Chinese Garlic Chicken (Better Than Takeout)
This Chinese garlic chicken (蒜香鸡腿肉) is juicy chicken in a sticky garlic sauce, and it’s better than takeout. It’s gluten-free, dairy-free, and takes about 20 minutes of hands-on cooking, which makes it a good weeknight dinner for the whole family.
Growing up in China, different versions of this dish were always on our table, and I loved when my dad made it. Every bite takes me right back home. Cooking it now feels like my way of bringing a little piece of home wherever I am.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Recipe Name: 30 Minutes Chinese Garlic Chicken Stir Fry (Better than Takeout)
- Ready In: 20 minutes
- Serves: 6 servings
- Main Ingredients: chicken thighs (or breast), scallion (chopped), red bell pepper (optional), neutral cooking oil (like avocado oil), cloves of garlic (~2.5 tbsp minced), inch of fresh ginger (~ 1/2 tbsp minced), arrowroot starch, coconut aminos
- Why You'll Love It: This authentic Chinese garlic chicken is better than take-out! So flavorful and can be made in 30 minutes. It is the perfect weeknight dinner recipe for the whole family to enjoy.
What Makes This Garlic Chicken Special
This recipe starts from my dad’s version, with a few changes that fit busy mom life:
- Coconut aminos instead of soy sauce. Lower sodium and gluten-free, without losing flavor.
- Arrowroot starch instead of cornstarch. It coats the chicken to keep it juicy, and it turns the sauce glossy and thick.
- Garlic and ginger go into the hot oil first. It’s the same “Qiang Guo” (炝锅) step I use in my garlic tofu stir fry, and it flavors everything that follows.
- Flexible protein. Boneless chicken thighs are the juiciest. Chicken breast works too.
The result is a restaurant-style garlic stir fry that’s rich, garlicky, and balanced between sweet, salty and umami. minimal chopping, a quick marinade, and just a few pantry staples, you’ll have dinner on the table in just about 30 minutes.
Before You Start, Here Are My Top Tips to Get Juicy Chicken and a Sticky Sauce:
- Cut even cubes. Pieces about 1 inch wide cook at the same speed.
- Work the starch in. Mix until no clumps are left, so the coating is even.
- Don’t crowd the pan. If your pan is small, cook the chicken in two batches so it sears instead of steams.
- Whisk the sauce right before you pour it. The arrowroot sinks to the bottom.
- Turn the heat to low for the sauce. Stir for about a minute until it turns sticky, then turn it off.
- Check the temperature. Chicken is done at 165°F inside.
Important Ingredients and Substitutions
- Coconut aminos: Usually available at most grocery stores, sometimes in the International aisle. It’s slightly sweeter and less salty than soy sauce. If you use regular soy sauce, start with less and taste as you go.
- Arrowroot starch: Also available at most grocery stores, but if you can’t find it, cornstarch works in the same amount.
- Shaoxing wine: optional, and it adds depth. It can be kind of hard to find so I always include it here! Most Shaoxing wine contains wheat, so skip it or check the label if you’re gluten-free.
Now Let me Show you How to Make It
Then, mince or finely chop the garlic and ginger and set aside.
Chop the scallions and separate the green and white parts, set aside.
Do not overcrowd the pan while cooking the chicken. Time may vary depending on the size of the chicken cubes.
My Favorite Way to Serve It
I love serving this Chinese Garlic Chicken steamed Jasmin rice, which is the traditional way to enjoy it. Readers have added mushrooms, baby corn, sugar snap peas and extra bell pepper. One reader cooked the vegetables separately, then stirred them into the chicken and sauce. For a vegetarian version, try my garlic tofu stir fry.
You can also try it with my classic fried rice, or quinoa fried rice, or if you’re making a bigger Chinese dinner, add crispy rice paper dumplings or fresh shrimp spring rolls on the side.
Looking for a little contrast in texture and style? Try pairing this warm stir fry with a cold Chinese style salad. This Chinese Spicy Cucumber Salad is refreshing and easy to come together. I LOVE serving it along side of the garlic chicken!
More Chinese Chicken Dinners
Want to grill instead? My Asian grilled chicken thighs use my easy Chinese chicken marinade, and you can freeze portions of the marinated chicken for busy nights. Another favorite is my sticky ginger chicken stir fry, and my sesame noodles with chicken make it a one-pan meal.
Storage and Reheating
Fridge: 2 to 3 days in an airtight container.
Freezer: up to 1 month. Portion it out for quick lunches or dinners.
FAQ
Can I use chicken breast instead of thighs? Yes. Thighs stay juicier, but breast works if you cut even cubes and don’t overcook it. Cook until the inside reaches 165°F.
