Super easy Chinese steamed chicken with ginger and green onion which only requires 10 minutes of preparation. Matched with a fabulous oyster sauce-based sauce.
Steaming might be the easiest way of cooking chicken. Steaming is a really popular cooking method in every Chinese kitchen. Steamed dishes are simple, quick, and always tender in texture. Simply marinate the chicken chunks for minutes to obtain a basic flavor, then transfer them to a steamer and steam. That’s so simple. I have made this steamed chicken recipe several times this summer.
Why steaming
People in Guangdong and Guangxi provinces love to serve this chicken directly since the steamed chicken keeps the natural taste of a high-quality chicken. There are lots of unami components in chicken meat. Steaming can preserve the flavor to the maximum.
Ingredients needed
- Organic younger chicken: younger chicken is commonly used in steamed dishes, stir-fried or poached chicken.
- green onion: also known as spring onion. It helps to enhance the flavor and move the raw taste of the chicken. Green onions can be replaced by scallions.
- ginger: ginger is an important aromatic for food that use fewer seasonings. It helps to remove the raw taste.
- Shaoxing wine: also known as Chinese cooking wine. It is widely used in meat dishes. You can substitute with dry sherry if desired.
- salt to taste: since we will serve with a dipping sauce, spare the salt amount to make the chicken meat refreshing.
- light soy sauce: light soy sauce gives a basic Unami flavor to the chicken.
The oyster-based sauce
I developed this oyster-based dipping sauce for this super simple steamed chicken. Oyster sauce is a savory, thick paste sauce popular in southern China. It goes super well with blanched vegetables and proteins. The reason why I choose an oyster sauce-based sauce is because of the thick paste texture, making it working not as a regular dipping sauce but as a lovely thick coating. This will form a very strong comparison with the juicy and tender steamed chicken.
Instructions
Spread the marinating sauce evenly on the cleaned chicken—every place. Put ginger and green onion shreds on top and marinate at least for 30 minutes. If you are not in hurry, I would suggest preparing the chicken in the morning and making this as lunch or dinner.
Steaming Tips
- If you get a rice cooker, you can choose to steam this along with the steamed rice. Simply get a rice cooker steamer. It's a lovely idea to save energy and time.
- Or you can also choose to steam this in a regular steamer for around 20 minutes.
Chinese Steamed Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- Half of a whole chicken , around 1 and ½ pound
- 1 tbsp. ginger shreds
- 1 tbsp. green onion shreds , white part
Marinating sauce
- 1 tbsp. light soy sauce
- 1 tsp. Chinese cooking wine
- ½ tsp. salt
Dip sauce
- 1 tbsp. oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp. light soy sauce
- 4 tbsp. water
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tbsp. chopped green onions
- 1 tbsp. sesame oil
Instructions
- Clean the chicken and then spread the marinating sauce evenly on both sides.
- Lay ginger shreds and green onion shreds over to marinate at least 30 minutes. Then place in your steamer. I am using the steamer of my electric rice cooker. If you are using a steamer with wok or pot, steam with high fire around 20 minutes until soft (or you can easily insert a chop sticker in). Transfer out and cut into chunks of your favorite size. Decorate with green onions.
Dipping sauce
- In a sauce pan, heat up 1 tablespoon sesame oil and stir fry chopped garlic and green onion until aroma. And then add oyster sauce, light soy sauce and water. Mix well and bring all the content to a boiling. Transfer to dipping bowl and cool down a little bit.
- Serve steamed chicken with dipping sauce.
David Lincoln
Do you leave the ginger in the steamer with the chicken?
Elaine
Yes, discard them after steaming.
Errol
I would like to learn chinese cooking
Karalee
Please tell me what is the difference between steamed hem and a poached hen, thank you.
Elaine
Steamed hen is cooked in a steamer. Poached ones are cooked in simmering but not boiling water. They have small difference in texture and flavors. Steamed chicken is even stronger in flavor. However poached chicken gives a more pure flavor and a smoother skin texture.
Debby
They all look delicious. And I will try all of them.
Elaine
Thank you!
Alex
Could I use a wooden steamer basket? 🙂
Elaine
Sure. bamboo steamer works too.
Alex
Sorry, bamboo, of course
Denny
I don't know how many times I skipped this recipe because it didn't appeal, but I looked at it today and went shopping. So easy; so delicious!! I purchased 2 chickens as close to 3 lbs each as I could find, steamed them according to recipe and made the dipping sauce as well. My kids loved it. Will definitely make this again.
As an extra bonus, steaming will be my method from now on instead of poaching. I've tried so many different methods* of poaching whole chicken, but none gave me the beautifully tender meat I've had in Cantonese restaurants. Steaming is easier and gives better results than poaching for me.
*Cooking on very low flame, dunking the chicken, cooking with residue heat, soaking in cold water after cooking - I've tried so many methods! Only thing that worked was sous vide and that was both a pain and also took too long.
Elaine
Hi Denny,
Thanks so much for this lovely comment. Poaching needs more techniques than steaming, but it presents a slightly different texture especially on skins. But steamed chicken is 100% delicious. The comfort method is the best. Happy cooking!
Katherine
Good quick recipe my son liked and i a little see how strong the flavor was on the chicken. Definitely marinate it overnight if want have a stronger flavor. If you have a pot with a steamer attachment fill pot leave at least 1- 1 1/2 inches away from streamer and boil the water. Turn medium and steam it for 40 minutes if using chicken thighs (skin and bone in).
Elaine
Thank you dear!
Patrick
How do you steam the chicken in a rice cooker? I am not sure you mentioned that
Elaine
Because it saves time. And the rice cooker steam the chicken in a slow and stable fire. You can use regular steamer for sure.
Jinky
I should tell you, this has been my go-to recipe for years, I think you should know, thank you.
Elaine
Jinky,
Thanks for your lovely feedback. I love this simple and delicious steamed chicken too.