Chicken in Black bean sauce
Chicken in black bean sauce is a tasty Chinese dish that features chicken cooked in a savoury and flavourful sauce made from fermented black beans, garlic, ginger and soy. It’s a classic take away dish but when you have a Thermomix you can whip this up in no time and save!
This is an all in one dinner, with the chicken and black bean sauce being steamed in the Varoma, and the rice and vegetables being cooked underneath. It’s a perfect quick and healthy mid week dinner
What does it taste like?
Chicken in black bean sauce has a rich, savoury, and salty flavour. The black bean sauce is quite robust, with a deep umami flavour from the fermented beans. It’s seasoned with other aromatics such as garlic, ginger, and soy sauce. The chicken is steamed until tender and juicy, and the sauce helps to infuse the chicken with lots of flavour. The vegetables provide a nice contrast in texture and flavour and the rice dissipates the intense flavour of the sauce.
Salted Black Beans
Salted black beans are a Chinese ingredient made by fermenting and salting black soybeans. They’re really popular in Chinese cooking because they add a salty, savoury flavour to dishes like stir-fries, stews, and sauces.
You can buy salted black beans in a jar or a bag, and they have a strong smell and taste. You will find them in Asian supermarkets and some of the larger supermarkets sell them.
Before you use them, you should rinse them off and soak them in water to get rid of some of the saltiness.
When you cook with salted black beans, you’ll often use other strong flavours like garlic, ginger, and chili to balance out the saltiness and make everything taste delicious!
Choosing the chicken
You can use any boneless, skinless chicken for this dish. Some popular options are chicken breast, chicken thighs, or a combination of both.
When using chicken breast, it’s important not to overcook it, as it can become dry and tough.
If you prefer a more tender and juicy texture, chicken thighs are a good choice. They have a higher fat content than chicken breast, which helps keep them moist and flavourful during cooking. You can cut the chicken thighs into pieces or leave them whole, depending on your preference. Obviously they will need a longer cooking time if left whole.
For ease, I often buy chicken tenderloins and cut them into three pieces.
Overall, the type of chicken you use for chicken in black bean sauce is mostly a matter of personal preference. Just make sure to cook it thoroughly and according to food safety guidelines to avoid any risk of foodborne illness.
Marinate the chicken in a mixture of soy sauce, shaoxing wine, sesame oil and cornstarch for 30 minutes before cooking. This will help to tenderize the chicken and infuse it with flavour.
Varoma® Steaming Tray
This is a wonderful tray available from the Mix Shop in Australia. It is deep enough to capture a delicious sauce as your protein steams. I use it for fish, chicken pork and even to make an omelette. If you don’t have one, you can use any shallow tray that is heat resistant and fits comfortably on the Varoma tray, take care not to cover the side vents on the Varoma tray though.
It is available to order here.
If you do order and don’t have a consultant, I thank you for adding my name when you check out.
Adjust the seasoning
Taste the dish during and before serving and adjust the seasoning as needed. Add a little more soy sauce or salt if it needs more flavour, or add a little sugar or honey if it’s too salty.
Serving it up
Chicken in Black bean sauce
Equipment
- TM5 or TM6
- Varoma tray
Ingredients
CHICKEN & MARINADE
- 500 grams chicken, thinly sliced breast or thigh
- 1 tbsp shaoxing wine
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp cornflour
SAUCE
- 2 cloves garlic peeled
- 20 grams ginger peeled
- 1 red chilli deseeded and cut into 3 pieces
- 50 grams salted black beans rinsed well
- 40 grams oyster sauce
- 30 grams light soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp chicken stock paste
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
THE REST
- 3 spring onions chopped
- 350 grams jasmine rice rinsed
- vegetables of choice ie: beans, carrots, bok choy
- extra chilli & spring onion to garnish
Instructions
- Place chicken slices, Shoaxing wine, soy sauce, sesame oil and cornflour in a container, mix throroughly. Cover and refridgerate for 30 mins.
- Add garlic, ginger and chilli to Thermomix bowl and chop 3 seconds/speed 7. Scrape down sides of bowl.
- Add rinsed black beans and turbo for 1 second. Scrape down sides of bowl
- Add remaining sauce ingredients and mix 5 seconds/speed 2
- Place marinated chicken on the Varoma® Steaming Tray. Pour over the black bean sauce and gently mix. (Do not wash the Thermomix bowl, set it aside). Top chicken mix with spring onions. Place the Varoma® Steaming Tray onto the Varoma tray and set aside.
- Add washed rice to the simmering basket. Fill Thermomix bowl with 1 ltr tap hot water. Insert simmering basket with the rice inside. Stir the rice once with the spatula. Place on lid and place Varoma dish and tray with chicken on into position. Steam 12 mins/Varoma temp/speed 2.
- Carefully remove varoma tray and add vegetables to the varoma dish. Return tray and continue to cook for a further 5 mins/Varoma/speed 2.
- Check chicken and rice are cooked to your liking and serve, garnished with extra spring onions and chilli slices.