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Home / Recipes / Chinese Takeaway

Chicken in Black Bean Sauce Recipe: Make Healthy Takeaway at Home

Last Updated: Jun 7, 2022 · Author: Juliet Huang · Jump to Recipe

Chicken in black bean sauce is a tasty dish that many people like to order from Chinese take-out restaurants along with others such as Kung pao chicken and Lemon chicken. 

If you enjoy this dish regularly, why not try cooking your own version at home? We have taste-tested many of the best recipes on the Internet and found you our favourite one. Let's find out how to cook a fakeaway and get your dinner guests talking about your food!

chicken in black bean sauce recipe
Learn as much about this beloved Chinese takeout dish in just a few steps! | Image from tablefor2.hk
Jump to:
  • What is chicken in black bean sauce?
  • What is black bean sauce?
  • Taste
  • Chicken with black bean sauce calories
  • Is chicken in black bean sauce healthy?
  • Ingredients
  • Additions
  • Stir Fry Cooking Tips
  • Chicken in black bean sauce noodles
  • Chicken in Black Bean Sauce Recipe

What is chicken in black bean sauce?

Chicken in black bean sauce is a Chinese stir-fry chicken dish with fermented black beans. 

Fermented black bean is soy black bean that has been fermented and salted. Therefore, it has a salty and bitter-sweet taste. Chinese cooks commonly use them as a seasoning, either as a paste or sauce. For this dish, you will be using it in a sauce form.

black bean sauce stir fry
The black bean primarily adds depth to the taste of the dish, making it more irresistible to enjoy. | Image from koji_nondakure

What is black bean sauce?

Black bean sauce is black soya beans fermented and preserved in salt. This has an intense, salty taste that you either love or avoid. Deeply savoury, when cooked with meat, it is a flavour enhancer. 

This interesting ingredient is something that Chinese cooks use more for seasoning while cooking rather than as a condiment for dipping.

Taste

Chicken in black bean sauce tastes rich and savoury. The sauce itself is robust, and its saltiness can either entice or turn people off. However, once you take a bite, you can taste the sharp and spicy under notes as you chew into the moist meat that has soaked up all the flavour. 

It's a little sweet and a little spicy and very tasty. Most people like to mix the sauce into rice to have more flavour. 

chicken with black bean sauce chinese
The dish's extra saucy goodness will make a more delightful meal with rice. | Image from sw_becky_

Chicken with black bean sauce calories

Each serving of chicken in black bean sauce is about 150 to 200 calories. If you use less protein in the gravy, your dish will have fewer calories.

Is chicken in black bean sauce healthy?

Chicken in black bean sauce is healthy if you do not add too much seasoning. In addition, the black beans have no cholesterol and little saturated fats, making them healthy for the heart.

Poultry itself is rich in protein and contains amino acids that improve our mood. Additionally, eating poultry can reduce the risk of heart disease.

Chinese dish stir fry
The known stir-fried chicken dish is less fatty than the usual takeaway entrees as this uses the fine match of ingredients. | Image from noodle_matt

Ingredients

To cook this Chinese dish, you need black bean sauce, which you can buy ready-made at most Asian supermarkets. You also need your protein and seasoning like light soy sauce, oyster sauce, and Shaoxing or Chinese wine. 

Shao xing wine types
Different types of Chinese cooking wines (Shao Xing wines) that are essential for many Chinese dishes. | Image from andreanguyen88

When buying your protein, you can choose whether you like something more fatty or a leaner cut. Chicken thighs are higher in fat and taste tender and moist when cooked. If you cook black bean sauce chicken thighs, it'll taste juicier than using the breast. 

Chicken breast has a stringier, firmer texture when cooked. So it depends on your preferences for your chicken in black bean sauce. They have the same amount of nutrition and only differ in fat content.

You can also use diced chicken. You can conveniently buy them pre-diced and packaged in a bag from most supermarkets. 

The diced chicken absorbs seasoning better and, when cooked, can taste springier than a whole chicken. They also cook faster because of the smaller surface area.

For those who want to attempt to make their own Chinese black bean sauce recipe, you can mix chicken stock with black beans and ferment it yourself. Otherwise, already fermented black beans can also work.  

All the ingredients you need are easily found in supermarkets or on Amazon.  

Additions

While the chicken in black bean sauce is already a heart-healthy dish, you might want to make it more well-rounded by adding vegetables. For example, you can add green beans, peppers, mushrooms, and broccoli to the stir fry. 

Black bean sauce takeaway dish
The vegetable pieces provide a subtle crunch and texture to the overall flavour of the meal.| Image from eats_of_jaz

If you prefer something spicier, add chilli peppers. The vegetables will add a raw freshness that balances out the intense saltiness of the gravy.

Furthermore, you can also use Chinese five-spice as an additional spice. This powder is well-loved by Chinese cooks to intensify the umami flavour in food. It is the secret ingredient for many Chinese stir-fries, making the food taste better. 

Chinese five spice
The aromatic five spice seasoning meticulously crushed from scratch with the blend of different spices. | Image from magicmarkers25

Chinese Five-Spice
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Stir Fry Cooking Tips

Stir-frying your chicken in black bean sauce is an important step. Therefore, it is best to stir-fry expertly to blend the ingredients perfectly, so we have some tips to start you off.

