Juicy One Pot Soy Garlic Chicken

Doesn’t the picture say it all? Replace the chicken with any other protein you wish, tofu, prawn or fish, and it will turn out just as fabulous!

This awesome quick & easy One pot speaks for itself as it always seems to do in my home. The strong point of this dish that makes it a must-have each month with my family is the particularly delightful combination of sauces & aromatics that come together to give the protein a beautiful intense & smokey glaze!

The addition of unique Asian sauces at the very end undoubtedly takes the cake, coating all the ingredients so perfectly all around & finally the extra sauce poured over your meal only giving you a bang of flavours in every juicy morsel.

What makes Pan Asian food so popular the world over besides other things is that the vegetables are quickly stir fried/pan fried on high heat in a large wok or skillet allowing them to retain their crunchy firm texture, their inherent moisture & colours & keep their individual flavours intact.

That’s all your nutrition intact too, in other words! Try it to believe it

Recipe for Juicy One Pot Soy Garlic Chicken

Ingredients

1 kilo chicken breasts, boneless (Vegetarian / Vegan refer notes)
¼ cup cornflour/all-purpose flour for coating
1 medium sized onion, cut into thin juliennes
½ red bell pepper, cut into ½ inch cubes
½ yellow bell pepper, cut into ½ inch cubes
3 tablespoons oil for shallow frying
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper powder
6-8 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons spring onions chopped for garnish
1 tablespoon apple cider or regular vinegar
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
½ tablespoon oyster sauce(optional)
1 teaspoon chilli flakes (optional if you prefer it spicy)
1 teaspoon sugar (optional if you like a sweet sour tinge)

Procedure

Wash the chicken breasts & pat them thoroughly dry. Make few small gashes in them.
Place the flour in a plate/shallow dish. Mix in the salt & pepper & coat each piece of chicken in flour, shaking off all excess.
Heat a large grill pan/skillet & add 2 tablespoons of oil, saving 1 tablespoon for the end.
Once the oil is hot, add a few pieces of chicken at a time & grill them on medium to high heat for only about 2 minutes on each side until golden & almost cooked. Do not overcook at this stage.
Lower the heat, moving the chicken to the sides of the pan, create a bit of space in the centre.
Add the remaining butter or oil & on a medium flame, stir in the minced garlic. Sauté until it lets off a beautiful aroma & gets golden.
Add in the onion & cubes of chopped bell peppers & stir fry quickly on high heat for just a minute to give it a great smoky flavour.
While that is on, in a little bowl, add the ingredients for your sauce namely, vinegar, soy, tomato ketchup, oyster sauce and sugar / chilli flakes & mix well.
Add it to the pan & sauté quickly on medium heat allowing it to coat the chicken pieces all over & cook just until tender, preventing the sauce from sticking to the pan or burning.
Bring the sauce to a simmer for another few seconds, while continuously turning the pieces quickly to retain their own lovely moisture.
If the sauce gets too thick, add 2 tablespoons of water and stir.
Take your pan/skillet off the fire instantly & serve on plates with the remaining sauce.

Notes:

This recipe can be very easily replicated using paneer/cottage cheese/tofu or mildly flavoured fish such as tilapia/basa/salmon/red snapper or even large prawns.
The only thing that will alter is the cooking time as all of these will only take a minute to cook on either side after coating in the flour mixture.
It is best to take them off the pan for a few minutes while your veggies are getting done to prevent overcooking.
Add them back to the pan only at the end, on medium heat to give them a beautiful glaze in that delicious tangy sauce.