P.F. Chang's Spicy Chicken
The sweet and spicy zing in the secret sauce sets this recipe apart as one of P. F. Chang's top picks. And it's not hard to clone if you're looking for something to do with those chicken breasts sitting in the fridge. If you can't find straight chili sauce for this recipe, the more common chili sauce with garlic in it will work just as well.
The sweet and spicy zing in the secret sauce sets this recipe apart as one of P. F. Chang's top picks. And it's not hard to clone if you're looking for something to do with those chicken breasts sitting in the fridge. If you can't find straight chili sauce for this recipe, the more common chili sauce with garlic in it will work just as well.
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons chopped garlic (3 to 4 cloves)
- 3 tablespoons chopped green onions ( i leave these out)
- 2 tablespoons chili sauce
- 1 teaspoon soya sauce
- 4 teaspoons granulated sugar
- Carbohydrate 15.7218220200788 g
- Cholesterol 70.3087499946289 mg
- Fat 44.8777156698066 g
- Fiber 0.377656201842014 g
- Protein 27.7427406111195 g
- Saturated Fat 3.95102297073295 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (263g)
- Sodium 104.756499474607 mg
- Sugar 15.3441658182368 g
- Trans Fat 1.02985109414513 g
- Calories 576 calories
Step-by-step
- Make the sauce by heating 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in medium saucepan. Sauté the garlic and onion in the oil for just a few seconds, not allowing the ingredients to burn, then quickly add the pineapple juice, followed by chili sauce, vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce.
- Dissolve cornstarch in 2 tablespoons water and add it to the other ingredients in the saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil and continue to simmer on medium/high heat for 3 to 5 minutes or until thick and syrupy.
- Heat 1 cup vegetable oil in a wok or a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- While oil heats up, chop chicken breast fillets into bite-size pieces. In a medium bowl, toss chicken pieces with cornstarch until well-dusted.
- Sauté coated chicken in the hot oil, stirring occasionally, until light brown. Remove chicken to a rack or paper towels to drain for a moment. Pour chicken into a medium bowl, add sauce and toss well to coat chicken. Serve immediately with rice on the side.
Why is the sauce watery instead of glossy? The failure almost always traces back to an under-reduced liquid or an incorrect starch slurry ratio. Achieving that distinct, syrupy restaurant coating requires careful temperature management during both the reduction phase and the subsequent frying step.
The Mechanics of Starch and Sizzle
Proteins coated in dry starches need immediate, uniform heat to set the crust before the moisture inside turns the coating gummy. Dredge the chicken pieces thoroughly in cornstarch, shaking off the excess to prevent clumping in the oil. When frying, maintain the oil temperature around 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Overcrowding the pan drops the temperature too quickly, resulting in pale, greasy meat rather than a crisp exterior. For the sauce, the cornstarch slurry must hit a rolling boil to activate its thickening properties fully. Simmer the mixture for a solid three to five minutes until it coats the back of a spoon cleanly.
- If chili sauce with garlic is used instead of plain chili sauce, reduce the added fresh garlic slightly to prevent harshness.
- Drain fried chicken strictly on a wire rack rather than paper towels to preserve airflow and keep the bottom crust from steaming.
- Keep the heat at medium-high when reducing the pineapple juice base to avoid scorching the high sugar content.
