Asparagus Chicken Stir Fry Recipe (Black Bean Sauce Chicken)

I receive many questions and recipe suggestions from readers. It might take a while for me to respond but I want you to know that I read every single one of them and they always fill me with joy. So here’s Bill’s (a regular reader) recipe for asparagus chicken. I didn’t make many changes; I just added a few more bold and spicy flavors to counteract the blandness of chicken. Specifically, I used black bean garlic sauce and red chiles, in keeping with the Asian theme of the dish.

The key to making sure this dish turns out well is not to overcook the asparagus. I chose to use baby asparagus in this dish but regardless, it should be bright green and still have some crunch . The texture, if cooked properly, is wonderful, and baby asparagus is visually appealing to boot.

For a little background, here’s what Bill wrote about the dish:

”I got this recipe a very long time ago while taking a cooking class at “Isle of Skye Kitchen” in Saratoga [California], a combo antique store and vendor of exotic spices … long gone. It has been a family favorite for years. Here it is with some personal experience updates.”

Thanks Bill!

1. Info for Asparagus Chicken Stir Fry Recipe (Black Bean Sauce Chicken)

• Cook Time: 35 min
• Total Time: 50 min
• Servings: 6
• Calories: 220 kcal

2. Ingredients for Asparagus Chicken Stir Fry Recipe (Black Bean Sauce Chicken)

• 6 chicken breast halves (about 1-½ pounds), boneless and skinless
• ½ teaspoon baking powder (optional)
• 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
• 1 lime
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• 5 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons Kosher salt (or regular salt)
• 1 teaspoon mushroom seasoning salt
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste
• 1 pound small asparagus spears
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 2 dried red chiles, stemmed
• 2 tablespoons black bean garlic sauce
• 1 teaspoon chili bean sauce
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sweet cooking rice wine
• 1 teaspoon grated palm sugar (or granulated sugar)
• 2 tablespoons tapioca starch (or corn starch)
• 1 cup homemade chicken stock, or more if needed
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

3. Directions:

1. Juice and zest the lime.
2. Prepping the asparagus: Trim about ½ inch from the root. Cut the asparagus into about 2-½” pieces. Set aside.
3. Cooking asparagus: In a large non-stick pan, heat the oil. Cook the garlic until fragrant. Add the asparagus. Quickly stir-fry for about 2-3 minutes by tossing them in a circular motion over high heat (the pan should be lifted in a low angle to facilitate the movement). Once the asparagus turns a glossy, bright green color, season with mushroom seasoning salt. Transfer to a platter. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon lime juice. Set aside.
4. Trim the fat around the bottom of the breasts if there is any. Wash and pat them dry using paper towels. Cut into 1-½” cubes.
5. Season the chicken with 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, ground coriander, kosher salt and pepper. Add the baking powder, lime zest, ginger garlic paste and yogurt. Toss well. Place the chicken in a large bowl or a sealable zip-top bag. Drizzle with about 2 tablespoons sweet cooking rice wine and 1 tablespoon canola oil. Marinate in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.
6. Remove the chicken 15 minutes before cooking to get it back to room temperature.
7. In a wok, heat about 2-3 tablespoons of canola oil. Add the shallots and dried red chiles and cook on high heat until slightly golden. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook until soft and tender, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer the caramelized shallots to a bowl. Set aside.
8. Pat the meat dry one more time using paper towels. Sprinkle tapioca starch (or corn starch) using a fine mesh strainer and coat all sides of the chicken pieces. Shake off the excess tapioca starch.
9. In the same wok, add the rest of the canola oil. Once the oil is hot, pan-sear each side of the pieces for about 1-½ minutes (a total of about 9 minutes) until golden. Season with salt and finish with a drizzle of lime juice and cooking wine. Quickly transfer the chicken to a platter, leaving as much oil as possible in the pan. At this point the chicken isn’t cooked completely; it will finish cooking in the black bean sauce.
10. In a bowl, combine the tapioca starch, soy sauce, palm sugar, about 1/3 cup of chicken broth, chili bean sauce and black bean garlic sauce. Set aside.
11. In the wok, add the remaining chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Add the tapioca mixture to the boiling broth. Continuously stir the broth as it will thicken very quickly. Note: Mix the tapioca mixture to avoid lumps and prevent the starch from sticking to the bottom prior to pouring it into the broth.
12. Add the shallots and chicken pieces to the black bean sauce. Cover with a dome-shaped lid to enable the steam to fall back in the wok. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring often. Check the texture of the sauce; it should be thick and syrupy. Depending on how thick you like the consistency of the sauce, you can add more chicken broth.
13. Finish with the asparagus. Check seasoning. Add more mushroom seasoning salt (if needed) and black pepper. Stir well.
14. Serve immediately with steamed jasmine rice.
15. Bon appétit!