Spicy Pine Nut Chicken

This spicy pine nut chicken is the perfect combination of savory and spicy. The secret is to switch up the heat with three different chiles.

So, I do not do heat well. In fact, family and friends always warn others to not let me be the one that determines if a dish is too spicy. I would like to say they are wrong, but admittedly, I cannot handle spicy dishes well. I have, however, found if I add a variety of peppers, chiles, or powders I can create spicy dishes that do not overwhelm us less adventurous “chiliphile”.

For this spicy pine nut chicken, I added three levels of heat: Gochujang (a Korean chili sauce), sriracha, and dried red chiles. Sriracha sauce and chili sauce are both savory, spicy condiments made from a blend of chili peppers, garlic, and vinegar. Sriracha sauce is typically sweeter than chili sauce, and also has a more pronounced garlic flavor which mellows out the punch of the gochujang.

Substitutes

I really like cooking with gochujang but it is not necessary. You can easily substitute it with your favorite chili sauce. Be sure to stick with a chili sauce, not a hot sauce, to complement the other ingredients in the recipe.

Spicy Pine Nut Chicken

This spicy pine nut chicken is the perfect combination of savory and spicy. The secret is to switch up the heat with three different chiles.

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

Chicken:

• 1 pound boneless skinless, chicken breasts, or thighs, cut into 1” pieces
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 cup oil
• 2 shallots sliced
• 5 cloves garlic minced
• 1/3 cup chopped scallions/green onions separate the whites from the greens
• 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
• 1/4 cup pine nuts optional

Red Chile Sauce:

• 4 – 5 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 – 3 tablespoons gochujang adjust for heat levels
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon sriracha
• 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 – 2 whole dried red chiles see note.

Instructions

 

• Cut chicken into 1-inch cubes. Toss each piece with cornstarch. Set aside.
• Preheat a non-stick skillet with oil. Cook each chicken piece until all the sides are golden brown. Remove the chicken from the pan. Leave about 1 tablespoon of oil in the pan for cooking.
• In a separate dish, combine all the ingredients for your sauce together.
• Add the shallots and garlic to the skillet and sauté in the oil until browned, about 10 minutes.
• Add the white part of the scallions and the grated ginger and sauté for 2-3 more minutes.
• Add the sauce ingredients and whisk together. Taste the sauce for heat. If you like it spicy add 1 – 2 more tablespoons of chili sauce or cut the dried red chilies in half to release the seeds.
• Add the chicken back to the skillet and toss to coat each piece. Let simmer for 1 – 2 minutes to allow the chicken to absorb the flavors.
• Remove from heat and fold in the green parts of the scallions and the pine nuts, if using. Serve immediately.

Notes

Dried red chilies add aroma to the sauce but don’t really add spiciness. If you want a spicier sauce, you can cut the peppers in half to release the seeds.