Chinese Almond Chicken: An Italian-Chinese Restaurant Classic

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Chinese almond chicken with diced chicken breast, toasted almonds and carrot in a glossy soy sauce.

Let's be honest: in China, they probably wouldn't even know what pollo alle mandorle is. Here in Italy, however, it's an undisputed classic of Chinese restaurants.

I happen to enjoy many of the dishes that became popular when some of the first ethnic restaurants opened in Italy. I can already hear an outraged chorus of people who hate Chinese food: the smell of frying, the mysterious ingredients, all those sauces, the MSG that supposedly does you harm…

Yet 60% of the people I know who turn their noses up at Chinese restaurants go absolutely crazy for €19.90 all-you-can-eat sushi. But then again, the world would be a boring place if we all liked the same things, wouldn't it?

My husband is a staunch opponent of “Chinese food”, so when I get a craving, I've learned to cook my favourite dishes at home, just for myself. That way, everyone's happy!

Recreating Chinese almond chicken is surprisingly quick and easy. There are only a few things to keep in mind.

Some recipes call for rice vinegar or sake, but I leave them out because I rarely have them in the cupboard. The one ingredient I really recommend for getting the right flavour is toasted sesame oil. You can now find it in well-stocked supermarkets as well as Asian grocery shops.

Some people add bamboo shoots, but for convenience I simply use a little diced carrot.

Chinese Almond Chicken

A classic of Chinese restaurants in Italy, easy to recreate at home.

Recipe details

  • Yield: 4 servings

  • Preparation time: 15 minutes

  • Resting time: None

  • Cooking time: 15 minutes

  • Total time: Approximately 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 700 g boneless chicken breast

  • 50 g blanched almonds

  • 1 large carrot

  • 3 tablespoons potato starch or cornflour (cornstarch)

  • 4 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

  • 4 tablespoons soy sauce (I use reduced-salt soy sauce)

Method

  1. Cut the chicken breast into roughly 2 cm cubes. Toss the pieces in the potato starch or cornflour until lightly coated.

  2. Dice the carrot. Heat the toasted sesame oil in a large frying pan or wok.

  3. Add the carrot and almonds and sauté briefly, taking care not to burn them.

  4. Add the coated chicken and stir-fry until golden on all sides.

  5. Pour in the soy sauce and continue cooking for about 6–7 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.

  6. If the sauce becomes too thick, add a few tablespoons of water and stir until smooth.

  7. Serve immediately, ideally with plain steamed rice.

A quick, satisfying dinner for anyone who enjoys this Italian-Chinese restaurant favourite — no takeaway menu required!

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