Soy-braised chicken and green beans
- Prepare
- less than 30 mins
- Cook
- 10 to 30 mins
- Serve
- Serves 4
- Dietary
- Dairy-freeEgg-free
This simple soy-braised chicken freezes brilliantly. Just the thing to keep stashed in the freezer for busy week nights.
Each serving (without serving suggestions) provides 282 kcal, 35.7g protein, 18g carbohydrate (of which 15.5g sugars), 6.4g fat (of which 1.8g saturates), 4.8g fibre and 3.7g salt.
Ingredients
- 500g/1lb 2oz chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- drizzle neutral oil (such as vegetable oil), plus extra to garnish
- 6 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tsp grated fresh root ginger
- 4 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp runny honey
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 1 ½ tsp rice vinegar or lime juice
- 1 tsp dried red chilli flakes (optional)
- 400g/14oz green beans, trimmed
- freshly ground black pepper
To serve
- finely chopped spring onion, to garnish
- sesame seeds, to garnish
- freshly cooked rice
Method
Mix the chicken with the smoked paprika, garlic powder and some black pepper in a bowl until well coated.
Heat a drizzle of oil in a lidded frying pan. Fry the chicken until golden-brown, but not fully cooked. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Lower the heat and add the garlic and ginger. Cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
Stir in the soy sauces, oyster sauce, honey, mirin, vinegar and chilli flakes, if using. Add a splash of water, if needed, to loosen the sauce.
Add the green beans and bring back to a gentle simmer.
Return the chicken to the pan and cover with a lid (use a baking tray or kitchen foil if your pan doesn't have a lid). Simmer gently for 7–8 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the beans are tender but not mushy.
Remove the lid and simmer for a further 1–2 minutes so the sauce becomes loose, glossy and spoonable (not thick or sticky). This can now be left to cool before portioning up and freezing, if you like (see the recipe tips, below, for how to reheat).
Alternatively, serve straight away with cooked rice and topped with the spring onions and sesame seeds.
Recipe tips
To reheat from frozen, place a portion in a saucepan with 1–2 tbsp water. Cover with a lid and heat gently on low, stirring occasionally as it loosens. Once hot, uncover and simmer for 1–2 minutes. Adjust seasoning if needed with soy, pepper, or a tiny splash of vinegar.
If you don't have a lidded frying pan, cover the pan with kitchen foil or a large baking tray instead.
