Sweet & Spicy Chicken

Michelle_My_Belle's Note:

This recipes comes from me trying to "fix" another recipe on the site but it ended up being a whole new recipe. I think it turned out very well, and It's something we really enjoy. Make it as sweet or spicy as you like by messing with the amounts of brown sugar (not the molasses!) and chili flakes. Enjoy! This recipe includes sauce for rice but be careful, if you cook it too long the chicken will soak up the sauce fast, if your looking for more of a sticky glaze, cook it a little longer and leave the lid off during most of the cooking. I have only made it sticky without the vegetables added, so if your worried about overcooking, wait to add or cook them separately. I would also suggest chopping into pieces when raw and pan frying the chicken to help seal it some so it doesn't break down as much when cooking. I would be wary reducing the amount of water to reduce cooking time, as it changes the flavor, and not for the better IMHO.

• Total Time: 40 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 1 -2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast , cooked and chopped into large chunks
• 6 ounces frozen mixed vegetables (I like carrots, broccoli and water chestnuts)

The Sauce

• 2 garlic cloves , minced (or 2 tsp minced jarred garlic)
• ½ cup apple juice
• 2⁄3; cup brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 -2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (to taste)
• 1 ¼ cups water
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon beef base (or beef bouillon granules)
• 1⁄8; cup cider vinegar , plus
• 2 ½ teaspoons cider vinegar
• ½ teaspoon dark molasses
• ¼ teaspoon pepper

Directions:

1. Place all sauce ingredients in a large chefs pan or anything large with a lid.
2. Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly, until slightly bubbly and combined.
3. Add chicken and vegetables, if desired, Stir to coat.
4. Cook on medium/high heat, covered, for 20-30 minutes (stirring every 10 minutes, more if its a pan that sticks) or until desired thickness is achieved and chicken (and veggies) are heated through.
5. I like it served over rice.

Reviews

[Kitzy]

Wow, really tasty! After reading the other reviews I only added half the water, but still needed a tbs of corn flour to thicken it up. The result was extremely tasty. I used turkey leg instead of chicken breast, which gave it a lovely meaty flavour. Thanks!

[I'mPat]

A good easy midweek meal. I used a apple cider vinigar, crushed red chillies (1 teaspoon) and thickened at the end with cornflour/cornstarch and put in fresh vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli and carrot) and served over white rice. The only thing I would do differently next time would be to chop up raw chicken breast meat and seal it in the frypan before proceeding with the recipe. Thank you Michelle_My_Belle, made for ZAAR STARS TAG GAME.

[Sydney Mike]

VERY NICE TASTING CHICKEN DISH, which I served over brown rice! I also used fresh veggies & steamed them before adding them (while still a little crisp) to the chicken & sauce for the last 5-8 minutes of cooking! Also cut back on the amount of water by almost half! Definitely a recipe I'll be making again! [Tagged, made & reviewed in Please Review My Recipe]