Can I use regular soy sauce? Yes, but use less, since it’s saltier than coconut aminos. Add a little at a time and taste.
Why isn’t my sauce thickening? Whisk the sauce again right before you pour it, since the arrowroot settles. Then turn the heat to low and stir for about a minute until it gets sticky.
Is it gluten-free? Yes, as long as you skip the Shaoxing wine or use a gluten-free one. Coconut aminos replaces soy sauce, and arrowroot replaces cornstarch.
Can I make it ahead? Leftovers keep 2 to 3 days in the fridge and up to 1 month in the freezer.
Can I make it with tofu? Yes, but the technique is different, so I’d follow the garlic tofu stir fry from the variations section above instead.
Scroll down to the full recipe, give it a try tonight, and tag me on Instagram. I’d love to see your version!
Get the recipe:30 Minutes Chinese Garlic Chicken Stir Fry (Better than Takeout)
Ingredients
- 1 – 1.5 lb chicken thighs, or breast
- 1 stalk scallion, chopped
- 1/2 red bell pepper, optional
- 3- 4 tbsp neutral cooking oil, like avocado oil
- 5 medium cloves of garlic, ~2.5 tbsp minced
- 1 inch of fresh ginger, ~ 1/2 tbsp minced
Marinade
- 1.5 tbsp arrowroot starch
- 3-4 tbsp coconut aminos
- 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
- 2 tbsp Shaoxing Wine, Optional
Stir fry Sauce
- 1/3 cup coconut aminos
- 1/3 cup water or chicken broth
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1.5 tbsp arrowroot starch
- 2 tbsp honey or coconut sugar, omit for Whole30 and Keto option
Equipment
Instructions
- Start with cutting the chicken into 1-inch cubes.
- In a large mixing bowl, wisk together the marinade using coconut aminos, arrowroot starch, and salt. Add the chicken to the marinade. Cover and marinate for at least 20 minutes.
- Mince the garlic, and fresh ginger. Chop the scallions and separate the green and white parts. Thinly slice the red bell pepper. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the stir fry sauce using coconut aminos, water, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey (if using any), and arrowroot starch.
- Heat 2 – 3 tbsp neutral oil in a skillet on medium to high heat.
- Once the oil is warm, add in white part of the scallion and the red pepper for 45 seconds to 1 minute.
- Add the minced garlic, ginger to the skillet to cook for another 30 – 45 seconds (before the garlic starts to burn/brown), then push it to the side of the pan.
- Add in 2 – 3 tbsp neutral cooking oil if needed. Then add in the chicken. mix in the chicken. Sear each side of the chicken until it is fully cooked. Internal temperautre should reach 160F. (It is perfectly fine to start mixing in the other ingredients we pushed aside).
- Once the chicken cubes are fully cooked, slowly pour in the Chinese stir fry sauce into the pan (whisk the sauce before pouring the ensure it si well combined).
- Turn down the heat to low and continue to stir and cook the garlic chicken stir fry for 1 minute or until the sauce starts to thicken up and become sticky.
- Lastly, turn off the heat, garnish with the green parts of the scallion. Enjoy!
Notes
Perfect for meal prep — make a big batch, portion it out, and reheat for quick lunches or dinners. Fridge: 2–3 days in an airtight container
The Nutrition Facts above are specific to the ingredients I chose to use for this recipe, which may vary.
Just made this. I added some mushrooms and baby corn. It was delicious!
Great recipe. I make IT from time to time. Thanks and greets from Poland 🙂
Hi there!
We are so happy you enjoyed this recipe 🙂 Happy Cooking!
-Constance
Delicious! I added lots of veggies and it will make several meals for me. Thank you for a great recipe!
these were a dreamy chocolatey treat. really got me going the rest of the day. will definitely make them many times in the near future. this recipe is a keeper.
Hi Wayne!
Glad you enjoyed, did you mean to put this on a different post? 🙂
Happy Cooking!
-Constance
Delicious! Even our kids who are quite picky loved it!
Delicious! Cooked our veggies separately and did two bell peppers and a bag of sugar snap peas chopped up then added into the chicken and sauce mixture. Served over rice and this was a hit!! I did use normal white cooking wine in place of the Shaoxing wine. Love how easy and simple
Hey I have made this recipe several times and absolutely love it. It taste just as good if not better than my favorite Chinese restaurant. My question is can you tell me what the serving size is? Thank you so much.
Hi Melissa!
In the recipe card it shares the “yielded” amount, which is the serving size. You should be able to get 4-6 meals out of the recipe!
Hope this helps 🙂
-Constance
Nice
This is super amazing and truly better than take out. I didn’t do red peppers or whine and it still tirned out amazing!
Hi Aimee,
I’m so so happy to hear that!! Hope it made your weeknight that much better 🙂
Shuang