This homemade empress chicken tastes just like the classic Chinese takeout dish, maybe even better! Lightly breaded chicken is fried until golden in a mouthwatering hot and tangy stir fry sauce. It’s quick, easy, and great for weeknights.
I discovered a while ago that stocking the pantry with a few key ingredients makes it easy to recreate many of my favorite takeout orders at home. From copycat salt and pepper chicken to cashew chicken and kung pao beef, I’m on a mission to make them all!
I can’t think of a better excuse to skip my weekly takeout order and keep things cozy on a weeknight than with this homemade empress chicken recipe. It’s a zingy, mouthwatering Chinese chicken stir fry that’s sweet, salty, tangy, and spicy (all at once) and it’s so simple to make.
Things to Love About This Empress Chicken Recipe
- Bold Asian-style flavors. You’re going to love these crispy bites of breaded chicken tossed in spicy, sticky homemade stir-fry sauce. It’s packed with flavors of ginger, sesame, garlic, and chili. YUM.
- Made in one pan. Just like a classic stir-fry, this chicken recipe is super straightforward. Everything comes together in one skillet!
- Easy. Serve your empress chicken over sticky rice or noodles for an effortless weeknight meal. Just add a starter of quick air fryer spring rolls.
What Is Empress Chicken?
Empress chicken is a bit like the spicier cousin of General Tso’s chicken. It’s a classic Chinese takeout dish made with lightly breaded chicken that’s fried up golden and crispy, then tossed with a flavorful stir-fry sauce. While General Tso’s is sweet and tangy, empress chicken has all that plus a nice chili kick. If you’re a fan of chili-based stir-fries like Szechuan chicken and Hunan beef, it’s right up your alley.
What You’ll Need
Here’s a quick look at what you’ll need to make this easy empress chicken recipe. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for a printable ingredient list and full recipe details.
- Chicken – You’ll want to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts diced into 1-inch pieces. Boneless chicken thighs are a great substitution.
- Eggs – Lightly beaten to make an egg wash, which helps the breading stick.
- Flour – All-purpose flour is best, for coating the chicken.
- Cornstarch and Baking Powder – Our “secret” ingredients! Replacing a portion of the flour with cornstarch and adding a little baking powder results in perfectly browned, crispy stir-fried chicken (see below).
- Sesame Oil – There’s really no substitute for sesame oil in Asian cooking. You can use regular or toasted sesame oil.
- Garlic – Please use minced fresh garlic.
- Ginger – Powdered ginger works perfectly here. Otherwise, substitute 1 tablespoon of fresh ginger for every ¼ teaspoon of ground ginger.
- Chili – Crushed red pepper flakes and deseeded chopped jalapeños give this dish its signature heat. You can adapt the amount of chili depending on how fiery you like your stir-fry.
- Green Onions and Sesame Seeds – For garnish.
For the Sauce
- Chicken Broth – Alternatively, use vegetable broth.
- Soy Sauce – You can’t make this dish without it! I like to cook with low sodium soy sauce. Feel free to substitute tamari or coconut aminos if needed.
- Rice Vinegar – You could also use white or red wine vinegar, cider vinegar, or white vinegar to balance the salty-sweet flavors.
- Sugar – Regular granulated sugar or light brown sugar both work well.
- Cornstarch – To thicken the sauce.
The Secret Ingredient in Chinese Stir Fry
This recipe begins with a Chinese cooking technique called “velveting”, which is the secret to perfectly tenderized chicken. It involves tossing the chicken in a light breading of flour, cornstarch, and baking powder (in some cases, baking soda) before frying. I use this technique to cook everything from beef to pork and shrimp in my Chinese-style stir-fries. It’s a game-changer!
How to Make Empress Chicken
One more major bonus? There’s no deep-frying involved in this crispy empress chicken recipe, so things stay light and splatter-free. Here’s an overview of how to make it in one skillet:
- Prepare a breading station. First, whisk the eggs together to make an egg wash. In a separate bowl, mix cornstarch with flour and baking powder.
