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–+ servings
Steamed chicken with ginger scallion sauce served over a plate of rice.
5 from 1 vote

Steamed Ginger Scallion Chicken

Looking for an easy steamed chicken recipe that's juicy, flavorful, and packed with aroma? This Chinese-style steamed ginger scallion chicken is a simple, delicious meal made with tender, succulent chicken, with a fragrant ginger scallion sauce that gives every bite a savory, aromatic flavor explosion. With just 7 ingredients and 30 minutes, this budget-friendly recipe is perfect for busy weeknights when you want something delicious with minimal effort.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients
 

  • 4 chicken drumsticks (4 legs are about 1lb/454g)
  • 3 inch knob of ginger divided
  • 4-6 stalks scallion divided
  • 1 bird's eye chili sliced (optional for spice)
  • ¼ cup neutral oil (ie. avocado, vegetable, canola)
  • 2 tablespoons regular soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
  • Cooked white rice for serving

Instructions

  • Prepare the ginger and scallion:
    Ginger - Peel the ginger with a knife or spoon. Cut a third of the ginger into slices and set it aside. This will be for steaming the chicken. Mince the remaining ginger and transfer it into a heatproof bowl.
    Scallion - Cut and discard the roots of the scallions. Cut one stalk into 2-inch (5cm) pieces and set it aside. This will be for steaming the chicken. Thinly slice the remaining stalks and transfer it into the bowl with the minced ginger.
    If you want the sauce to be spicy, add the bird's eye chili to the mix.
  • Prepare the chicken:
    Prepare your steaming set up and bring about 2 inches (5cm) of water to a boil. In a heatproof plate or coupe that fits in your steamer, place a small heatproof bowl upside down in the center. Then arrange the chicken legs around the bowl and scatter the scallion pieces and ginger slices on the chicken.
  • Steam the chicken:
    Carefully place the plate of chicken in the steamer and steam on high heat for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through, with an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). You also can check the chicken's doneness by stabbing it with a fork or knife and if the juice runs clear (not pink) the chicken is done.
  • Prepare the ginger scallion sauce:
    While waiting, prepare the ginger scallion sauce by heating up the oil in a small pan until it shimmers and starts to smoke. Pour the hot oil over the bowl of minced ginger and sliced scallion. Then season the mixture with soy sauce, sugar, and chicken bouillon powder.
  • Finish the chicken and the sauce:
    When the chicken is cooked, carefully remove the plate from the steamer and move the chicken to a bowl to cool. Discard the sliced ginger and scallion pieces. Reserve the hot chicken broth trapped inside the upside-down bowl and add ½ cup (120ml) of the broth into the bowl of ginger scallion sauce. Mix well. Shred the chicken with a fork or let it cool a little so that it's more comfortable to handle.
  • Serve and enjoy:
    To enjoy, either mix the chicken with the sauce and serve with rice or arrange the chicken on a plate or on a bed of hot rice and pour the sauce over the chicken. Enjoy while warm!

Notes

Please refer to the post above for step by step photo reference, recipe tips, ingredient notes and substitutions, and more!
  • You may have some extra chicken broth leftover. Feel free to sip on it because it's super flavorful and full of natural gelatin from the chicken . Or you can add it to the sauce and adjust your seasoning with more soy sauce, sugar, and bouillon powder.
  • If you prefer using less oil, you can reduce the oil to 2 tablespoon (30ml). But instead of pouring the hot oil over the ginger and scallion mixture, heat the oil over medium to medium high heat and add the ginger scallion mixture (and chili pepper if using). Cook the aromatics for about 30 seconds to 1 minute until the mixture is aromatic and the green onions have wilted.
  • We added sugar to the sauce to balance out and make the flavor more well-rounded. If you prefer, you can cut the sugar in half or omit it all together.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 533.2kcal | Carbohydrates: 8.9g | Protein: 29.7g | Fat: 42.4g | Saturated Fat: 5.8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 23.4g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 139.4mg | Sodium: 1289.6mg | Potassium: 559.7mg | Fiber: 1.3g | Sugar: 4.3g | Vitamin A: 523.1IU | Vitamin C: 37.4mg | Calcium: 41.8mg | Iron: 2mg
Keywords: easy recipe
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