Chinese Steamed Chicken Recipe (2024)

Last Modified: by Elaine| 98 Comments

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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.

Chinese Steamed Chicken Recipe (1)

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 umami components in chicken meat. Steaming can preserve the flavor to the maximum.

Chinese Steamed Chicken Recipe (2)
Chinese Steamed Chicken Recipe (3)

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 Umami 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.

Chinese Steamed Chicken Recipe (4)

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 a hurry, I would suggest preparing the chicken in the morning and making this as lunch or dinner.

Chinese Steamed Chicken Recipe (5)

Steaming Tips

  1. 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.
  2. Or you can also choose to steam this in a regular steamer for around 20 minutes.
Chinese Steamed Chicken Recipe (6)

Chinese Steamed Chicken Recipe (7)

Chinese Steamed Chicken Recipe

Easy and healthy Chinese steamed chicken recipe with a savory dipping sauce.

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: chicken, steamed

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 2

Calories: 445kcal

Author: Elaine

Ingredients

  • Half of a whole chicken , around 1 and ½ pound
  • 1 tbsp. ginger shreds
  • 1 tbsp. green onion shreds , white part

Marinating sauce

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.

Nutrition

Calories: 445kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 122mg | Sodium: 1624mg | Potassium: 379mg | Vitamin A: 375IU | Vitamin C: 6.2mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 2mg

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Junichiro

    Nobody commented but I supposed you had better to know proper word. Not unami. Correctly you have to write "umami".

    Reply

    • Elaine

      Thanks for the correction. Already changed.

      Reply

  2. Darryl Smith

    Chinese Steamed Chicken Recipe (12)
    Very tasty dish, moist chicken. Really enjoyed.

    Reply

  3. Shan

    Hi I want to steam the whole chicken - should I double the time so like 40mins? I saw some comments that you suggest to cut them to large pieces before steaming Too correct ? Appreciate a quick reply if possible . Trying to make this today

    Reply

    • Elaine

      Shan,
      Another 5 minutes will do.

      Reply

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Chinese Steamed Chicken Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How long does it take to steam a whole chicken? ›

Rub the chicken with salt and place in a solid steam tray and steam at 100˚C for 45 minutes. Baste with juices and cook for a further 10 minutes. Test if the chicken is cooked by placing a skewer in the thickest part of the chicken, if juices run clear the chicken is cooked.

Is steamed chicken any good? ›

This steamed chicken is delicious and popular in Southeast Asian countries, where it's typically served with chicken rice. We love it so much. It is very easy to make.

Is steamed chicken more tender? ›

Chun et al. (2013) reported that superheated steam cooked meat has better acceptability, tenderness, juiciness, and flavor scores compared to those of oven-cooked.

Is steamed chicken better for you? ›

Steaming cooks food gently, so it doesn't destroy the nutrients like other methods such as frying. This means that you get all the goodness from the chicken. – It is easy to cook chicken in this manner. Simply put your chicken in a steamer basket or on a rack over some boiling water and leave it to cook.

Is 30 minutes long enough to cook chicken? ›

Cooking tips

Bake a 4-oz. chicken breast at 350°F (177˚C) for 25 to 30 minutes. Use a meat thermometer to check that the internal temperature is 165˚F (74˚C).

Why is my steamed chicken tough? ›

Overcooking or cooking at too high a temperature can result in tough, dry chicken. Undercooking can leave chicken undercooked and chewy. Proper cooking techniques, such as roasting, grilling, or braising, can help maintain moisture and tenderness.

Is it better to steam or bake chicken? ›

Because steam cooks chicken faster than conventional dry heat, it hasn't lost all its juices by the time it's cooked through and you'll get dinner on the table faster than you'd expect – steam oven roast chicken takes around 45 minutes for an average sized whole bird, and as little as 30 when you follow the ...

Can you put raw chicken in a steamer? ›

Yes you can cook chicken in the steamer, but a few points worth considering first. What size is the chicken breast and is it boneless? I am presuming it is so I would say for approx 140g weight, this would take 15-20 minutes.

Why do people steam chicken? ›

The steaming method does not require cooking with oil therefore it avoids producing unwanted fats. The resulting dishes are very light, healthier and gentle on the palate. When cooking fish and chicken, the steam dissolves the fat, making food lower in calories and more easily digestible.

Should steamed chicken be pink? ›

Safely cooked poultry can vary in color from white to pink to tan. All poultry should reach a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F (73.9°C) as measured with a food thermometer. For whole poultry, check the internal temperature in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast.

Is Chinese steamed chicken and broccoli healthy? ›

Chicken and broccoli is similar to beef and broccoli, consisting of chicken and broccoli stir-fried in a light sauce. However, it's a leaner option than beef and broccoli that still offers plenty of protein. One cup (153 grams) provides 13 grams of protein and only 145 calories.

Is steamed chicken good for high blood pressure? ›

A widespread mistake many people make is that they think chicken is very high in calories. However, this is not the case. On the contrary, chicken is one of the best food items you can eat if you have blood pressure.

Why is steamed chicken healthier than fried chicken? ›

Boiling chicken helps to retain its nutrients and natural flavors, making it a nutritious choice. In contrast, fried chicken is often high in calories, fat, and sodium due to the breading and oil used in the cooking process.

How long does steam cooking take? ›

Suggested times for steaming vegetables:

Asparagus, green beans: 3 to 5 minutes. Collard greens, kale, Swiss chard, and other hearty, leafy greens: 5 to 7 minutes. Cauliflower, broccoli: 8 to 10 minutes. Beets, carrots, potatoes, turnips, and other root vegetables: 10 to 15 minutes.

Does it take longer to steam than boil? ›

Steaming. In fact, it's recommended that you opt for steaming over boiling because it takes less time, lower temperatures and less liquid to cook your favourite veggies.

How long does a full raw chicken take to cook? ›

Roasting
CutInternal TemperatureAverage Cooking Time*
Ground chicken patties (120 g raw)165°F (74°C)30 minutes
Whole chicken – stuffed (1.5 kg raw)180°F (82°C)2 hours 10 minutes
Whole chicken – unstuffed (1.5 kg raw)180°F (82°C)1 hour 40 minutes
Wings (90 g raw)165°F (74°C)25 minutes
5 more rows

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