- Coat the chicken. Dip the chicken pieces in the egg wash, and then add them to the flour mixture and toss to coat. This is easiest to do using your hands. It’s worth getting a little messy!
- Fry. Working in batches, cook the coated chicken in a hot skillet with sesame oil until the pieces are golden and crispy on all sides. This should take about 5 minutes per batch. Afterward, set the chicken aside while you prepare the sauce.
- Make the sauce. Now, whisk the sauce ingredients in a bowl. In the same skillet from earlier, sauté minced garlic, ginger, pepper flakes, and jalapeño. After about 30 seconds, pour the sauce into the skillet and continue to cook, stirring until that thickens.
- Put it all together. Finally, add the crispy chicken pieces back into the skillet and stir them with the sauce to coat. Serve this empress chicken hot over fluffy white rice, garnished with green onions and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
Recipe Tips
- Fry in batches. Make sure to cook the chicken in batches to avoid overcrowding the skillet. Overcrowding prevents the chicken from crisping up, resulting in soggy chicken.
- Keep an eye on the oil temperature. Ideally, you want the oil in the pan to be about 350ºF when you start frying your chicken. Hotter than that, and the chicken will brown quickly on the outside while the inside remains undercooked. On the other hand, if the oil isn’t hot enough, the chicken takes longer to cook, resulting in breading that’s gummy instead of crispy. You can use a candy thermometer to test the temp.
- Keep the chicken warm. When frying in batches, transfer the fried chicken pieces to a plate and tent them lightly with foil to keep them warm. You can also keep the cooked chicken in a 250ºF oven while you finish frying the rest.
Easy Variations
- Looking for a milder dish? This empress chicken recipe packs a spicy kick. If you aren’t sold on spicy food, or if you’re making this for kids, simply reduce or leave out the chilies. You might also prefer sweet-savory takeout dishes like this easy sesame chicken or bourbon chicken.
- Add veggies. Sauté red bell peppers, onions, broccoli, and cauliflower in the same pan you use to fry your chicken.
- Swap the protein. Use peeled shrimp, sliced pork, or cubed beef in place of chicken.
- Add crunch. Sprinkle in crushed peanuts or cashews for extra texture and crunch.
- Make it vegetarian. Replace the chicken chunks in this recipe with chopped broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, cabbage, or a mix of stir fry vegetables. You could also make vegetarian empress chicken with tofu like in my kung pao tofu.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- Refrigerate. While the chicken coating will lose some of its crispiness when stored and reheated, it still tastes great. Store any leftover empress chicken airtight in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Reheat. To reheat, microwave the chicken for 30 seconds or so, or add it to a skillet to cook until warmed through.
- Freeze. Store your cooked empress chicken in an airtight container to keep frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost the chicken in the fridge before reheating.
More Chicken Stir Fry Recipes
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Bread the chicken. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs. In a separate bowl, add cornstarch, flour, salt, and baking powder and mix well. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl with the beaten eggs to be fully coated. Then, transfer the chicken to the plate with the dry coating, and use your hands to toss it to coat evenly.
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Cook the chicken. Heat the oil in a Wok or a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is hot enough, add the chicken pieces and cook in 2-3 batches until golden on all sides, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
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Make the sauce. In a separate bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the sauce. Set aside.
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Stir fry. Add minced garlic, ginger, red hot pepper flakes, and chopped jalapeño in the skillet where you cooked the chicken pieces. Sauté the ingredients for 30 seconds over high heat, then pour the sauce into the skillet. Stir the ingredients together and continue cooking until the sauce thickens.
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Combine. Add the chicken back to the skillet and remove from heat. Give everything a good stir to ensure the chicken pieces are fully coated in the sauce.
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Serve. Garnish your empress chicken with sliced green onions and sesame seeds, and serve it hot with rice.
Serving: 7ounces | Calories: 375kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 127mg | Sodium: 906mg | Potassium: 577mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 277IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
