Oyster Sauce Chicken Recipe

By
Rhonda Parkinson
Rhonda Parkinson
Rhonda Parkinson is a freelance writer who has authored many cookbooks, including two Everything guides to Chinese cooking.
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Updated on 05/28/22
Chicken in oyster sauce
StockFood / Getty Images
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 30 mins
Servings: 4 servings

Full of flavor and delightfully easy to make, this oyster sauce chicken recipe is a perfect savory dish for busy weeknights. It cooks up in less than 30 minutes and is a delicious, healthy meal when served over rice.

While most recipes leave bone-in chicken thighs whole, this recipe has you cut them in half. It's a traditional Chinese approach that creates smaller serving size pieces: It's possible to get 22 pieces out of a whole chicken rather than the standard eight full-size pieces. The advantage is that it speeds up the cooking time and ensures the thighs are cooked thoroughly. Make sure everyone at the table knows there are bones in the chicken. You can use other pieces of chicken or boneless chicken if you prefer.

Ingredients

  • 4 large bone-in chicken thighs

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/2 medium yellow onion

  • 2 clove garlic

  • 2 small red bell peppers

  • 1/2 cup chicken broth

  • 2 tablespoons oyster sauce

  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce , or tamari

  • 1 tablespoon rice wine, or dry white wine

  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar

  • 2 teaspoons vegetable or olive oil

  • 4 cups cooked rice, for serving

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Pat the chicken thighs dry. Cut each thigh in half crosswise, cutting completely through the bones. Rub the salt and pepper over the thighs.

  3. Peel and chop the onion. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Cut the red bell peppers in half, remove the seeds, and cut into 1-inch squares.

  4. In a small bowl, combine the chicken broth, oyster sauce, soy sauce, rice wine, and brown sugar. Mix until the sugar is dissolved and set the sauce aside.

  5. In a non-stick frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the chicken thighs and brown on both sides. Remove the chicken thighs from the pan and drain on paper towels. Do not clean out the pan.

  6. Add the onion and garlic into the pan, and cook until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add the red pepper into the pan. Cook briefly, then add the sauce.

  7. Bring the sauce to a boil, then add the chicken thighs back into the pan. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer the chicken until the juices in the thickest part of the thigh are clear when pierced with a fork (about 15 minutes). Stir the chicken occasionally while cooking.

  8. Serve hot over rice and enjoy!

Tips

  • It's best to use a sharp cleaver to cut through the chicken bone.
  • When using olive oil to fry, make sure it's pure olive oil as it can handle temperatures up to 468 F. Extra virgin olive oil has a low smoke point of just 375 F. Your pan is likely to exceed that temperature and you risk a burnt taste in your chicken.
  • Vegetable and canola oils are better choices for frying if extra virgin olive oil is all you have in stock.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
610 Calories
25g Fat
52g Carbs
44g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 610
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 25g 33%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Cholesterol 209mg 70%
Sodium 1031mg 45%
Total Carbohydrate 52g 19%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 44g
Vitamin C 42mg 210%
Calcium 54mg 4%
Iron 4mg 22%
Potassium 588mg 13%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)