In a medium container or mixing bowl, add the sliced chicken, 1 teaspoon of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, and 1 tablespoon of canola oil. Stir until the chicken is well coated with the cornstarch and sauce. In the meantime, prepare the ginger, garlic, scallions, and meaasureout the seasoning and sauces.
Heat a 14-inch seasoned wok or cast iron pan over medium-high heat until the pan is hot and just starts to smoke (about 15 seconds for a wok or 3 minutes for a cast iron pan). Add 1 tablespoon of canola oil, then add in the coated chicken slices. Stir until the chicken turns opaque on both sides (about 2 minutes). Lower the heat and remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
Add 1 tablespoon of canola oil to the pan and increase the heat to medium-high, then add the white portions of the cut scallions. Stir for about 15 seconds until the scallions are fragrant before adding the sliced garlic. Continue stirring for another 15 seconds and add the scallion greens.
Add the chicken back to the pan, season with 2 tablespoons sha cha sauce and 1 teaspoon of soy sauce, and stir until the sauce is well incorporated. Stir-fry the contents in the pan by constantly flipping and moving the vegetables with your spatula to prevent burning. Then, season with ⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper and 1 teaspoon sugar, stir-fry for 10 more seconds, and immediately turn off the heat. The bottom of the pan should be fairly dry as the sauce will coat the chicken.
Transfer to a serving platter and serve hot.
notes
substitutions: The same seasonings and recipe steps would work well with other thinly sliced proteins like pork loin, beef sirloin, or medium-firm to firm tofu cut into ½-inch thick pieces.vegetarian - replace the chicken with medium-firm to firm tofu cut into ½-inch thick pieces and use the vegetarian sha cha sauce (it has a green top).gluten-free - use a Taiwanese soy sauce that's brewed without wheat or opt for tamari.other protein options - the same seasonings and recipe steps would work well with shrimp, thinly sliced pork loin, or beef sirloin.instead of scallions - garlic chives or garlic scapes make great substitutes for this dish.variations:other vegetables to add – bell peppers, yu choy, bok choy, mung bean sprouts, summer squash, and thinly cut celery or cucumber are some ideas.storage:Allow the dish to fully cool and store it in a covered container in the refrigerator (within 2 hours) for up to 2 days. Scallions don’t stand up well to freezing since the texture will change.Reheat in the microwave, air fryer, or preheated steamer for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until the chicken is at least 165ºF (74ºC).
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