Doubanjiang Chicken Cutlets
Doubanjian Chicken Cutlets, made in only 20 minutes, emits savory aromas and juicy, rich umami tones! In this recipe, I incorporated a special ingredient, hot doubanjiang, or a pungent fermented paste composed of soybeans, broad beans, salt, hot chilli flakes, and an assortment of lively spices. I used this familial bounty brand; however, if you can't get your hands on such, according to The Wok's of Life, a simple fusion of sweet bean paste (see my Black Bean Tangzhong Buns for reference!), oyster sauce, and red chilli flakes will do just the trick!
This easy recipe renders juicy chicken cutlets ready ready to be cut and served on top of rice or for simple widowed savoring alone. It offers a chew that's somewhere near teriyaki sauce but not really, ultimately dished in any manner of your choice!
Recipe
Ingredients
Cuisine: Asian-fusion
Servings: 2 servings
Level: Easy
Servings: 2 servings
Level: Easy
Prep time: 8 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients
- 1 chicken breast, boneless, skinless
- 1 tablespoon hot doubanjiang*
- 1/2 chopped onions, chopped
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger, minced
- 1/2 tablespoon salt
- 5 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons white granulated sugar or honey
- 2 cups water
- vegetable oil, for cooking
- chopped green onions (optional)
- Halve the chicken breast horizontally.** With a mallet or your palms, pound and flatten each cutlet into even thickness of around 1/4 inch each.
- Bathe the chicken in salt, onions, garlic, and ginger. Marinade with hot doubanjiang, ensuring evenly distributed across each cutlet.
- In a separate small bowl, stir together dark soy sauce, lemon juice, and sugar/honey.
- Heat a large skillet on MEDIUM-HIGH heat. Drizzle in vegetable oil. Separate onions, garlic, and ginger from chicken cutlets, and begin sauteeing the aromatics until onions soften and begin to turn translucent (3-4 minutes).
- Shift onions, garlic, and ginger to the side of the skillet, and add in chicken cutlets to the new vacant space. Pour in soy sauce-sugar mixture on cutlets. Cook each side of the cutlets for 3-4 minutes, or until dark-golden brown on each side.
- Pour in 2 cups of water. Stir around onions, garlic and ginger. Cover lid, and allow 3-4 minutes for liquid to reduce and thicken.
- Serve immediately, pairing with rice or mantou, or as a separate dish itself.
Notes:
*doubanjiang can be substituted with sweet bean paste and an oyster sauce fusion, see The Wok's of Life recipe. To make sweet bean paste from scratch, use mashed beans of choice, sweeteners, and cornstarch heated on low while stirring continuously. Let cool and mix with oyster sauce and red chilli flakes.
**tip: freezing the chicken beforehand can facilitate the process, ensuring a precise cut, rather than tear.
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