Sha Cha Chicken Recipe: A Classic for the Festive Season!
The glaze on the Sha Cha chicken pieces and the aroma of the dish are something to die for. Its lushness will bring warmth and the flavorful chicken will melt in your mouth. Despite being an all-time favorite in Chinese households, it is frequently made during the holiday or the festive season.
Let me tell you the most authentic Sha Cha Chicken recipe my predecessors passed me on. As this dish doesn’t need continuous concentration, it would be a good choice when you have a lot of recipes to prepare. Read till the end and try making this dish at home.
Table of Contents
Sha Cha Chicken Recipe Overview
Know the preparation time, cooking time, and other factors so that you can plan your time in the kitchen better.
| Cuisine: Chinese | Difficulty: Medium | ||
| Total Time: 35 minutes | |||
| Serving | Preparation Time | Cooking Time | Calories |
| 4 persons | 20 minutes | 15 minutes | 251 kcal |
Ingredients Needed for the Sha Cha Chicken Recipe
This dish requires very little and common ingredients. Almost all of the following ingredients should be easily available in a Chinese kitchen.
Main Ingredients for the Recipe
- Chicken: Take half a chicken or approximately 600g of chicken. You can use chicken breast cut into strips or chicken thighs and legs with bones. Bone-in pieces give a better flavor. Also, you can keep the skin on if you are using chicken legs or thighs.
- Sha Cha Powder: Use 1 tbsp of Sha Cha powder. It adds an exotic meaty flavor to the dish.
- Corn Starch: 1 tsp of corn starch to thicken up the sauce.
- Peanut Oil: Use 1-2 tsp of peanut oil. The peanut oil adds a distinct flavor and aroma.
- Ginger: About 50g of ginger cut into large chunks
- Garlic: 8-10 cloves of garlic, peeled
- Shallots: 6-8 small shallots, peeled
- Scallions: 1/4 (one-fourth) cup of thinly sliced scallions
Sauces and Seasonings for the Recipe
- Soy Sauce: 1 tsp. You can use the light or dark sauce.
- Salt: 1/2 (half) tsp of salt
- Sugar: 1/2 (half) tsp of sugar
- Rice Wine: 2-3 tbsp of rice wine
Sha Cha Chicken Recipe: Step-by-Step Instructions
You need to cook this dish in a clay pot. If a clay pot isn’t available, a thick bottom wok will also work. Here are the detailed steps for making this delicious chicken dish.
Step 1: Prepare the Chicken
I recommend using bone-in chicken to make the dish a lot more delicious. Clean the chicken thoroughly and pat it dry to remove the excess moisture. Cut the chicken into about 3-inch long strips or chunks.
Step 2: Marinate the Chicken
Take the chicken in a medium bowl. Add 1/2 of salt, 1/2 tsp of sugar, and 1 tsp of soy sauce to the chicken. Then, put 1 tbsp of Sha Cha powder, 1 tsp of corn starch, and 1 tsp of peanut oil into the bowl.
Mix everything well so that the chicken is properly coated with the spices. Let the marinated chicken rest for at least 15 minutes. You can also keep the marinated chicken in the refrigerator.
Step 3: Heat Up the Clay Pot
Place a medium clay pot or heavy-bottomed wok on the stove. Keep the flame high so that the pot quickly becomes hot enough. Then, add 1 tsp of peanut oil to the pot. Let the oil heat until it becomes a bit pale and starts to smoke.
Step 4: Fry the Fragrant Spices
Put the ginger, garlic, shallots, and scallions into the oil. If the oil is hot enough, the spices will start sizzling. Fry the spices for at least 1-2 minutes or until the raw smell of the spices is gone.
Step 5: Cook the Chicken
The chicken will be cooked in two stages. When the ginger, garlic, and scallions become a bit soft, add the marinated chicken to the pot. Mix everything well to incorporate the spices with the marinated chicken. Continue stirring the chicken over high heat for about two minutes to sear it properly.
The searing is very important because it will enhance the color and the flavor of the chicken. After two minutes, put the lid on.
Step 6: Pour the Rice Wine
After you cover the pot with the lid, pour 2-3 tbsp of rice wine on the edge of the lid. It will allow the rice wine to seep into the pot and enhance the aroma. At this point, turn the heat to medium and continue baking the chicken for about 10-12 minutes.
