Hunan chicken is a popular Chinese dish known for its bold, spicy flavors Originating from the Hunan province of China, which is renowned for its fiery cuisine, Hunan chicken has a distinct taste that sets it apart from other Chinese chicken dishes So what exactly does Hunan chicken taste like? Keep reading to find out!
An Overview of Hunan Chicken
Hunan chicken is made from thinly sliced chicken breast or thigh meat that is stir-fried with fresh vegetables in a dynamic sauce The sauce is the star of the show, providing a complex harmony of spicy, sweet, sour, and savory flavors
Common ingredients in Hunan chicken include:
- Chicken: sliced chicken breast or thigh
- Vegetables: broccoli, carrots, bell peppers, mushrooms, etc.
- Sauce: chili bean paste, garlic, ginger, rice wine, soy sauce, brown sugar
- Aromatics: scallions, sesame oil
While the array of vegetables can vary, the hallmark taste of Hunan chicken lies within its signature sauce. The sauce marries the spiciness of fresh chili peppers and zing of ginger and garlic with sweet notes, an umami richness from soy sauce, and a balanced acidity.
The Spicy, Savory, and Slightly Sweet Taste Profile
The taste of Hunan chicken is often described as bold, fiery, and addictively flavorful. Here’s a breakdown of the main taste elements:
Spicy – This is likely the first flavor you’ll notice. The abundance of fresh chili peppers and chili bean paste provides penetrating heat and spice. The level of spice can range from a tingle to quite fiery depending on the quantity and type of peppers used.
Savory – The dish has a strong savory flavor, thanks to ingredients like soy sauce, oyster sauce, and garlic. This gives it a rich, mouthwatering taste.
Sweet – Brown sugar is commonly added to balance out the spice and saltiness. The sweetness is subtle, but helps round out the sauce.
Sour – Hunan chicken has a slight tang from rice wine vinegar or other acidic ingredients. This brightens up the medley of flavors.
Umami – Umami richness comes through from the chili bean paste, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and aromatics. This gives incredible depth of flavor.
Smoky – Lastly, the wok smoking while stir-frying imparts a wonderful charred, smoky essence.
What Does it Taste Like Compared to Other Dishes?
Hunan chicken is often compared to other popular spicy Chinese chicken dishes, though there are some key differences in taste:
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Kung Pao Chicken – Sweeter in taste, with more pronounced nutty flavor from peanuts. Less numbing spice.
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General Tso’s Chicken – Much thicker, sweeter sauce. Less spicy heat, with spice coming more from ginger.
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Szechuan Chicken – Szechuan peppercorns provide numbing effect. Taste is more sweet, salty, tangy.
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Orange Chicken – Battered and fried chicken with very sweet, citrusy orange sauce.
While Hunan chicken has some similarities to these dishes, it stands out for its intensely spicy, savory, complex chili-based sauce brimming with aromatic spices. The taste is truly unique!
Tips for the Best Flavor
To get the most authentic and flavorful Hunan chicken, keep these tips in mind:
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Use an abundance of fresh chili peppers, such as Thai bird’s eye chilies or red jalapeños
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Include chili bean paste for authentic, savory spiciness
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Use a wok and high heat for proper smoky wok aromas
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Add spices like ginger and garlic liberally
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Use quality soy sauce and rice wine
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Allow the dish to simmer to allow flavors to develop
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Adjust spice level by adding more or less chili peppers
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Garnish with scallions and sesame seeds
Serving Suggestions
Hunan chicken is highly craveable on its own, but also pairs well with:
- Steamed jasmine rice or fried rice
- Vegetable egg rolls or wontons
- Quick-pickled vegetables
- Miso soup
The rice soaks up the flavorful sauce beautifully. Crisp egg rolls provide textural contrast. Tart, crunchy pickled veggies help balance the spicy chicken.
Is it Worth Trying?
If you love bold, spicy flavors and mouthwatering Chinese food, Hunan chicken is a must-try. The complex medley of tastes from the freshly stir-fried peppers, aromatics, and sauce is incredibly addicting. Mix up the veggies to make it your own. Adjust the spice level to your personal tolerance. Just be sure to have some rice and cold drinks on hand to temper the heat! With its memorable spicy-savory-sweet flavor profile, Hunan chicken is a favorite for good reason.
STEP 2: MAKE Hunan SAUCE
- While the chicken is resting, whisk chicken broth, soy sauce, chili bean sauce, oyster sauce, rice wine, ketchup, sesame oil, cornstarch ingredients together in a medium bowl; set aside.
Hunan ChickenHunan Chicken is a favorite Chinese American stir fry made with juicy, thinly sliced chicken breasts, broccoli, carrots, bell peppers and celery blanked in a dynamic savory, spicy, garlic, ginger sauce. This Hunan Chicken recipe allows you to remake this classic in the comfort of your own home and adjust the heat from mild to numbingly hot. You can also swap the vegetables for your favorites or whatever you have on hand. This Hunan Chicken uses the easy restaurant velveting technique to produce undeniably tender, deeply flavorful chicken you will have to taste to believe. I love to serve this Hunan Style Chicken with homemade egg rolls and cream cheese wontons for a complete takeout fakeout feast.
