(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

“Velveting” is a Chinese cooking technique often used in stir-fry recipes. The technique can be used with any type of meat to lock in juices and keep the meat moist.

The “velvet” technique is usually used with chicken breast because chicken breast contains less fat than other kinds of meat. So if you velvet the chicken breast, the technique can lock in the juices of the chicken breast; therefore, the cooked breast will still taste moist, juicy and full of flavor.

The most common “velveting” techniques involve coating or marinating poultry or meat for stir-fries with egg white and corn flour or cornstarch. In Asia, many cooks marinate meat or poultry for stir-fries with soy sauce and “potato starch” or “sweet potato starch” before stir-frying or deep frying.

Velveting is an ideal way to prepare chicken for such popular dishes as Kung Pao Chicken, Broccoli Chicken, General Tso’s Chicken, or Shanghai Style Sweet and Sour Pork.