If I told you that one of my favorite chicken dishes is made out of a whole can of coca-cola, would you believe it? This cola chicken is full of flavors; with the right amount of savory and sweetness, the best part is that it is so easy to make!!
What is Cola chicken?
Cola chicken, also known as 可乐鸡 is an extremely popular chicken dish in China. Rumor says that it originated in Shangdong China, where a cook accidentally dropped a can of coke in a pot of soy chicken wings and discovered the amazing combination of the two. It then spread all over China becoming one of the common household dishes. There are also sayings of Cola chicken originating in the united states where instead of Soysauce, it is replaced with ketchup for the extra tanginess.
Traditional Chinese recipe Cola chicken is made with Coke, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and Chinese cooking wine. The sauce is sticky, savory, sweet, and a bit tangy if cooked right. Since it is boiled in low-medium heat for a long period of time, the meat is extra tender and flavorful.
Fun fact: Cola Chicken has a very similar taste to a teriyaki chicken. If I put a blindfold on you, I bet you cant tell that theres a whole can of coke in there!
Main Ingredients
Types of protein options
Traditional Cola chicken recipes are made with chicken wings. However, in this recipe, I will be using drumsticks instead simply because I had a hard time finding chicken wings in my supermarket. You can totally substitute the chicken wings with your favorite proteins such as chicken thigh, chicken breast, pork chops, beef ribs, and even deep-fried tofu!! etc.
I would personally recommend proteins with skin/bone on just because they give it an extra layer of texture and crisps.
Preparation Process
Start by scoring up your choice of protein, today i am using chicken drumsticks. In a pot of boiling water, add in Chinese cooking wine, sliced finger and scallions and boil the chicken for about 5 minutes
while the chicken is boiling, slice up some more scallions and smash some garlic. Then the chicken should be ready to drain
in a Wok or non stick pan, add in veggie oil. Pan fry the drumsticks until all sides are slightly cripsy. Add in garlic, ginger, soy sauce, oyster sauce, Chinese cooking wine, and dark soy
add in a can of coke along with bay leaves, close the wok and let it simmer for around 30 min in med low heat
once the sauce has all dissolved, top it off with more sauce, some sesame seeds and chopped green onions, then you’re all done!
Cola Chicken
Ingredients
- 800g of chicken wing/drumsticks
- 1 pot of boiling water
- 1 slices of ginger
- 2tbsp Chinese cooking wine
- 1 scallion
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- Soy Cola sauce:
- 1 can of coca-cola (12 oz)
- 3tbsp soy sauce
- 2tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine
- 2 pieces of ginger
- 2 pieces of bay leafs
- 3 pieces of garlic
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
Toppings (optional)
- Chopped scallions
- sesame seeds
Instructions
- scorch the chicken and put them in boiling water along with 2 slices of ginger, 1 scallion, and 2 tbsp of Chinese cooking wine
- boil the chicken for 5 minutes until they turn whiteish color, drain them out, pat them dry and leave them on the side for later use
- in a wok or nonstick pan, add vegetable oil, boiled chicken, garlic, and ginger, bay leaves, grill all sides of the chicken until they are brown/crispy
- add in cola, soy sauce, oyster sauce, Chinese cooking wine, and dark soy sauce
- close the cover and let this boil and turn it to med-low heat for around 30 min or until most of the sauce is absorbed!
- plate it up and top it off with some chopped scallions and sesame seeds
- Enjoy!!
Notes
-Do not put the boiled chicken in water after boiling as the cold temperature can result in shrunk meat causing it to taste dry
-Please add ginger even if you do not like the taste of it! Ginger can add a nice aroma to the meat as well as tenderize it
-Make sure you score the chicken for that extra flavor to get into the meat
-If you do not pat the chicken dry before adding it to the wok/pan, the juice of the chicken may cause the oil to spatter which can be dangerous
-Slightly sautee the sides of the chicken with garlic and ginger before adding the cola soy sauce in for that extra crispiness!
-Be patient and cook the chickens in med-low heat until the sauce thickens up to almost honey-like consistency
-Adding dark soy sauce can enhance the color and also the flavor of the dish!
-Chinese cooking wine is a necessity but it can also be substituted with mirin, or dry sherry
watch video:
For more recipes, click here! ☜ ⍩
Disclosure: Some of the links and items on this page may contain affiliate links. This will not cost you anything additional but as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases through the affiliate links.
Carrianne/prihtyme/陆求丽 says
Last night I made your yummy 可乐鸡 !
It didn’t turn out as pretty as yours ( triple batch for my tribe 🙃) but I got rave reviews…我的朋友,新年快乐!
Gochuzhe says
Hi Carrianne!!! Im so glad that you and your tribe enjoyed this recipe, thank you for giving them a try😊 祝你新年快乐 身体健康🤎🤎🤎