Chicken Chop Suey Recipe

Filipino Chop Suey vs. Other Chop Suey

Although Chop Suey didn't originate in the Philippines, it has found a home in Filipino cuisine through adoption and adaptation. It has its origins in Chinese-American cuisine. The term "chop suey" translates to "assorted pieces" or "mixed bits" in English and is of Chinese origin.

Filipino-style Chop Suey takes on local flavors and ingredients while retaining the concept of a stir-fried mixture of vegetables and protein. What sets it apart is the inclusion of special elements like quail eggs and liver (pork or chicken), making it truly distinct.

Chop Suey Ingredients

Here's what you need to make chop suey:

Chicken and Shrimp

Using chicken and shrimp is one of the simplest meats you can use for chop suey. Both are easy and quick to cook and can easily absorb the flavor of the sauce and vegetables. Not to worry, I've simplified this recipe by excluding quail eggs and liver.

Use chicken breast or chicken thighs alternately. For the shrimp, small to medium sizes are recommended. Here I use frozen shrimp which have already been peeled and deveined.

Chop Suey Vegetables

This variation of chop suey tends to boast a generous selection of vegetables compared to some other chop suey variations. It includes cabbage, carrots, bell peppers, snow peas, baby corn, broccoli, cauliflower, and sometimes mushrooms.

This colorful array of vegetables not only adds a visual appeal but also provides a mix of flavors and textures. Compared to American-Chinese chop suey, it doesn't include bean sprouts.

Other vegetables you can add are celery, chayote (sayote), green beans, and shitake mushrooms or brown mushrooms.

How to Make Chop Suey

And here's how to make the best chicken chop suey:

1. Tenderise the Chicken (optional but recommended)

Tenderizing chicken with baking soda is an optional yet highly recommended technique for stir-fry recipes. It enhances the chicken's texture, making it tender and velvety, and helps it cook evenly and quickly during the stir-fry process.

For a small amount of chicken, around 200g/7oz marinating for approximately 12 minutes should be sufficient. After marinating, make sure to thoroughly rinse the chicken with tap water, followed by gently patting it dry using a paper towel.

2. Parboil the vegetables

Blanching or parboiling vegetables before stir-frying is a recommended step that can help improve the final texture and color of the vegetables.

Blanching involves quickly boiling the vegetables in salted water. Restaurants often shock them in ice water to stop the cooking process and retain the color. But since this is a homemade version, I've skipped that step.

When preparing chop suey, my usual approach involves parboiling hard vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, and baby corn. The rest of the vegetables are then stir-fried with the chicken and shrimp.

3. Stir-fry

Once the vegetables have been partially cooked, we can now start the stir-frying process.

Here's how:

• Make the sauce beforehand by combining all the ingredients in a small bowl. Stir until thoroughly combined.
• Stir-fry garlic, and onions in until fragrant over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, then cook for two minutes. Quickly add the shrimp then season with salt, and white pepper (or black pepper).
• Add the bell peppers, snow peas, and cabbage. Stir-fry until partially softened.
• Add the partially cooked vegetables and the remaining sauce. Stir everything together until the sauce thickens and until the vegetables are tender but still crisp.

💭 Cooking Tips

• For a smooth cooking workflow, prepare all ingredients beforehand, including washing and chopping vegetables, and measure out any sauces or seasoning.
• To ensure vegetables are thoroughly cleaned, soak them in a large bowl of water with a salt-vinegar solution. This will remove dirt, debris, and certain pesticides from the surface of the vegetables.
• Cutting all the ingredients to approximately the same size will help ensure that they cook evenly.
• Use a wok or a large skillet that can hold all the ingredients without overcrowding.
• Stir-fry the vegetables quickly and continuously, tossing them in the pan until they are crisp-tender. Avoid overcooking, which can result in mushy vegetables.
• Add the sauce near the end of cooking to prevent them from burning.
• Drizzle sesame oil for another layer of flavor. Totally, optional!