup cubed bell peppers (1-inch cubes)
- 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 4 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
- 2 tablespoons red chili paste
- 2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup peeled and cubed ripe mangoes
- Chopped spring onion greens (for garnish)
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken: Wash the chicken pieces and pat them dry with paper towels. Cut into small bite-sized cubes for even cooking and easy coating.
- Make the Coating Mix: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine cornstarch, all-purpose flour, ginger garlic paste, salt, and ground black pepper. Mix well to create the coating mixture for the chicken.
- Coat the Chicken: Add the cubed chicken pieces to the flour mixture and toss until each piece is evenly coated with the mixture.
- Fry the Chicken: Heat neutral flavored oil in a pan over high heat. When the oil is hot, carefully add half of the coated chicken pieces and fry until they turn crisp and golden brown on the outside. Remove and drain on paper towels. Repeat for the remaining chicken pieces.
- Prepare the Sauce Base: Heat 3 tablespoons of cooking oil in a wok over high heat. Add chopped garlic and green chilies and stir-fry quickly for 3-4 seconds to release their aroma.
- Cook Vegetables: Add chopped onion and bell peppers to the wok and stir-fry for about one minute until they soften slightly but remain crisp.
- Add Sauces and Seasoning: Pour in dark soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, red chili paste, tomato ketchup, rice vinegar, salt, and black pepper powder. Stir everything together thoroughly to combine the flavors.
- Thicken the Sauce: In a small bowl, mix cornstarch with water to create a slurry. Slowly add this slurry to the wok sauce, stirring constantly. Cook for about one minute until the sauce thickens and the cornstarch is fully cooked, adding a little more water if needed to reach desired consistency.
- Combine Chicken and Mango: Add the fried chicken pieces and cubed ripe mangoes to the wok. Toss everything together gently to coat in the sauce and warm through without breaking the mango pieces.
- Garnish and Serve: Sprinkle chopped spring onion greens over the top as a fresh garnish and serve the mango chicken stir fry immediately while hot and flavorful.
Notes
- Ensure the oil temperature is hot enough before frying to achieve crispy chicken.
- You can adjust the number of green chilies to make the dish more or less spicy.
- Use ripe but firm mangoes to avoid them becoming mushy in the stir fry.
- This dish pairs well with steamed rice or noodles for a complete meal.
- For a gluten-free version, substitute all-purpose flour with a gluten-free alternative.
