Chicken Stir-Fry with Persimmons

Fuyu persimmons turn a basic chicken stir-fry into an excellent fall dinner. Our recipe pairs the sweet orange fruit with tender chicken and green beans in a glossy sauce made with classic Chinese ingredients like soy sauce, Shaoxing wine and black vinegar. The cooking takes less than 10 minutes, making this an easy fall weeknight meal.

Fall is the time for persimmons. It’s a fruit we’ve grown to love, especially the squat, tomato-shaped fuyu variety. Fuyu persimmons have a mellow sweetness that works in salads, and they’re tasty enough to eat on their own. Plus, unlike their oblong hachiya cousins, which are more suited to puddings and desserts, fuyu persimmons are ready to eat the moment you buy them.

We first encountered persimmons growing on trees at the Napa Valley organic vineyard Frog’s Leap. Though that encounter was more than a decade ago, we still have vivid memories of spotting the orange fruit growing next to grape vines during our early fall visit. Then, after buying Thomas Keller’s classic Ad Hoc at Home, we spotted the fruit again in the famous chef’s Fall Salad recipe.

Years later, we bought our first persimmons in Lisbon (ie. caquis), which appear at markets every October. We added them to salads first and then started experimenting with the versatile fruit in the kitchen. Through this process, we found that they make a great ingredient in stir-fries.

In this recipe, we cook sliced and quartered fuyu persimmons in a wok with chicken breast, green beans and cylinders of scallion. Chinese food is all about harmony in both texture and flavor. Small slices of persimmon fit like puzzle pieces next to slices of chicken breast, while a simple sauce provides sweet, sour and umami flavors.

It’s a comforting dish to eat when it’s chilly outside. Serving it with rice turns it into an comforting weeknight meal.

🍽️ This Recipe at a Glance

• Cuisine: Chinese-inspired
• Main Ingredients: Chicken breast, fuyu persimmons, green beans and scallions
• Flavor Profile: Sweet, savory and lightly tangy
• Prep Time: 20 minutes (includes a 10-minute marinade)
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Servings: 2
• Skill Level: Easy
• Equipment: Wok or large skillet, skimmer or slotted spoon
• Best Season: Late fall into early winter
• Serve With: Steamed white rice

The only seasonal ingredient in this recipe is the fuyu persimmon. The rest of the ingredients are sold year-round in both grocery stores and Asian markets. Here’s everything you need:

Ingredient quantities are detailed in the printable recipe card below.

The first step in this recipe is to marinate chicken slices in a simple mix of both light and dark soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, baking soda and seasonings. Don’t omit the baking soda as it helps to tenderize and brown the chicken. Let the chicken marinate for 10 minutes.

Pro Tip
Memorize this combination for future cooking efforts. It’s a winning preparation that will make your chicken more tender and flavorful.

Like most stir-fries, this one moves fast, so you’ll want to assemble your mise en place before you start cooking. You need to make a slurry by mixing the cornstarch with an equal or greater amount of water in a small bowl or ramekin. This is also the time to blanch the green beans in salted boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes and drain.

Heat a wok on high. Add 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil and swirl it to coat the sides. Once the oil shimmers, add the chicken.

Cook the chicken until brown, about 1 to 3 minutes. (Note that every stove is different and times may vary.) Once the chicken is browned, remove it from the wok with a slotted spoon.

Once you’ve removed the chicken from the wok, add another tablespoon of oil to the wok and add the aromatics: garlic, ginger, onion or shallot and scallion cylinders. Cook until fragrant and the onion just softens, about a minute.

Pour the Shaoxing wine around the sides of the wok to deglaze it. Next, add the sauce ingredients, except the slurry. You’ll add the slurry to the wok once all your elements are cooked.

Cook the sauce until the sugar is just dissolved (about 30 seconds). Add the persimmon slices and the green beans. Stir and cook for about a minute.

Add the chicken back to the wok. Cook for another minute until everything is combined. Add the cornstarch slurry by slowly drizzling it into the wok while stirring. The ingredients will become cohesive, and the mixture will develop a slight sheen.

Serve immediately with steamed rice.