What Is Yunnan Lime Chicken?
This lime chicken salad originates from the southern Chinese province of Yunnan—famous for its diverse ethnic cuisines and bold use of herbs. It is a cold dish featuring poached chicken tossed in a zesty dressing made from lime juice, chili, garlic, and cilantro. This dish is often served during the warmer months as a cooling appetizer or a light main, making it perfect for summer.
Ingredients
Yunnan lime chicken uses two sets of ingredients, one for poaching the chicken and one for making the salad.
Chicken poaching ingredients
- Chicken breast: You can also use chicken thigh if you prefer a meatier flavor.
- Shaoxing wine: It adds an earthy fragrance to the chicken.
- Ginger: It adds aroma to the chicken.
- Scallion: Just like the ginger, it adds aroma to the chicken.
- Salt
Salad ingredients
- Garlic: Adds fragrance to the dressing.
- Purple onion: Adds a crisp texture and spicy sweetness to the dish.
- Light soy sauce: Light soy sauce adds umami to the dish without making the dish darker. You can replace it with regular soy sauce.
- Chinkiang vinegar: Chinkiang vinegar adds an earthy tanginess to the dish. You can use other vinegars such as cider vinegar, rice vinegar or distilled vinegar. For cider vinegar and rice vinegar, you might need to use a little more than called for because they are milder.
- Lime juice: The main ingredient in the dressing, it adds a fruity zest to the dish.
- Sugar: Sugar counterbalances the sourness of the citrus and vinegar, creating a well rounded flavor.
- Sichuan peppercorn: Another key ingredient to add aroma and a numbing tingling mouthfeel.
- Cilantro: It gives the dish its signature freshness.
- Thai chili pepper: A touch of spiciness adds a kick to the dish.
How to make Yunnan lime chicken salad
- Simmer the chicken with the aromatics until just cooked through. The most important thing is to never bring the water to a full boil. When the water starts to bubble, turn to medium or medium-low heat. The water should be barely bubbling. This way, the chicken will turn out juicy and tender.
- Immediately transfer the chicken to an ice bath so it stops cooking. The ice water also slightly tightens the chicken, giving it a nicer texture.
- Shred the chicken once it’s cooled off.
- Mix in the rest of the dressing and the herbs.
That’s it! The lime chicken salad features very tender juicy chicken and crunchy onion brought together with a very refreshing dressing. The hot pepper and cilantro add tons of aroma, making it so appetizing.
You can serve the dish as a cold appetizer or light main dish. It’s also a great dish to prepare in advance and bring to a potluck.
Other delicious recipes for hot days
- Sesame Noodles
- Peanut Noodles
- Chinese Chicken Noodle Salad (鸡丝凉面)
- Chinese Pickled Cucumber (A Quick Pickle Recipe)
- Mango Sticky Rice
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Yunnan Lime Chicken Salad
Ingredients
Poaching
- 1 chicken breast
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 1 ” inch ginger , sliced
- 2 scallions , halved
- 1 tablespoon salt
Salad
- 1 clove garlic , grated
- 1/4 purple onion , thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Chinkiang vinegar
- 1 lime , juiced
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorn
- Pinch of salt
- 1 small batch cilantro , chopped (yields 1/4 cup loosely packed)
- 1 Thai chili pepper , sliced (or any other hot pepper you prefer)
- Thinly sliced lime pieces , for garnish (Optional)
Instructions
- Add chicken breast into a medium-sized pot and add water to cover the chicken by 1”. Add the Shaoxing wine, ginger, scallion and salt. Cook over medium-high heat until just starting to simmer. Turn to medium-low or low heat so the broth barely bubbles. Cook until just cooked through, for 15 minutes or so. The inside of the chicken should read 165°F (74°C), or insert a sharp knife into the thickest part, and the juice should come out clear.
- Prepare a cold water bath with ice when the chicken is almost done.
- Transfer the poached chicken into the prepared water bath to stop the cooking. Once cooled to room temperature, transfer to a big bowl. Shred the chicken and transfer to a big bowl.
- Add the garlic, purple onion, light soy sauce, Chinkiang vinegar, lime juice, sugar, Sichuan peppercorn, and pinch of salt to the chicken. Mix very well. If you have a pestle, use it to gently massage the chicken to blend the flavor in. Then add the cilantro and chili. Mix again. Taste the salad and adjust seasoning by adding more salt if needed.
- Garnish with extra lime pieces and serve as an appetizer.
Notes
- To make the dish gluten-free: Use tamari to replace soy sauce. Use rice vinegar or cider vinegar instead of Chinkiang vinegar.
Nutrition
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