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Tai Chien Chicken: All Menu Items and Authentic Tai-Chien Recipe

Tai Chien Chicken is more spicy than Sweet and Sour Chicken and is less sweet than Orange Chicken. The sauce is fiery. It enlivens the taste buds. It stands to reason that the next step should be to find out what is in the sauce, so I checked with some sources and have not come close to any agreement. 

Tai Chien Chicken is a comparatively young dish on the Chinese-to-American menu, but it brings a combination of bold flavors and aromatic spices to a succulent, tender piece of chicken, making it a fan favorite among many customers.

A plate of delicious and spicy Tai Chien Chicken

The Allure of Tai Chien Chicken

What is it about Tai Chien Chicken that keeps us coming back for more? The secret is in the balance of flavors. A bite gives you a little bit of everything: savory and sweet, soy sauce and sugar, hot chiles and cooling hoisin sauce, or even fresh onions against aged soybeans—all in harmony. “Hot Harmonies,” some might say. And “Hot Harmonies” might be the only kind of music that’ll make you stand up and dance when you put your ear to the floor next to a virtual serving of the sequence of events.

Pairing Tai Chien Chicken with Perfect Sides

A meal of Tai Chien Chicken is not finished until you’ve ordered the right side dish to go with it. Egg foo young is a very popular choice. Its smooth, fluffy texture makes it the perfect accompaniment to the deep, savory flavor of this chicken. For those who prefer noodles, I suggest lo mein, chow mein, or chow mei fun (a thinner, lighter noodle). Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t also suggest a bowl of white rice as the ideal pairing for this chicken. The rice absorbs the chicken’s delish sauce so that none goes to waste.

Lunch Special: Tai Chien Chicken Delight

In search of a noontime indulgence? You can find Tai Chien Chicken at many Chinese restaurants that offer lunch specials. They include a modest serving of this popular dish in the midday lineup almost as a rite, it seems. Sometimes the Tai Chien finds itself in the kind of company that one would not necessarily associate with it in most cases—the thick chop suey that we found lunching itself on our boat. In our humble opinion, they should just let this dish stand on its own plate.

A lunch special of Tai Chien Chicken

Exploring the Main Menu

A Chinese restaurant’s main menu is where the sorcery occurs, Tai Chien Chicken being one of the many enchanted dishes served there. This dish appears on menus alongside other favorites such as kung pao chicken and pad thai, in the “chicken” section of the chef’s inventory of talents, or as an homage to the skills that raised the chef to his or her position. However, I must confess that Tai Chien Chicken also appears on my own list of faultless items to order in or out, since the shelter party tray in which it comes is sure to delight all.

The Secret Ingredients Behind Tai Chien Chicken

A premium Tai Chien Chicken dish is all about good ingredients. Its sauce starts with a base of rich chicken stock, which makes it long on the kind of flavor that is at once comforting and compelling. With soy sauce, you get a boost of savory umami, while hoisin sauce brings in the characteristic sweetness. Cornstarch is used to achieve just the right thickness for the sauce. And then there are lots of fresh-tasting additions: the classic combo of bell and green peppers, which supplies both texture and flavor.

The secret ingredients of Tai Chien Chicken

Special Combination Plates and More

If you’re a fan of Tai Chien Chicken, you’re likely to enjoy some of the other dishes as well. And for anyone who feels indecisive when ordering, combination platters make it easy to try several different things at once. Here is a list of some of the many other dishes you might like if you like Tai Chien Chicken; and not for nothing, some of these combinations might be available on special too, so keep your eyes peeled for that as well.

Appetizers to Start Your Meal

Begin your sharp and spicy Tai Chien Chicken festivity with a handful of delightful appetizers. The way-station of the meal, this phase is rife with joyously crisp little pastries and all sorts of tasty dough that has been folded over savory fillings. When the main course arrives on the scene, your appetite will be well-nigh sated, but the warm and spicy nature of the all-day chicken will have that delicious way-station of a meal remembered longingly.

Tai Chien Chicken: A Chinese Chef News Favorite

Not infrequently, this preparation of chicken appears in news from the world of Chinese cooking and at Chinese restaurant sites, which never fail to praise its innate balance of flavors and textures. Yet, the very appearance of this dish in the public eye speaks to the skill and creativity of a particular kind of chef—that is, a Chinese chef, who is always looking for a way to gild the lily or, in this case, to “chow” his audience.

An image of a fortune cookie

Tai Chien Chicken is a luminary dish in the realm of Chinese gastronomy. It holds a top spot in the hall of fame of Chinese mainstays. Why? Because it brings together a wonderful mix of flavors, textures, and scents. A lunch special. A main menu attraction. An after-hours snack. A combination plate favorite. Something that never tastes bad, no matter when or how you eat it. So next time you’re at a Chinese restaurant and contemplating what to order, why not give Tai Chien Chicken a try?

Scrumptious Tai Chien Chicken Recipe

Scrumptious Tai Chien Chicken Recipe

Yield: 2 Servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Tai Chien Chicken is a mouth-watering dish from the Chinese culinary tradition that's bound to win the hearts of your readers. This recipe has the perfect blend of flavors and textures, making it a crowd-pleaser at any meal.

Ingredients

  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cooking wine
  • 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
  • 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 spring onions, finely chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Instructions

  1. Cut the chicken breasts into thin strips.
  2. Mix the soy sauce, oyster sauce, corn starch, sugar, and cooking wine to form the marinade.
  3. Add the chicken strips into the marinade and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
  4. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or a large frying pan over medium heat.
  5. Add the chopped garlic to the hot oil and sauté until it turns golden brown.
  6. Add the marinated chicken to the pan. Cook it for about 5-7 minutes.
  7. Add the sliced red bell pepper and continue to stir fry for another 2-3 minutes.
  8. Season with salt and white pepper.
  9. Add the chopped spring onions and drizzle with sesame oil. Stir well to combine.
  10. Cook for another minute, then remove from heat. Serve hot.

Notes

For best results, let the chicken marinate overnight. Serve the Tai Chien Chicken with a bowl of steamed jasmine rice or noodles.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 350Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 80mgSodium: 900mgCarbohydrates: 30gNet Carbohydrates: 28gFiber: 2gSugar: 6gSugar Alcohols: 0gProtein: 35g

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