This is the newly tested Sha cha chicken or more accurately braised chicken with Sha Cha sauce. Beside sha cha chicken, sha cha beef is another representative.

What’s Sha Cha Sauce

Sha cha sauce (沙茶酱) is a combined sauce from ChaoZhou area in Guangdong, China. With a savory and a slightly spicy taste, it has been widely used in Fujian cusine, Teochew cuisine and Taiwan area.

My first meating with Sha Cha sauce is on a Teochew beef hot pot table. I love the taste of sha cha sauce with tender beef slices. After tried with different restaurants, I find that they have their unique Sha Cha sauce recipes and flavors. In general, Sha Cha sauce is made from soybean oil, garlic, shallots, chilies, brill fish and dried shrimp. But different portions create slightly different flavors. I believe Szechuan style chili oil shares the same features. Returning home, I am always trying to find the best Sha cha product. Among all the brands, Bull head from Taiwan wins my heart and has been stored in my kitchen cabinet around the year.

Comparing with sha cha beef, I add more juice in this sha cha chicken and make it even better for steamed rice or other plain staple food.

Cook’s Note

Sha cha sauce is quite salty itself, so I do not list salt in the recipe. You can taste it before the last transformation and see whether a tiny pinch of salt is needed.

Ingredients

• 2 boneless chicken legs or 1 chicken breast, cut into thin slices
• coriander as needed
• 2 tbsp. cooking oil

Marinating

• 1 tsp. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. cooking wine
• 2 tsp. cornstarch
• 2 tsp. water

Stir frying

• 1/4 red onion
• 2 green peppers (both bell and spicy pepper work fine)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 and 1/2 tbsp. sha cha sauce
• 1/2 cup stock or water

Instruction

Slice chicken and then marinating with soy sauce, cooking wine and water starch. Set aside for around 15 minutes.

Heat your cook firstly, then around 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a non-stick pan or wok. Place chicken in when the oil is warm but not hot. Let the chicken stay for 3-5 seconds and gently stir fry the chicken until the the chicken slices turns pale. Transfer out.

Leave some oil in and fry garlic until aromatic. Place sha cha sauce in and add water. Bring everything to a boiling and then place chicken, chili peppers and red onion. Simmer for 1 minute and serve with steamed rice.

3 from 1 vote

Print

Sha Cha Chicken

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Total Time

35 mins

 

Braised Chicken with Chinese Sha Cha Sauce

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Cantonese cuisine

Keyword: chicken, Sha Cha

Servings: 3

Calories: 310 kcal

Author: Elaine

Ingredients

• 2 boneless chicken legs or 1 chicken breast , cut into thin slices
• coriander as needed
• 2 tbsp. cooking oil

Marinating

• 1 tsp. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. cooking wine
• 2 tsp. cornstarch
• 2 tsp. water

Stri frying

• 1/4 red onion
• 2 green peppers , both bell and spicy pepper work fine
• 2 garlic cloves , minced
• 1.5 tbsp. sha cha sauce
• 1/2 cup stock or water

Instructions

1. Slice chicken and then marinating with soy sauce, cooking wine and water starch. Set aside for around 15 minutes.
2. Heat your cook firstly, then around 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a non-stick pan or wok. Place chicken in when the oil is warm but not hot. Let the chicken stay for 3-5 seconds and gently stir fry the chicken until the the chicken slices turns pale. Transfer out.
3. Leave some oil in and fry garlic until aromatic. Place sha cha sauce in and add water. Bring everything to a boiling and then place chicken, chili peppers and red onion. Simmer for 1 minute and serve with steamed rice.

Recipe Notes

1. I love the chicken to be a little bit spicy. So you can spare red pepper or chose round red pepper.
2. Crystal sugar added at end is for the color. This step is optional.
3. Since Sha cha sauce contains some amount of salt, so do spare the salt added additionally.

Nutrition Facts

Sha Cha Chicken

Amount Per Serving (2 g)

Calories 310 Calories from Fat 207

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 23g 35%

Saturated Fat 4g 20%

Cholesterol 79mg 26%

Sodium 324mg 14%

Potassium 326mg 9%

Total Carbohydrates 8g 3%

Dietary Fiber 1g 4%

Sugars 2g

Protein 15g 30%

Vitamin A 9.1%

Vitamin C 78.9%

Calcium 1.9%

Iron 4.8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.