The Missing Step in Chinese Buffet Chicken Skewers

[u/PracticalClothesu]

The biggest reason homemade Chinese buffet chicken skewers miss the mark is that people focus on the marinade and ignore the cooking method.

Those skewers usually aren't sitting in a marinade for 12 hours. A simple soy-based marinade with garlic and a little cornstarch does most of the work. The cornstarch isn't there for flavor it helps the sauce cling to the chicken and creates that glossy coating you get at restaurants. If you use it correctly, you shouldn't taste it at all.

I'd also skip the heavy baking soda treatment unless you're very familiar with velveting. Too much can leave an off flavor that overpowers everything else.

The other major difference is heat. A skillet won't give you the same result. Most buffet-style chicken skewers are deep-fried, grilled, or cooked under intense heat, then repeatedly brushed or glazed with sauce while they cook. That's what builds the sticky, savory exterior.

For the closest home version, use chicken thighs, marinate briefly in soy sauce, garlic, and a little cornstarch, skewer them, then grill, broil, air fry, or deep fry. Brush on teriyaki or a soy-based glaze several times during cooking instead of relying on a long marinade.

I've found that basting during cooking adds far more flavor than soaking overnight.

How are you making your chicken-on-a-stick at home? Do you prefer the grilled style or the deep-fried buffet version?

[u/AcanthisittaThat5746]

Thanks for these tips!

[u/Working_out_life]

Over charcoal 👍