Pan-Fried Soy Sauce Chicken Chop

Pan-Fried Soy Sauce Chicken Chop (酱油煎鸡扒) is a popular Asian style chicken chop recipe that is easy to prepare and require only simple ingredients that most Asian home kitchen should have.

Chicken chop is popular in almost all culinary ethnicities owing to its delicious taste and it is super easy to cook. It is usually prepared with chicken drumstick and thigh by having the bone removed. There are a lot of chicken chop recipes in the world with different marinade method and different sauce pairing.

In this article, I will share one of the most basic yet delicious marinade method for chicken chop. It is suitable to pair with any sauces that you can think of, including brown sauce, black pepper sauce, BBQ sauce, and even cheesy sauce. The pan-fried soy sauce chicken chop is delicious even without any sauce.

Recipe Ingredients

Main Ingredients:

• 2 pieces of Chicken Chop

Seasoning Ingredients:

The most important ingredients for this Asian style chicken chop are the soy sauce and oyster sauce, and dark soy sauce. The combination of these sauces creates one of the best Asian style marinades that can be used to marinate chicken or pork. The following is my recommended portion for each ingredient.

• 2 tsp of Soy Sauce
• 2 tsp of Oyster Sauce
• 1 tsp of Dark Soy Sauce
• 1 tsp of Sugar
• 1/2 tsp of Salt
• 1 tsp of Black Pepper Powder
• 1 tsp of Pepper Powder

How to Cook Pan-Fried Soy Sauce Chicken Chop?

1. Marinade the chicken chop by put in all the seasoning ingredients and gently massage them into the chicken. Put the chicken in the fridge to marinate overnight.
2. Heat up 2 tbsp of oil in a pan or wok. Put in the chicken chops (remarks: you can pan-fry more than one chicken fillet at a time or cook them one by one. It depends on the size of the pan or wok you are using).
3. Pan-fry the chicken chop over medium to low heat for about 2-3 minutes on each side or until fully cooked (the timing is depending on the size of the chicken chop).

Pan-Fried Chicken Chop Tips

1. Use Boneless Chicken Whole Leg. Boneless chicken whole leg is the best part of chicken for this recipe. You can easily cook this part of the chicken to achieve its perfect golden colour. Chicken breast works too but the texture is not as tender and juicy as the chicken leg. Bone-in pieces like drumsticks and thigh might take longer time to cook and the outer part of the chicken can get dark and dry before the inside is fully cooked.
2. Marinade the chicken chop thoroughly. Use the fork to poke the chicken chop evenly before marinating as this will allow more of the marinade to seep into the chicken and keep it moister. If you want a tasty and juicy chicken, keep the chicken in the fridge overnight after marinade. Let the chicken chop take its time to absorb the seasoning in the fridge.
3. Use Medium Heat to cook the chicken chop. This is to ensure heating without burning the outside of the chicken before the inside is cook thoroughly. Use medium heat in between 300 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and avoid high heat temperatures in between 400 to 600 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. Rest the chicken chop. After the chicken chop is cooked, allow it to “rest” before cutting or slicing it. This allows the juices to be reabsorbed into the fibers of the meat. You will lose some of the flavourful juices if you cut the meat by skipping this step. However, make sure not to rest the meat for too long until it turns cold, the dish is still best served warm.

Is Chicken Chop Healthy?

Grilled chicken chop has much lower calories compare with fried chicken chop due to the amount of oil and batter used. You can also reduce fat content by replacing French fries with baked potato (without butter or sour cream) and vegetables (salad), you also can remove chicken skin if you are afraid of consuming fats below the chicken skin.

Can you pan-fry Frozen Chicken Chops?

According to the USDA, you can safely cook frozen chicken as long as you cook the chicken until the internal temperature of the thickest part reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. If you are going to skip the thawing process, in order to cook the frozen chicken into a fully-cooked, safe-to-eat meal, simply increase your cooking time by at least 50 percent on the stove or in the oven. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken meat if you are in doubt.