Step 7: Take the Pot Off and Serve Delicious Chicken
When the aroma fills the air and the sauce thickens up, your Sha Cha Chicken is ready. Take the pot off the stove and let the dish rest for about 5 minutes. Then, plate the chicken nicely and garnish it with some sliced scallions. This meat dish goes well with any rice dish.
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Nutrition Facts of Sha Cha Chicken Recipe
I want to give a disclaimer here. As I am no professional nutritionist, the nutritional value provided here might not be highly accurate. This is just a general estimate of the amount of nutrients present in the dish. The amount can vary depending on the type and quantity of ingredients you use.
- Total Carbohydrates: 6g
- Protein: 25g
- Total Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 4g
- Total Dietary Fiber: 1g
- Total Sugar: 2g
- Cholesterol: 73mg
- Sodium: 218mg
- Potassium: 470mg
- Vitamin A: 185IU
- Vitamin C: 4.9mg
- Calcium: 21mg
- Iron: 0.6mg
Sha Cha Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- I recommend using bone-in chicken to make the dish a lot more delicious. Clean the chicken thoroughly and pat it dry to remove the excess moisture. Cut the chicken into about 3-inch long strips or chunks.
- Take the chicken in a medium bowl. Add 1/2 of salt, 1/2 tsp of sugar, and 1 tsp of soy sauce to the chicken. Then, put 1 tbsp of Sha Cha powder, 1 tsp of corn starch, and 1 tsp of peanut oil into the bowl.
- Mix everything well so that the chicken is properly coated with the spices. Let the marinated chicken rest for at least 15 minutes. You can also keep the marinated chicken in the refrigerator.
- Place a medium clay pot or heavy-bottomed wok on the stove. Keep the flame high so that the pot quickly becomes hot enough. Then, add 1 tsp of peanut oil to the pot. Let the oil heat until it becomes a bit pale and starts to smoke.
- Put the ginger, garlic, shallots, and scallions into the oil. If the oil is hot enough, the spices will start sizzling. Fry the spices for at least 1-2 minutes or until the raw smell of the spices is gone.
- The chicken will be cooked in two stages. When the ginger, garlic, and scallions become a bit soft, add the marinated chicken to the pot. Mix everything well to incorporate the spices with the marinated chicken. Continue stirring the chicken over high heat for about two minutes to sear it properly.
- The searing is very important because it will enhance the color and the flavor of the chicken. After two minutes, put the lid on.
- After you cover the pot with the lid, pour 2-3 tbsp of rice wine on the edge of the lid. It will allow the rice wine to seep into the pot and enhance the aroma. At this point, turn the heat to medium and continue baking the chicken for about 10-12 minutes.
- When the aroma fills the air and the sauce thickens up, your Sha Cha Chicken is ready. Take the pot off the stove and let the dish rest for about 5 minutes. Then, plate the chicken nicely and garnish it with some sliced scallions. This meat dish goes well with any rice dish.
FAQs
Apart from the actual recipe, you might have some other questions in mind regarding the Sha Cha Chicken. I answered some of those questions below. Take a closer look.
Q: Who can eat Sha Cha Chicken?
Sha Cha Chicken is a nutritious dish that almost any can eat. It is low in carbohydrates and fat but high in protein. If you are on a low-carb diet, it will be excellent for you. Just remember the cholesterol content if you have a high cholesterol level.
Q: How long will Sha Cha Chicken be good?
Sha Cha Chicken will be good for about 10-12 hours at room temperature. If you keep it in the refrigerator, it will last for up to 2 days. You can also freeze the dish for up to six months and reheat it when necessary.
Q: Is Satay Chicken and Sha Cha Chicken the same?
Not at all. The Sha Cha Chicken is different from Satay Chicken because of the brill and dried shrimp used in the Sha Cha powder. It introduces a distinct umami flavor to Sha Cha Chicken.
Q: How does the Sha Cha sauce taste?
The Sha Cha sauce has a slightly spicy and savory taste. It also contains a subtle sweet note. As I added sugar to the recipe, it will enhance the sweetness and provide a balanced flavor.
Conclusion
Sha Cha Chicken is a recipe that reminds me of my childhood when my mother used to cook this gorgeous chicken dish for me during the festive season. The aroma, the consistent texture, and the umami flavor of the dish will amaze you as well. Even though the preparation time seems longer, it isn’t that difficult to prepare.
Make sure to stick to this Sha Cha Chicken recipe to get the original taste. Whether it is a festive season or not, you can always turn your dining table into a festive mood by preparing this healthy and heart-warming dish.
