Chop Suey – a saucy chicken stir fry loaded with tender pieces of chicken, vegetables and smothered in Chinese brown sauce just like you get at the best Chinese restaurants! Use any vegetables you want in this quick and easy stir fry.
This recipe also shares two little known Chinese restaurant secrets so you can make a stir fry that genuinely is as good as your favourite take out!
Chop Suey – Chicken Stir Fry
Chop Suey is just a slightly westernised version of a classic, basic Chinese stir fry. Because of this, there really aren’t hard and fast rules about what goes in it, but the general characteristic is that the sauce is a fairly light brown colour, there is plenty of it (and you know I love my sauce!!) and it’s pretty thick so it clings to your rice or noodles.
How to make a Chop Suey that’s REALLY restaurant quality
If you’ve ever wondered why your stir fries aren’t quite as tasty as what you get from (good) Chinese restaurants, here are the two things you’ve probably been missing:
Secret 1 – Chinese Cooking Wine
Chinese cooking wine (or Shaoxing Wine) is the secret ingredient in almost every Chinese recipe that’s used by the gallon in Chinese restaurants around the world! It adds depth and complexity of flavour into even the most simple sauces with just a small amount. Read more about it here, including why it’s so important, the difference it makes in recipes and the best substitutes.
Best substitutes for Chinese Cooking Wine – Mirin or dry sherry.
Best non alcoholic substitute for Chop Suey is to use chicken broth (liquid chicken stock) in place of water in the sauce.
Secret 2 – Tenderised Chicken
Have you noticed that the chicken in Chinese restaurants is incredibly soft and almost “velvety”? It’s because restaurants “velvet” the chicken (that’s the term that is used).
There are a few ways to do this, but I like using a simple method where the chicken is coated in a small amount of baking soda (bi-carb), left for 20 minutes to tenderise, then rinsed before cooking in the stir fry. It’s the easiest and least effort for home cooking – and 100% effect.
Velveting is optional if using chicken thighs because it’s a juicy cut. But if you are using chicken breast or tenderloins and you choose to tenderise it, you are going to be amazed how juicy and tender the chicken is.
Read more about this – Velveting: Chinese Restaurant Way to Tenderise Chicken.
What goes in Chop Suey
I’ve make Chop Suey with ingredients that are commonly used by Chinese restaurants – Asian greens (Choi Sum), bean sprouts, carrots and mushrooms. But feel free to use whatever vegetables you want!
How to make Chop Suey
Chop Suey is a 5 minute stir fry that starts off by sautéing garlic and onion before adding vegetables in the order in which they cook. Vegetables that take longer to cook go in first, and more delicate vegetables (like leafy greens) go in last.
Then the sauce is added, simmered for just a minute or two so it thickens, then served immediately over rice to soak up all that tasty sauce!
What to serve with Chop Suey
With all that tasty sauce, Chop Suey demands to be served with rice! Though if you’re looking for a low carb option, cauliflower rice is a terrific alternative.
If you’re making this as part of a larger banquet or you want to make a menu to serve 4+ people, try adding some of these other dishes to your menu:
If you’re new to this Chop Suey recipe, be prepared to be amazed how similar it really is to Chinese takeout.
“It’s just like the stir fries at Golden Century Chinese Restaurant!!”, first timers exclaim.
Or Golden Palace or Golden Pearl or Golden Wheel or Golden Unicorn or Golden Dragon.
Ahh, Chinese restaurant names, they provide much amusement. But that’s a story for another time! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Chop Suey – Chicken Stir Fry
Ingredients
Optional Tenderised Chicken (Note 1):
- 180g (6oz ) chicken breast , thinly sliced
- 1/2 tsp baking soda / bi-carb (optional, Note 1)
Sauce (or use Charlie, Note 2):
- 1 tbsp cornflour / corn starch
- 1 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce , or all purpose soy(Note 3)
- 1 tbsp Oyster Sauce (Note 4)
- 1 tbsp Chinese Cooking Wine OR Mirin (Note 5)
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil (optional)
- Dash of white pepper (or black)
- 3/4 cup (185 ml) water
Stir Fry:
- 1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil (or other cooking oil)
- 2 garlic cloves , finely chopped
- 1/2 onion , sliced (white, brown, yellow)
- 5 – 6 stems choy sum (or other Asian greens)
- 1 medium carrot
- 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms (shiitake is authentic, but any will do)
- 1 cup bean sprouts
Instructions
“Velvet” Chicken (optional, Note 1)
- Place chicken in a bowl, sprinkle over baking soda. Use your fingers to mix then set aside for 20 minutes, no longer than 30 minutes (can get too tender). Rinse well, pat excess water with paper towels, set aside (see video).
Prep Ingredients:
- Sauce: Place cornflour and soy sauce in a bowl. Mix until lump free. Then add remaining Sauce ingredients and stir.
- Chop choy sum: Trim end off choy sum. Then cut into 7cm (3") pieces. Separate stems from leaves.
- Chop carrot – Peel then cut into 3cm (1.3") pieces. Then slice the pieces thinly.
Stir Fry:
- Heat oil in a wok or skillet over high heat. Add garlic, stir quickly, then add onion, Cook for 1 minute, moving constantly, until onion is starting to wilt.
- Add chicken, cook for 1 minute until the surface changes from pink to white.
- Add choy sum stems, carrot and mushrooms. Stir fry for 1 minute.