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- 1 lb. chicken breasts thinly sliced
- vegetable, peanut or canola oil
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2-6 red jalapenos peppers, seeded, diced* may sub chili sauce – see notes)**
- 1/2 large yellow onion cut into 1” pieces
- 3 cups broccoli florets bite size
- 3 carrots thinly sliced
- 3 stalks celery sliced 1/2″ thick
- 1 red bell pepper cut into 1” pieces
- 4-6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- Add the velveting ingredients to a large freezer bag or bowl; whisk to combine. Add chicken and turn until evenly coated. Let sit at room temperature while you prep your veggies; preferable 30 minutes (no more). After 30 minutes transfer chicken to a bag with ¼ cup cornstarch and 3 tablespoons flour. Toss to evenly coat.
- Meanwhile, whisk Hunan Sauce ingredients together in a medium bowl; set aside.
- Heat 2 tablespoon oil in a large cast iron skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Once very hot, add chicken in a single layer and cook until golden; flip chicken over and cook an additional minute, until browned on all sides (does not need to be cooked through). Remove chicken to a paper towel lined plate.
- To the now empty skillet (don’t wipe out), heat one tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add red jalapenos, broccoli, carrots, bell peppers, celery and onions. Stir fry until vegetables are crisp tender, about 2-3 minutes. (Don’t over-cook because they will continue to cook in sauce). Add garlic and ginger to the veggies and stir fry 30 seconds.
- Whisk sauce (to recombine) and add to pan along with chicken. Bring the sauce to a boil then reduce to a simmer until sauce has thickened;1-2 minutes.
- Garnish with green onions. Taste and add chili sauce if desired.
Hunan Chicken Recipe (Not your average brown sauce!)
FAQ
What is the difference between General Tso’s and Hunan chicken?
General Tso’s Chicken is battered and deep fried whereas Hunan Chicken is lightly dusted in cornstarch and stir fried or lightly pan fried. General Tso’s Chicken is sweet and mildly spicy, far less spicy than Hunan Chicken, with the zing coming from a generous amount of ginger verses chili peppers.
How does Hunan chicken taste?
On the palate, Hunan dishes are typically some combination of sweet and sour, hot and sour, or hot and spicy. In the case of Hunan chicken, chili heat is met with the savory taste of the Chinese staple doubanjiang fermented bean paste.
Is Szechuan or Hunan better?
The answer comes down to unique preferences. Those who prefer a more intense heat may enjoy Hunan dishes more while those who look for a unique type of spice may look to Szechuan dishes instead.
What is the flavor of Hunan?
Hunan food is characterized by its hot and sour flavor, fresh aroma, greasiness, deep color, and the prominence of the main flavor in the dishes. Hunan food is hot because the climate is very humid, which makes it difficult for human body to eliminate moisture.
What does Hunan chicken taste like?
Hunan cuisine, also known as Xiang cuisine, is one of the Eight Great Traditions of Chinese cuisine (the other eight are: Anhui, Cantonese, Fujian, Jiangsu, Shandong, Szechuan and Zhejiang.). Hunan cuisine is characterized by its bold, slightly tart, spicy flavors from fresh chili peppers, garlic, and shallots.
What does Hunan chicken stir fry taste like?
This slightly spicy Hunan Chicken Chinese stir fry has a mildly spicy, tangy, and lightly sweet flavor that is perfectly balanced. The oyster sauce and soy sauce give it a rich umami, Asian flavor. Sambal oelek gives the sauce it’s spicy, garlicy flavor. The garlic and ginger round out the flavors.
What is Chinese Hunan chicken?
Chinese Hunan chicken is a healthy, popular Chinese-American dish made with tender pieces of chicken stir fried with lots of veggies and tossed in a tangy, sweet, and spicy sauce. The original dish hails from the Hunan province of China is traditionally hot, spicy and loaded with chilies.
Is Hunan chicken spicy?
Hunan Style Chicken is meant to be spicy but it is very EASY to customize the heat. You can keep the recipe flavorful with the chili bean paste, garlic and ginger but use less peppers. MILD HUNAN CHICKEN: Only use 1 red jalapeno pepper or 1 tablespoon Asian chili garlic sauce (like sambal oelek).
What is the difference between Hunan chicken and Szechuan Chicken?
As a result, Szechuan chicken features sweeter and tangier tastes alongside that classic numbing sensation from the Sichuan peppercorns. In this meaty dish, it’s more about the sensory experience, and the heat is more complex but overall less intense than Hunan chicken.
How to cook Hunan style chicken?
It is better to under-cook them when stir frying then allow them to reach desired-crisp tenderness once you add the stir fry sauce. Hunan Style Chicken is meant to be spicy but it is very EASY to customize the heat. You can keep the recipe flavorful with the chili bean paste, garlic and ginger but use less peppers.