Why You’ll Love This this Savory Asian Chicken Chop Suey
This recipe transforms simple ingredients like tender chicken, crisp bean sprouts, and fragrant jasmine rice into something that tastes way more complicated than it actually is.
You’ll love how the savory broth, thickened just right with cornstarch and enriched with silky scrambled eggs, coats every bite with that perfect takeout flavor we all crave.
Plus, it’s one of those forgiving dishes where you can’t really mess it up – even if your egg ribbons look more like scrambled chaos than delicate strands, it still tastes absolutely delicious.
Ingredients List
Getting this chicken chop suey on the table requires just a handful of pantry staples and fresh ingredients that you probably already have hanging around your kitchen.
- 1 (8 ounce) package bean sprouts
- 1-2 chicken breasts, depending on preference
- 2 chicken bouillon cubes
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1-2 cups jasmine rice
Health considerations for these ingredients:
- Bean sprouts pack vitamin C and fiber while staying super low in calories
- Chicken breast delivers lean protein without much saturated fat
- Bouillon cubes bring convenience but also extra sodium, so watch your salt intake elsewhere
- Eggs add more protein plus those good-for-you B vitamins
- Jasmine rice gives you energy-boosting carbs, though brown rice would bump up the fiber if you want to swap it out
Step by Step Directions
Making this chicken chop suey is straightforward and takes about 30 minutes from start to finish.
- Prepare the bean sprouts: Boil the bean sprouts in water until they become translucent, then drain and set aside.
- Cook the chicken: Boil the chicken breasts until tender, making sure to reduce the cooking liquid down to exactly 1 cup of broth.
- Prep the chicken: Remove the cooked chicken from the broth, chop it into bite-sized cubes, and save the broth for the next steps.
- Build the sauce base: Add the bouillon cubes to the reserved chicken broth and stir until dissolved.
- Thicken the broth: Mix the cornstarch with a small amount of cold water to create a slurry, then add it to the broth to thicken.
- Add the eggs: Fork-stir the eggs in a small bowl, then slowly pour them into the hot broth while stirring to create egg ribbons.
- Season: Stir in the soy sauce to add that essential umami flavor.
- Combine everything: Mix the thickened broth with the cooked bean sprouts and cubed chicken until everything is well coated.
- Serve: Spoon the chicken chop suey over freshly cooked jasmine rice and serve immediately while hot.
For the best results, use proper Indian cooking equipment like a heavy-bottomed pan or wok to ensure even heat distribution throughout the cooking process.
Substitutions and Variations
• Spice it up: A dash of sesame oil, some fresh ginger, or a pinch of red pepper flakes can wake up those flavors.
Start small though, because you can always add more but you can’t take it back.
• Make it heartier: Double the chicken and add some diced carrots or celery during the cooking process.
Perfect for when you need to feed a crowd or want leftovers for lunch tomorrow.
Additional Things to Serve With This Dish
This dish pairs beautifully with so many sides that you’ll have trouble choosing just one.
• Steamed vegetables – Broccoli, snap peas, or bok choy add that perfect crunch and color contrast.
Plus, to be frank, we all need more veggies in our lives.
• Egg rolls or spring rolls – Whether you buy them frozen or get ambitious and make your own, these crispy little parcels are practically made for chop suey.
The textures play so well together.
• Hot and sour soup – Start the meal with a bowl of this tangy, warming soup and you’ve got yourself a proper feast.
It’s like giving your taste buds a gentle wake-up call before the main event.
• Fried rice – I know, I know, carbs on carbs, but sometimes you just want to go all in.
Use day-old rice if you have it, because fresh rice gets mushy and nobody wants that.
• Steamed dumplings – Pork, chicken, or vegetable dumplings make this meal feel like a proper restaurant outing.
You can usually find decent frozen ones at the grocery store if making them from scratch feels too ambitious for a Tuesday night.
• Simple cucumber salad – Thinly sliced cucumbers with a splash of rice vinegar and a pinch of sugar cuts through all that savory richness perfectly.
Sometimes the simplest sides are the most revitalizing.
Cooking Tips & Tricks (Chef’s Notes)
Here are some game-changing tips that’ll make your chop suey sing instead of just, well, existing on your plate.
- Don’t overcook those bean sprouts – They should still have some bite to them, not turn into sad, limp noodles. Think translucent but still crisp, like they’re just waking up from a warm bath.
- Save that chicken broth like it’s liquid gold – Because honestly, it kind of is. That’s where all your flavor lives, so don’t you dare dump it down the drain.
If you accidentally boil it down too much, just add a splash of water to get back to that one-cup mark.
- Cold cornstarch is your enemy – Always mix it with a little cold water first to make a slurry, otherwise you’ll end up with weird, gummy lumps floating around like tiny flavor-killing icebergs.
- Go slow with those eggs – Pour them in while stirring constantly, or you’ll accidentally make scrambled eggs instead of those beautiful silky ribbons that make chop suey look restaurant-fancy.
- Day-old rice is actually better – Fresh rice gets mushy and clumpy, but rice that’s been resting in your fridge overnight has the perfect texture.
Sometimes being a little stale is exactly what you need.
• Taste as you go – That soy sauce can be sneaky salty, so add it gradually until it tastes just right to you, not what some recipe writer thinks it should taste like.
Nutritional Facts
This wholesome Asian-inspired dish packs a solid nutritional punch while keeping calories in check.
- Calories per serving: Approximately 350-400 calories (based on 4 servings)
- Protein powerhouse: Each serving delivers 25-30 grams of lean protein from the chicken breast and eggs
- Low in fat: Only 8-10 grams of total fat per serving, mostly from the eggs
- Carbohydrate content: About 45-50 grams, primarily from the jasmine rice
- Fiber boost: Bean sprouts add 2-3 grams of dietary fiber per serving
- Sodium watch: Contains 800-1000mg sodium mainly from bouillon cubes and soy sauce
- Vitamin C surprise: Bean sprouts provide about 15% of your daily vitamin C needs
- B-vitamin rich: Chicken and eggs supply essential B vitamins for energy metabolism
- Iron content: Delivers approximately 10-15% of daily iron requirements
- Low cholesterol: Only about 95mg cholesterol per serving from the eggs and chicken
- Gluten considerations: Contains gluten from soy sauce – use tamari for gluten-free option
- Versatile veggie vehicle: Easy to boost nutrition by adding extra vegetables like carrots or snow peas
Fun “Did You Know?”
Ever wondered why American “chop suey” barely resembles authentic Chinese cuisine? I’ll share some fascinating facts!
The term “chop suey” literally means “mixed pieces” in Cantonese. Chinese-American immigrants created this dish in the 1850s, adapting their traditional cooking to available American ingredients. It’s actually considered more American than Chinese!
The dish became so popular that by the 1920s, there were more Chinese restaurants in America than McDonald’s, Burger King, and KFC combined today.
Curiously, many Chinese people visiting America try chop suey for the first time here, curious about this “Chinese-American” creation that doesn’t exist back home!
