This post Velveting Chicken: How Chinese restaurants can tenderize chicken! This page was last updated on 2022.
Notice how tender the chicken stir-fries at your favorite Chinese restaurant are? It’s because they tenderise chicken using a simple method called Velveting Chicken using baking soda.
It’s a quick and easy method that any home cook can do, and can also be used for beef. Use this for all your favourite Chinese chicken dishes, like Cashew Chicken, Chicken Stir Fry, Chow Mein and Kung Pao Chicken. This is a gamechanger!
This is a closely guarded Chinese restaurant secret that’s going to revolutionise your stir fries and stir fried noodles that you make with chicken breast.
It’s called “Velvety chicken” and it’s the Chinese way to tenderise chicken breast so it’s Incredible tenderness and delicious flavor.
Velveting Chicken: Tenderise chicken, the Chinese restaurant way!
Here’s how to velvet chicken:
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Toss each 250g/8oz piece of chicken breast with 3/4 tsp baking soda.
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Marinate for 20 Minutes
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Run water to rinse, then use a paper towel to dry the excess water.
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Cook per chosen recipe and marvel at the most tender chicken breast you’ve ever had, Just like in Chinese restaurants!!
I only tenderise chicken breast because it’s so lean. Chicken thighs are too tender and juicy for me to tenderize.
What is the taste of Velvet Chicken?
Velveting chicken doesn’t add any flavor so it tastes like normal chicken. It is the TextureThis is what causes the chicken to become so soft. The chicken fibers are removed, so it becomes softer inside and out. “Velvet” like – hence the name!
How do Chinese Restaurants tenderize chicken?
There are many ways to cook chicken in a Chinese restaurant.
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After marinating, prepare a cornstarch/cornflour batter slurry and then deep fry or blanch in water.
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egg whites – sometimes the above method is also done using egg whites
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Chemical tenderiser
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simple baking soda / bi carbonate method
I use the baking soda method which is the technique I’m sharing today because it’s the most fuss free and just as effective as the cornstarch method which I’ve tried numerous times, using various combinations (egg whites, no egg whites, shoaxing wine, deep frying, water blanching).
How to cook velveted Chicken
Once your chicken has been velveted you can marinate it in liquid, or dry flavorings. You can then cook the chicken as directed by the recipe.
Tenderised chicken may be:
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cooked in a skillet or wok – in stir fries and stir fried noodles;
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cooked in broth – it would be ideal to add into Chinese Chicken and Corn Soup, Just drop it in raw, it will cook in 2 minutes; or
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Deep fried
I personally do not bake chicken pieces for Chinese recipes, but I see no reason why it wouldn’t work.
Recipes for tenderised chicken
I’m sharing this recipe today with Chinese stir fries and stir fried noodles in mind. You can use it for any other purpose. any recipe – even non Asian ones – that is made with chicken strips or bite size pieces because the tenderising process doesn’t add any flavour to the chicken.
My All Purpose Peanut Sauce and Chinese Stir Fry Sauce can be used to make your own stir-fry.
Some Chinese takeout favorites that can be made with velveted chicken include the following:
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Cashew Chicken (above)
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Chicken Chow Mein
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Kung Pao Chicken (below)
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Below is Chop Suey Chicken Stir Fry
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Chinese Satay Chicken Stir Fry
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Chicken Rice Noodle Stir Fry
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Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir Fry
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Incorporate into Fried Rice
It can be used in soups as an alternative to poaching whole chicken breasts. It takes just 2 minutes to cook the tenderised strips of chicken in the broth.
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Soup made with Chinese Chicken Corn
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Hot and Sour Soup
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Chinese Noodle Soup
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Laksa (I know this isn’t Chinese, but it’s terrific in Laksa)
I hope this helps! I’ve been jamming directions for how to tenderise chicken into every stir fry recipe I’ve shared since the beginning of time. And it’s way long overdue for me to write up a separate post for it! – Nagi x
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How to Tenderise Chicken Stir Fries (Chinese secret)
SCALE recipe – Click on servings and slide
Ingredients
- 250 g / 8 oz Chicken breast slices or bite-sized pieces (Note 1: Note the whole pieces)
- 3/4 tsp baking soda (bi-carb/bi-carbonate)
Instructions
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Bake the chicken in an oven-proof bowl.
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Toss the mixture with your fingers so that it coats as evenly as possible.
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Put in the refrigerator for 20 minutes for slices and 30 for bite-sized pieces.
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Use a colander to rinse off baking soda.
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Then shake off excess water.
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Use as directed in chosen recipe – stir fries and noodles (see in post for suggested recipes). You can marinate, cook on the stove, deep fry, or simmer in broth.
Recipe Notes
1. Use slices only and bite-sized pieces This method of tenderising chicken is suitable for sliced or small bite size pieces of chicken, not a whole breast or thigh fillet.The baking soda is too strong and will over tenderise the outside before the inside is tenderised.
A marinade (such as this one) can be used to tenderize a whole breast filet. Or, you can use a dry brine (such as the method in this Chicken Parmigiana Recipe).
General Notes:
- I let the chicken marinate for over an hour and it has been perfect. Although it was slightly more tender than I expected, it wasn’t too hard.
- Tenderize breast and tenderloin only. I don’t believe chicken thigh requires it. It’s already juicy enough.
- Although I cannot prove it, I believe the shelf life for raw chickens is slightly shorter. I prefer to use it within 24hrs – or freeze it.