First, if you are using diced meat, remember that meat cut into small pieces will cook rapidly in a pan. Therefore, if you choose to use diced chicken, add that after you have cooked your vegetables and seasoning. The order you put your ingredients in is those that take the longest to cook goes into the pan first. 

Next, you should marinate your meat for at least 20 minutes. Once ready, pat it dry before you fry it in cooking oil. You need to choose an oil that can withstand high heat without smoking to avoid adding a charred taste to the food. Make sure to keep the meat as dry as possible to reduce splattering when adding it to the hot oil.  

stir fry in a wok
Let the oil in the wok smoke first before tossing the ingredients in. | Image from Clem Onojeghuo

Before you stir-fry, add your oil and let it smoke. The smoke tells you that the wok is ready for you to start throwing your ingredients in without burning your food.

As you stir-fry this Chinese meal, you must be in constant motion. Lift, stir, toss. Push the ingredients to the side when you want to add new elements to the middle. 

Lastly, watch your heat and be careful not to overcook your food! You can cook for a short amount of time over high heat. Once you've lowered your heat, add your liquid for more gravy and let it simmer as the mix slowly cools down. 

Chicken in black bean sauce noodles

One of the best ways to have this takeaway dish is with yellow noodles. Yellow noodles, or Chinese egg noodles, are made from wheat flour, water, and egg. The strands can be thick or thin and have a chewy texture. A perfect pairing with the rich gravy, chicken in black bean sauce with noodles makes a good supper!

chicken in black bean sauce with noodles
Fresh and bouncy noodles soak up the umami richness topped by the chicken in black bean sauce. | Image from creationssublime

First, follow the instructions on the packet to cook your noodles. Drain your noodles once they are done cooking. Next, heat your oil in a wok, start stir-frying your chicken, and set aside. Then, add in your seasoning, vegetables, and finally, your noodles. Add more of the gravy to your liking and toss it before serving it.  

chicken in black bean sauce recipe

Chicken in Black Bean Sauce Recipe

Let's stir-fry this chicken in black bean sauce recipe! The dish serves four people. Preparation takes 35 minutes, and cooking only takes 5 minutes. Each serving is about 160 calories.
Author: Juliet Huang
4.72 from 46 votes
Print Pin
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: chicken, stir-fry
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 169kcal
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

Chicken in black bean sauce marinade

  • 3 tbsps water
  • 3 tsps cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon oil
  • 2 tsps light soy sauce
  • 600 g chicken breasts

Cooking chicken in black bean sauce

  • 3 tbsps olive oil
  • 3 slices ginger
  • 3 chopped cloves garlic
  • 3 chopped scallions
  • 3 tbsps fermented black beans
  • 1 cut green bell pepper
  • 1 cut red bell pepper
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
  • ¼ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  • 2 tbsps water

Instructions

  • Combine the chicken breasts (cut into thick slices) and marinade ingredients. Mix until all the liquid is absorbed. Allow marinating for 30 minutes.
  • Pre-heat your wok over high heat. When it smokes, spread oil over the bottom of the wok. Add the meat, and spread the pieces into a single layer. After the meat has cooked for about 30 seconds, flip, and cook the other side.
    Stir fry the chicken
  • Watch that the meat has turned opaque on the outer layer. Then, switch off the heat and transfer it to a dish.
    Once charred and thoroughly cooked, set chicken aside
  • Heat the oil in the wok over medium heat before adding ginger, garlic, and black beans. Stir-fry for a while before turning the heat up high.
    Fry the vegetables and aromatics before adding in the protein
  • Add the green and red peppers, and toss your ingredients around. Finally, add sugar, sugar, Shaoxing wine and salt. Stir-fry before adding the meat. Coat all the ingredients in the gravy evenly, and then let it simmer. Once the ingredients have cooled down, you can serve your finished dish.
    Coat all the ingredients and let it simmer for a few minutes

Notes

  • You can use sesame oil to replace olive oil or any oil with a high smoking point. Before serving, add some water if you think the gravy is too thick. 
  • You can use a cooking thermometer to know whether your meat is thoroughly cooked. For example, the recommended cooking temperature for poultry is 75 degrees celsius. You can also observe if the diced chicken has shrunk. That is a good indication of when the meat is fully cooked. 

Nutrition

Calories: 169kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 5gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 779mgPotassium: 227mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 757IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 59mgIron: 1mg

Calories have been calculated using an online calculator. Nutritional information offered on Honest Food Talks is for general information purposes and are only rough estimations.

Tried this recipe?Follow us @honestfoodtalks for more delicious recipes!

Miss Ling's Kitchen on Youtube made a video recipe on her version of this classic Chinese dish. We also recommend checking out her style of preparing this wholesome dish!

Tastiest Chicken With Salted Black Bean

Now that you've already got your chicken in black bean sauce, you can tuck right in or serve it to your guests. But, of course, they will never know that you made it all by yourself using our recipe! 

Share your successful fakeaway on social media, and tag our Instagram page @honestfoodtalks, so your friends know where to find the next best recipe to try! 

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