Best Chinese Honey Chicken and Rice: dinner in 20 minutes!

Hands down, this is my family's favorite meal. I developed this method of cooking chicken to imitate the Pei Wei honey chicken and Panda Express Orange Chicken, but without the fat from frying. I love this recipe because it is so fast and easy, and because this method of cooking chicken is low fat yet tastes so good. For those cooks, like me, who sometimes forget to take the chicken out of the freezer in time, I should mention that you can make my honey chicken from chunks of still frozen chicken (I know because I've done it plenty of times). Another bonus is that you can use the same method to make all sorts of different meals. In fact, I often cook up the chicken and then make 2-4 different dishes at the same time. You can also use this method of cooking chicken for Orange Chicken, Kung Pao and Sweet and Sour! If you don't like chicken, or want some variation in the meat, you can also use pork. I give instructions for the variations below.

Honey Chicken

1-2 pounds of chicken or pork cut into 1" cubes (frozen or partly frozen is fine)

1/4 to 1/2 cup of cornstarch (you can also use flour, but it isn't as crispy)

1 tea. garlic salt

1/2 tea. powdered ginger (optional--gives a stronger Asian taste, but my kids don't like it)

1/3 to 1/2 cup Honey (I don't really measure, but just pour into pan until I have as much sauce as I want)

See the photos to the side for step by step picture instructions.

1. Cut chicken into cubes on cutting board.

2. Sprinkle meat with cornstarch. Mix together until the pieces are covered.

3. Heat up pan and put in the chicken (You can add a little oil if you want, but you really don't need it).

4. Stir and fry until chicken is just done through. This takes about 7 minutes. If you cover the pan, it can go faster but the chicken won't be as crispy. Also, if your chicken is frozen, it will take a bit longer and not be quite as crispy.

5. Just as chicken is done, pour on the Honey (I usually don't measure it but just pour from the Honey container), or other sauce. Cook until it starts to bubble.

6. Serve over rice or noodles (see recipes below).

7. You can save to re-heat later and it still tastes great, although it loses the crispy skin.

Variations:

1. Orange Chicken: Cook as above but put on Panda Express Orange Chicken Sauce (or other orange chicken sauce) instead of Honey.

2. Kung Pao chicken. Cook chicken as above. When just cooked, put in a bowl. Stir fry 1 cup onions and 1/2 cup chopped bell peppers (I like red and green for color). Put those on top of the chicken in the bowl. Put 1/2 cup of peanuts or cashews in pan and stir fry until you get a good aroma. Put the chicken, onion and pepper mixture back in the pan and combine. Pour on commercial Kung Pao sauce or use my home made version (very good!).

Kung Pao Sauce

mix together in a small bowl:

1 1/2 TB soy sauce

2 TB sherry

1 tea. chicken bouillon

1 TB vinegar (red or rice)

2 tea. sugar

1 tea. ginger

1 TB corn starch

Pour on top of chicken, onion, pepper and peanut/cashew mixture and cook until bubbling and thick.

3. Sweet and Sour. Cook Chicken as above. Put in bowl. Stir fry 1 cup onions and 1/2 cup chopped bell peppers (I like red and green for color). Put those on top of the chicken in the bowl. Cook 1 cup pineapples (fresh is nice but canned works too). Add the chicken, onion and pepper mixture back in the pan and combine. Pour on a jar of Sweet and Sour sauce. Cook until bubbling and serve on rice.

Perfect Rice

Of course if you have a rice cooker, you can use that, but a Chinese friend of mine told me how to cook perfect rice years ago and it works every time.

2 cups water

1 cup rice

1 tea. salt

Put water and salt in a saucepan. When water boils, put in rice and stir. Turn heat to low and cover the pan. Set timer for 18 minutes. If you start the rice before cooking your chicken, they should be done at just the same time--dinner in less than 20 minutes!

Easy Chinese Noodles

3 cups Cooked Spagetti or Chinese Noodles

1 TB sesame oil (or vegetable oil)

1-3 cups of chopped vegetables like onions, bean sprouts, grated carrots, bok choy, water chestnuts or bamboo shoots (I use whatever I have in the refrigerator or cupboard!)

Mix together for sauce: 2 TB soy sauce, 2 TB chicken bouillon, 2 TB sherry or other wine

Heat oil in the skillet. Add cooked noodles and stir until heated through. Put noodles in a container. Add vegetables to the skillet (thicker ones first) and stir fry until almost cooked through. Put the noodles back in and mix together and heat until vegetables are just done. Pour on the sauce mixture and cook until it bubbles. Serve separately or with Honey Chicken on top.