- Add choy sum leaves, bean sprouts and Sauce. Stir fry for 1 to 2 minutes until the Sauce thickens to a thick syrup consistency. Vegetables should still be tender/crisp, not soggy and soft.
- Serve immediately with rice (for low carb, low cal option, try Cauliflower Rice!)
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Originally published November 2017, modified October 2018, and updated March 2020 with new photos and video! No change to the recipe!
More stir fry favourites!
Life of Dozer
This big furry head was just out of frame in every photo in this post…..
So simple and yet so delicious – Healthy but super tasty. Big winner in our house. Thanks Nagi once again for another amazing recipe!
I love chinese food & always trying to find good recipes that actually turn out good, I made this one & was very impressed! I’m going to try more of your recipes
Nagi, everything I make has been sensational. This is no exception, so simple yet full of flavour. Thanks again.
Thanks so much Heidi, that’s great to hear! N x
Hi Nagi, I can only get the tinned version of bean sprouts from my local shop, are these still good? would I need to do anything differently in prepping them?
I just found your youtube vids and subbed. In future, would you mind listing the songs in your vid description pretty please? Love those little jazz tunes. 🙂
Kind regards.
Hi Nagi. This, like all of your recipes look amazing ! Can’t wait to make this one. I usually place my bean sprouts in a bowl of cold water to keep them crispy before i make chop suey. Do you think this is necessary to keep them from being soggy and soft or is the fact that you only stir fry for 1-2 minutes the reason they don’t get soggy and soft ?
Hi Nagi. Debbie T here. I did crisp my bean sprouts as usually needed for chop suey and definitely did not need to. My chop suey came out a little too watery but it was delicious. Family had it over rice with broccoli on the side. I had it like soup. Yummy ! Thanks for another great recipe !
Never in my whole life my dad told me I cook delicious, not until I made the Honey garlic chicken and this! Nagi, you are heaven sent! I never liked cooking until Ive tried all your great recipes! Now, I am happy whenever I cook food for my family, because I got your brilliant recipes! Thank you Nagi!
Hi! can this be done with pork? if so, can it be tenderised the same way as the chicken?
kind regards!
Yes definitely! Same method Fernando! N x
Thanks Nagi for another winner!
Really good recipe that was liked by everyone. Which is amazing.
Children even ate the choy sum without complaining. Which is another miracle.
Loved the sauce, it always smells so boozy and strong but it cooks out to deliciousness.
I used a mandolin to get my slices very thin, and used onion, carrot, capsicum but I would definitely use bean sprouts if I had them. Also there was plenty of sauce for noodles, I added some hokkien.
My chicken hater ate it happily and has taken leftovers for lunch today. So, right there, heavy praise!
Well, you’ve inspired me to get my Asian cooking back on track! I’ve ordered a list of staple sauces and here I am, making my beloved recipes at home, as frequently and easily as I dreamt.
I appreciate your logical approach for each recipe, no waste & efficient style. I’m forwarding your website to everyone who wants to put tasty home made meals on the table while enjoying plenty of meaningful free time with their loved ones.
Thank you!
Me fascina la comida china
Me fascina la comida asiatica quisiera contar con todis los ingredientes chinos para preparar mas platillos.
Another cracker of a recipe, we loved it. Thanks Nagi, you’re a superstar.
Thanks so much Sherry! N x
The best stir fry sauce. I’ve made this three times in a week and it’s going to be my go to now. I’ve made it with hokkien noodles and just double the sauce to make it more saucy and it was so good
Anytime my family really likes a meal I cook they ask if the recipe came from recipetineats! Thank you Nagi for your delicious and easy recipes. It makes cooking form my family of 10 so much easier. You brought joy back to my cooking.
Hi Nagi, I absolutely love this recipe! Myself & a bunch of my girlfriends have planned a trip away & your recipes are going to be a big part of it! Lol only problem is one of my friends has an allergy to gluten & cant have the chinese cooking wine & I’m now stumped😳 I’ve read it can be substituted in most recipes with dry sherry & I’m wondering would that work for this recipe & if so is there a sherry you would recommend using that is easily found in Australia? Please help! X
Hi Lynette, dry sherry is the best sub – grab a bottle of Golden Oak from Dan Myrphy’s – it’s only about $7 or so! N x
This was delicious! So quick and easy, thank you!
Hello I have been dreaming about all of your recipes as it is Ramadan in Morocco !!
I would love to try this but I’m not sure that I can find the Asian vegetables. Can I replace with spinach?
Hi Mimi, any Asian green or even spinach will be fine here, it’s such a versatile recipe 🙂 N x
Made this recipe last night and Hubby and I LOVED IT! Your cooking videos are just fabulous. I think I’ve tried one of your recipes every night for the last 10 evenings and everything has been delicious.
That’s so wonderful to hear Hayley, thanks so much! N x
You are the best! Chop suey is a Mauritian favourite in our ‘bol renversé’. That velveting technique is amazing!! Will definitely be cooking chicken breast more often! Can’t wait to try it on lamb for a cumin lamb stir fry. Which brings me to ask if you have a recipe for Chinese cumin lamb stir fry you would kindly consider posting? Thanks Nagi!
Hi Nagi, I love all of your recipes I have tried so far but unfortunately I bombed with this one. I know it is something I did wrong. I was cooking for 4 people and the recipient said 1.5 cup of water, I found the sauce didn’t thicken at all and it was more a soup. Do I use too much water or was the pan not hot enough when I added the water?