I’m excited to share a technique that will change how you cook chicken for stir-fries—just like in your favorite Chinese restaurants. It's called velveting, and it guarantees tender, juicy chicken every time. Whether you’re using chicken breast or dark meat, this method works beautifully.
In this post, I’ll walk you through:
What velveting is and why it’s effective.
How to velvet chicken.
Three different cooking methods: boiling, sautéing in a wok, and frying.
How to apply this technique to other recipes.
What is Velveting?
Velveting is a Chinese cooking technique that involves marinating meat in a mixture of cornstarch, water, and oil to protect it during cooking, keeping it tender and juicy. This forms a protective coating around the meat, which helps it retain moisture and stay tender during cooking. It’s often used with chicken for stir-fries, but it can also be used for beef, pork, and even seafood.
Ingredients:
For velveting:
Chicken breast 10oz/285g
Salt ¼ teaspoon
Water 2 tablespoons
Oil 2 teaspoons
Cornstarch 2 teaspoons
For Chicken Mushroom Stir Fry:
Mushrooms and peppers 8 oz
Ginger 1 teaspoon, finely minced
Garlic 1 teaspoon (1 clove), finely minced
Sauce:
Soy sauce 2 tablespoons
Oyster sauce 2 tablespoons
Water 2 tablespoons
Corn starch 2 teaspoons
Sesame oil 2 teaspoons
Sugar ½ teaspoon
White pepper ½ teaspoon
Here's the video with step-by-step instructions:
Step 1: Slicing the Chicken
To start, you’ll need a piece of chicken breast (around 10 oz). The way you slice your chicken is important for achieving a tender texture. Here’s what you do:
Slice against the grain: Look at the chicken and identify the direction of the grain (the fibers running through the meat). Slice across the grain, not along it. If you slice along the grain, the chicken will become stringy and less tender. After trimming any fat or tendons, cut the chicken into large pieces and then into thin strips, about ¼ inch thick.
Step 2: Velveting the Chicken
Put the sliced chicken in a bowl, add salt, and then add the water. Massage the chicken gently so it absorbs the water. This step keeps the chicken moist during cooking.
Next, add the oil. The oil helps lock in the moisture and keeps the chicken pieces from sticking together while cooking.
Finally, add the cornstarch. This is the key ingredient that gives the chicken its silky smooth texture. Mix everything well, and let the chicken sit for about 15 minutes.
Step 3: Cooking the Chicken
Once your chicken is velveted, you can cook it using one of three methods: boiling, sautéing in a wok, or frying in oil. Each method delivers a different texture and flavor.
1. Boiling
Boiling is the healthiest way to cook the velveted chicken. It’s quick and ensures the meat stays tender and juicy.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low.
Gently drop in the velveted chicken, stirring to separate the pieces.
Cook just until the chicken turns opaque (about 1-2 minutes). Don’t overcook it, as you’ll be adding it to your stir-fry later.
Why Boil? It’s fast, keeps the chicken tender, and requires no added fat, making it a great option for those watching their calories.
2. Sautéing in a Wok
This is my personal favorite. Sautéing the velveted chicken in a wok adds a smoky flavor (wok hey) and a slight crispiness.
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a hot wok until it begins to smoke.
Add the velveted chicken and spread it out on the bottom of the wok.
Let the chicken cook without moving it for a bit so it caramelizes, then give it a quick stir.
Why Sauté? This method adds great flavor and texture, plus it’s perfect for quick home cooking.
3. Frying in Oil
For maximum flavor, you can flash-fry the chicken. Heat about 1 ½ cups of oil to 375°F.
Add the velveted chicken and fry until lightly golden brown and crispy on the outside.
Why Fry? Frying gives the chicken a wonderful crispy exterior while keeping the inside juicy. This method is often used in restaurants to create that crave-worthy crispy-on-the-outside and tender-on-the-inside texture.
Put it in a stir fry:
Prepare the Sauce:
In a small bowl, mix all the sauce ingredients (soy sauce, oyster sauce, water, sesame oil, sugar, white pepper, and cornstarch). Stir until the cornstarch dissolves and the ingredients are well combined. Set the sauce aside.
Sauté the Vegetables:
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the sliced onions, mushrooms, and bell peppers. Stir-fry for 3-4 minutes, or until the vegetables are browned and softened.
Add Ginger and Garlic:
Add the minced ginger and garlic to the vegetables. Stir-fry for another 30 seconds until fragrant, making sure not to burn the garlic.
Combine Chicken and Sauce:
Add the pre-cooked chicken back to the wok with the vegetables.
Stir and pour the prepared sauce over the chicken and vegetables.
Stir everything together to coat the chicken and vegetables evenly with the sauce. Cook for 1-2 more minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked and the sauce has thickened.
Applying Velveting to Other Recipes
Now that you’ve mastered velveting, you can use it in other recipes! Here’s a tip: whenever you see a recipe that calls for marinating chicken, check if it includes cornstarch or another starch. If it doesn’t, add 1 teaspoon of cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water for every 5 oz of chicken.
Velveting is especially useful for stir-fries, where the chicken is usually cooked separately from the vegetables. Remember to cook the chicken until it’s 80% done, set it aside, stir-fry your vegetables, then return the chicken to finish cooking.
Wrapping It Up
No matter which cooking method you choose, velveting will help you achieve that tender, restaurant-quality chicken at home. I encourage you to try all three cooking methods to see which you prefer! For me, it’s usually a toss-up between sautéing in a wok and boiling, depending on what I’m making.
This method works exceptionally well with pork tenderloin, also a lean and tender meat. However, if you need to tenderize tougher cuts of beef or pork, I would use a different velveting technique that includes baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). Check out the relevant posts here:
As always, feel free to leave any comments, questions, or feedback.
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