Salt and Pepper: A very light sprinkle of fine sea salt and ground black pepper to get the flavor going.
Light soy sauce: Light soy sauce is a versatile sauce that is used in many Chinese dishes. It is less salty than dark soy sauce. If the bottle isn’t labeled as either light or dark soy sauce, what you have is light soy sauce.
Oyster sauce: Oyster sauce is a thick, savory sauce that adds a rich, umami flavor to chicken. Combined with soy sauce, it creates a flavorful finishing glaze.
Honey: Honey adds sweetness and balances out the savory and salty flavors of soy sauce and oyster sauce. If you don’t have honey, substitute with any sweetener of your choice such as brown sugar or granulated white sugar.
Sesame oil: Sesame oil has a nutty, fragrant flavor and aroma.
Five spice powder: Five-spice powder is a typical Chinese spice blend that is made from five different spices: cinnamon, cloves, star anise, fennel seeds, and Sichuan peppercorns.
The fifth spice can vary depending on the brand, but Sichuan peppercorns are the most common and give the powder its characteristic numbing and tingling sensation.
I’m not a fan of the numbing sensation, so I like to use a blend that doesn’t include Sichuan peppercorns.
Garlic: Because garlic is life.
Garnishes (optional): Roasted sesame seeds and green onions add a pop of color and texture to the dish.