Braised Chicken with Potatoes
A Complete Guide to Braised Chicken with Potatoes for Beginners! Detailed, easy-to-follow cooking steps and meticulous heat control to ensure success on your first try!
Why do I like this recipe?
Rich flavor: The seasonings and spices in this dish are layered, giving it a deep taste and an irresistible aroma.
Great texture: The fried potatoes and chicken have a crispy exterior and tender interior, making them especially delicious when paired together.
Simple yet creative: The cooking method has some clever touches—there aren't many steps, but the flavor is unique.
Satisfying: A bite not only satisfies your taste buds but also leaves you feeling truly content, especially when paired with rice!
What is the difference between braised chicken and roast chicken?
Braised chicken is usually cooked by stir-frying and simmering in a pot. For example, in this Braised Chicken with Potatoes, the chicken pieces are first marinated, then slowly braised with the ingredients.
The benefit of this method is that the chicken absorbs all the flavors of the seasonings, making it very flavorful and tender, and the sauce adds richness to the overall taste.
Roast chicken, on the other hand, is cooked by placing the chicken in the oven, where it is cooked by hot air. The skin of the chicken becomes crispy, and the meat retains its original flavor.
Roast chicken usually doesn't have a lot of sauce, with crispy skin and the meat being drier and more straightforward in flavor.
INGREDIENTS
Main Ingredients
-
·Half a chicken (about 300g)
-
·1 potato (about 200g)
Additional Ingredients
-
·1 green pepper
-
·1 red pepper
-
·20g garlic leaves
-
·10g ginger slices
-
·20g white onion
Seasonings
-
·5ml cooking wine
-
·5ml soy sauce
-
·5ml dark soy sauce
-
·3g sugar
-
·2 star anise
-
·5g Sichuan peppercorns
-
·A little pepper powder
-
·5ml cornstarch
-
·10g oyster sauce
-
·A few drops sesame oil
-
·Appropriate amount oil
COOKING STEP
Step 1
First, remove the seeds from 1 green pepper and 1 red pepper, and cut them into slices.
Step 2
Cut 20g of garlic leaves into 2cm sections, and cut 20g of white onion into sections.
Step 3
Peel 1 potato and cut it into chunks.
Step 4
Chop half a chicken into pieces and put them in a bowl.
Step 5
Add 3g of salt, 3g of sugar, 5ml of cooking wine, 5ml of soy sauce, and a little pepper powder to the chicken pieces, and mix well.
Step 6
Add 5ml of cornstarch, mix it in, and marinate for 5 minutes.
Step 7
Heat oil in a pan until it's 80% hot, and fry the potato chunks until the edges are golden brown, then take them out and set aside.
Step 8
Next, fry the marinated chicken pieces in the same pan until they are 40% cooked and their color turns lighter, then take them out.
Step 9
Leave some oil in the pan, and add 10g of ginger slices, 10g of garlic slices, 2 star anise, and 5g of Sichuan peppercorns, and sauté until fragrant.
Step 10
Put the chicken pieces back into the pan and stir-fry for a while.
Step 11
Add 10ml of cooking wine, 10ml of soy sauce, 5ml of dark soy sauce, and 10g of oyster sauce, and stir-fry until fragrant.
Step 12
Add the fried potato chunks, stir evenly, add an appropriate amount of water (just enough to cover the ingredients), cover the pot, and simmer for 8 minutes.
Step 13
When the water reduces, add the garlic leaves, green pepper, and red pepper, and continue stir-frying.
Step 14
Finally, add a few drops of sesame oil for flavor, a little oil for color, and cook until the sauce thickens before serving.
More easy recipes
Wood Ear Mushroom with Chinese Yam Stir Fry
Chinese Eggplants with Minced Pork
Cooking Tips
Chicken choice: It is recommended to use chicken pieces with skin and bones, as this will release more flavor during braising and make the meat more tender.
Potato preparation: Fry the potatoes until golden brown before adding them to the pot to enhance their crispy texture, which pairs better with the chicken.
Marinating the chicken: Add salt, sugar, cooking wine, etc., when marinating, which will enhance the flavor of the chicken. Marinate for 5 minutes for the perfect result.
Green and red pepper pairing: Add sliced green and red peppers at the end. This will preserve their bright color and add a refreshing taste.
Seasoning ratio: The ratio of light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and oyster sauce is very important. Stir-fry according to this ratio to achieve a more balanced flavor.
What to pair with it?
Cold Tossed Cucumber: Slice the cucumber, add some minced garlic, vinegar, sugar, salt, and drizzle with sesame oil. Toss it together for a refreshing and appetite-clearing dish, a perfect match!
Stir-fried Vegetables: You can choose bok choy, green vegetables, or spinach. Simply stir-fry with garlic for a fresh taste, balancing the rich flavor of the braised chicken with potatoes.
Tomato Scrambled Eggs: This classic dish, with its tangy and sweet flavor, is especially great with bold dishes. A bite will refresh your palate without being greasy.
Cold Tossed Tofu: If you're craving something even lighter, try cold tossed tofu. Add some soy sauce, sesame oil, and Sichuan peppercorn oil for a simple yet appetizing dish.
White Rice: Finally, pair it with a bowl of soft and sticky white rice. The sauce from the chicken soaks into the rice, and with every bite, the fragrance is irresistible and incredibly satisfying.
Variations of Braised Chicken with Potatoes
This is the basic recipe for braised chicken with potatoes, and you can add other ingredients to create different flavors.
Add Mushrooms: You can add some fresh mushrooms (such as shiitake or oyster mushrooms) when adding the potatoes. The mushrooms will absorb the flavor of the sauce, making the texture richer and the broth thicker.
Cook with Red Wine: After adding cooking wine and light soy sauce, you can try adding a small amount of red wine. The aroma of the wine, combined with the flavors of the chicken and potatoes, creates a unique taste.
Swap Potatoes for Sweet Potatoes: If you prefer a slightly sweeter taste, you can replace the potatoes with sweet potatoes. The sweetness of the sweet potatoes pairs well with the savory chicken, creating a more diverse flavor.
Add Thai Flavors: When sautéing the ginger and garlic, you can add some Thai red curry paste or coconut milk. The dish will have a rich Southeast Asian flavor, and the aroma of the spices and coconut milk combined with the chicken and potatoes is especially tempting.
Add Vegetables: Besides green and red peppers, you can also add some carrots, green peas, or lettuce to make the dish more varied and the texture more diverse.
FAQs:
You can preheat the pan to a certain temperature and then fry the ingredients in batches. This way, the oil temperature won't drop too quickly, and the food will turn out crispier.
Once the chicken is in the pan, don’t rush to flip it. Wait until one side is golden brown before turning it to avoid ruining the crispy coating.
If you add a bit of cornstarch during the marinating process, it can help form a protective layer on the chicken's surface and also reduce the chances of it sticking to the pan.
It’s best to cover the pan to prevent it from drying out. If needed, add a little water to keep it moist.
If you like it even spicier, you can also add some chili paste or small dried chili peppers and stir-fry them to bring out more heat.
REVIEWS
