I am going back to my roots. No fancy sauces. No elegant plating. Just one pan and some rice. I am making stir fry.
If you know me, then you know I failed. I am 100% Chinese and created yet another Thai dish. Although these flavors are not reminiscent of the robust Chinese flavors I grew up with…this dish still packs an explosive bite. Like a movie created by Martin Yan, directed by Michael Bay and acted out by the cast of Expendables. Strong, full bodied flavors all working together to give you an experience like never before.
I had the best intention. I pulled out my wok, diced up the Chinese trinity (scallions, ginger and garlic). Dusted off my bottle of regular soy sauce. Then discovered that it has expired. Do you know how long it takes for soy sauce to expire? I mean, have you even heard of such a thing? Soy sauce expiring in a Chinese household? Sigh…I am such a dishonor to my ancestors.
Anyways, I had fish sauce so I decided to go Thai instead. Before I knew it Thai chili sauce, sriracha and Thai chilies ended up on the plate. What came out was the most humble dish I made in what seemed like forever. Juicy chicken, seared to a crisp, coated with a sweet, sticky, spicy, umami sauce. Seriously delicious! Caramelized Thai Chili Chicken is symbolic of Asian comfort food.
Since the topic came up earlier, I wanted to explain why I don’t cook much Chinese Food. My parents are chefs that specialize in Chinese food (Authentic and Americanized). I have been unable to get the recipes from them, nor have I successfully replicated a dish that matched the quality of theirs. To add to it, there are already amazing blogs out there that specialize in all things Chinese (like theasiangrandmotherscookbook, thewoksoflife and chinasichuanfood).
All said and done, my recipes are rarely “authentic” but I can assure you that they taste phenomenal! This Caramelized Thai Chili Chicken is no exception and is definitely up there with my favorites. Try it, you will not regret it.
- 1 lb Skinless Chicken Thigh Cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/4 cup Rice Vinegar
- 1/4 cup Fish Sauce
- 3 tbsp Sweet Thai Chili Sauce
- 1 tsp Dark Soy Sauce Used for color (optional)
- 2 stalk Scallion Green only, for garnish
- 2 tbsp Ginger
- 4 clove Garlic
- 1 tbsp Sriracha
- 1/2 Green Bell Pepper Cut into strips
- 1/2 Yellow Bell Pepper Cut into strips
- 1 Bird's Eye Chili Optional garnish
- In a bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the "Caramel Chicken" (except the chicken).
- In another bowl, mix in 1/4 cup of the sauce with your chicken (make sure each piece is coated).
- In a large pan set over medium-high heat, add your chicken and cook until your chicken is seared off (you should see some charring, this will take 5-7 minutes).
- When the liquid has evaporated and your chicken has browned, add in the rest of your sauce and peppers (See notes).
- Cook on medium-high heat until the liquid has thickened (8-10 minutes). Be careful not to over do it (add a splash of water if the pan got too dry). Remove from the heat when the sauce is at the consistency you like.
- Serve with rice.
This is amazing with rice!!! Accept no substitute!
If you want your peppers to be crunchy then don't add them in until 1-2 minutes before your dish is done cooking.
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