Takeout-Style Chinese Chicken Curry
A takeout-style copycat from no particular restaurant: velvety stir-fried chicken and soft onion wedges in a glossy, bright yellow curry sauce thickened with cornstarch, ready in 20 minutes to spoon over rice.
Takeout-style, not from any one restaurant. Sarah Leung of The Woks of Life ties it to family trips through Manhattan's Chinatown, picking up takeout on the way home, and her recipe is a quick home version of that dish, built on curry powder, turmeric and a cornstarch-thickened sauce.
Its cousin across the Atlantic is the British Chinese takeaway's curry sauce. Serious Eats reports that Chinese immigrants, many from Guangdong and Hong Kong, took over fish-and-chip shops in British port cities, which is why takeaways there still sell curry sauce, chips and chicken balls alongside fried rice. Where Chinese restaurants first picked up curry is not settled; see "What we could not source".
Why it works the kitchen science
Velveting
A light coat of oil, soy sauce and cornstarch protects the sliced chicken in the very hot wok, so it stays silky instead of stringy.
Cornstarch, not cream
The slurry turns thin, curry-yellow stock into the glossy, clinging sauce takeout curry is known for, with almost no fat in the sauce itself.
Step by step
- Step 1
Toss the chicken with 1 tsp oil, the soy sauce and 1 tsp cornstarch and let it sit while you cut the onion, about 5 minutes.
- Step 2
Heat a wok over high heat until it just starts to smoke, about 2 minutes. Add 2 tbsp oil, then the chicken in a single layer. Sear 1 minute, then stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes more, until opaque. Move it to a plate.
- Step 3
Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil and the onion and stir-fry 1 minute. Stir in the stock, curry powder, turmeric, sugar and a pinch of salt and bring to a boil, about 1 minute.
- Step 4
Stir the cornstarch slurry, pour it in and simmer about 1 minute, stirring, until the sauce turns glossy and thick. Add a little more slurry if it is thin or a splash of stock if it is too thick.
- Step 5
Return the chicken and its juices and simmer 1 to 2 minutes, stirring, until the thickest slice reads 165°F. Serve over rice.
Takeout-Style Chinese Chicken Curry
Serves 4 · about 4 cups · 20 min total
Chicken
- 12 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast (or thighs), thinly sliced
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp cornstarch
Sauce
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
- 1 medium onion, cut into small wedges
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 4 tsp curry powder (Leung prefers Madras style)
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- Salt to taste
- 1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tsp water
To serve
- Steamed white rice
Method
- Toss the chicken with 1 tsp oil, the soy sauce and 1 tsp cornstarch and let it sit while you cut the onion, about 5 minutes.
- Heat a wok over high heat until it just starts to smoke, about 2 minutes. Add 2 tbsp oil, then the chicken in a single layer. Sear 1 minute, then stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes more, until opaque. Move it to a plate.
- Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil and the onion and stir-fry 1 minute. Stir in the stock, curry powder, turmeric, sugar and a pinch of salt and bring to a boil, about 1 minute.
- Stir the cornstarch slurry, pour it in and simmer about 1 minute, stirring, until the sauce turns glossy and thick. Add a little more slurry if it is thin or a splash of stock if it is too thick.
- Return the chicken and its juices and simmer 1 to 2 minutes, stirring, until the thickest slice reads 165°F. Serve over rice.
Adapted from Sarah Leung, "15-Minute Chinese Chicken Curry (Takeout-Style)", The Woks of Life (August 1, 2017; updated March 4, 2026), serves 4. The marinade of oil, soy sauce and cornstarch, the smoking-hot wok, the 1-minute onion stir-fry, the curry powder, turmeric and sugar sauce and the cornstarch slurry are Leung's. She stir-fries the chicken "until opaque" and returns it for 30 seconds; the times and the 165°F check are ours, which is why our total is 20 minutes instead of her 15. This is a takeout-style recipe, not any restaurant's own. The Woks of Life. Ingredient list follows the source; the method is in our own words.
All sources (2)
Tips
- Turmeric stains; Leung suggests an apron and metal utensils.
- Thighs stay juicier than breast if you reheat leftovers.
- Add sliced green bell pepper or peas with the onion for a fuller takeout-style plate.
The rules people argue about
What the sources agree on, what they don't, and what is just a good story.
- Chinese takeout curry is Chinese. Disputed: Serious Eats describes British takeaway curry sauce as an immigrant adaptation for local tastes; we found no reputable history of the American version.
- It is the same as British "Chinese curry sauce". Folklore: both are yellow, mild and thickened, but British takeaways pour theirs over chips (Serious Eats); the American version is usually a stir-fry over rice.
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