Steamed chicken is a traditional homestyle Cantonese dish that is very popular among home cooks because it is easy to prepare, very healthy, and tastes so good. Bite size pieces of chicken are marinated in a gingery oyster-sauce-based sauce, then steamed until juicy, tender and full of flavor. Lily flowers, wood ear mushrooms and goji berries are often added, for both texture and nutrition.
The dish is usually served as an appetizer, but I love to enjoy it as a main dish as well. For my recipe I simply mix the chicken with the sauce, let it marinate while I get everything else ready, then set the plate in the steamer and let dinner take care of itself.
I hope you make it at home for your family and friends, because after making this recipe many times, I can assure you that this is one of those simple steamed dishes that proves dinner does not need to be complicated to be very good.
Ingredients
This Chinese Steamed Chicken recipe is super easy to make, which is one of the reasons I love it so much. Here are all the ingredients I use to make it:
Chicken and marinade: I use boneless skinless chicken thighs because they are easy to find and stay juicy after steaming. I marinate them with oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, ginger, peanut oil, cornstarch, and salt so the chicken turns tender and the sauce thickens nicely while it cooks.
Optional toppings: I like using dried lily flowers, wood ear mushrooms, and goji berries when I have them in the pantry. They add texture and a little color to the plate, but I can skip them and still end up with a very good dish.
Garnish: I finish the chicken with sliced green onions. It is a small touch, but it freshens up the plate and makes the dish look ready for the table.
How to Make
1. Marinate the chicken: Add the chicken, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, ginger, peanut oil, cornstarch, and salt to a large bowl. Mix everything thoroughly with my hands and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes at room temperature, or longer in the refrigerator if I have the time.
2. Soak the optional toppings: If I am using dried lily flowers or wood ear mushrooms, I soak them while the chicken marinates. Once they are ready, I cut the mushrooms into small pieces and pat both ingredients dry so they do not water down the sauce.
3. Arrange the plate: Prepare a plate that fits in the steamer. Add the chicken and all the marinating liquid to the plate, then arrange the lily flowers, wood ear mushrooms, and goji berries over the top if I am using them. I try not to overlap the chicken too much so it cooks evenly.
4. Prepare the steamer: Add about 2 inches of water to the steamer and place the plate of chicken on the rack. Cover and turn the heat to medium high.
5. Steam the chicken: Once the steam starts coming out of the steamer, set a timer for 8 minutes. Check the chicken when the time is up and steam a little longer if needed, just until it is fully cooked through.
6. Garnish and serve: Turn off the heat and carefully remove the plate from the steamer. Garnish with green onions and serve hot as an appetizer or over steamed rice as a main dish.
Tips to make the best steamed chicken
Marinate the chicken in advance: This step is very important to make the chicken extra flavorful. You should marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes, but I prefer to leave at least 1 to 2 hours for the marinade to soak in. You can even prepare the dish a day before and marinate it in the fridge overnight.
Do not overcrowd the plate when steaming: Depending on the size of your pot, you will need a proper sized plate to fit in the steamer. For the best result, you should not overlap the chicken too much. This way, they will steam quickly and evenly, to create the best result.
Do not overcook: Depending on the material of the plate and the size of the chicken pieces, you might need to tweak the cooking time slightly. The best way is to check on the chicken from time to time, and immediately stop cooking once the chicken is just cooked through. This way, you’ll be sure to keep the chicken juicy and tender.
Use a mild oil unless I want extra nuttiness: I usually use a neutral oil because it keeps the ginger and oyster sauce at the center of the dish. If I want a more nutty note, I use sesame oil instead.
How to serve
Steamed chicken can be served as a hot appetizer or a main course. It tastes great by itself and served over steamed white rice. If I want to put together more of a Cantonese style spread, I like adding one or two other steamed dishes so dinner stays easy for me. I would serve it with my Chinese steamed fish or my easy steamed tofu.
Like I mentioned earlier, you can easily double the recipe to make a bigger dish if you’re serving it as a main course. Depending on the size of your steamer, you might need to cook it in two batches for the best result.
Frequently Ask Questions
What cut of chicken do I use for steamed chicken?
I have found it’s very delicious to use skinless boneless chicken thighs to make this dish. And that version is way more accessible outside of China. If you do not have access to Chinatown or a Chinese market but still want to keep this dish pretty authentic, you can use chicken drumsticks and use a cleaver to cut each one into three pieces.
Can you make this gluten free?
Yes, I can. I use tamari instead of light soy sauce, dry sherry instead of Shaoxing wine, and a gluten free oyster sauce to keep the dish gluten free.
How do I store leftovers?
I store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If I want to freeze it, I let it cool completely first and freeze it for up to 1 month, though I think the texture is best when I eat it fresh or from the fridge.
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Easy Chinese Steamed Chicken
Ingredients
Marinating
- 2 (about 12 oz / 350 g) chicken thighs , cut to bite-size pieces (*Footnote 1)
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine
- 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
- 1/2 thumb ginger , julienned
- 1 teaspoon peanut oil (vegetable oil, or sesame oil) (*Footnote 2)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Topping options (*Footnote 3)
- 1/4 cup dried lily flowers , soaked and drained
- 2 tablespoons dried wood ear mushrooms , soaked and drained
- 1/2 tablespoon goji berries
Garnish
- green onions , sliced
Instructions
- Add all the marinating ingredients in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly with your hands. Let marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes at room temperature, up to overnight in the fridge.
- (Optional) If you will be using dried lily flowers and / or wood ear mushrooms, soak them while marinating the chicken. Once done, cut the mushrooms into small bite-size pieces. Dry both ingredients with paper towels (very important, otherwise it will dilute the sauce).
- Prepare a plate that can fit into your steamer. Add the chicken onto the plate along with the marinating liquid, and arrange the soaked lily flowers and wood ear mushrooms with the chicken. Add the goji berries. Avoid overlapping the chicken if possible, because it will result in a longer cooking time and the chicken might not be cooked evenly.
- Add 2” (5 cm) water to the steamer and place the plate of chicken onto the steamer rack. Cover and turn to medium-high heat. When the steam starts to come out of the steamer, set the timer for 8 minutes.
- Once done, remove the cover and carefully check the chicken to make sure it’s fully cooked. Steam for a bit longer if needed. Turn off the heat. Carefully remove the plate from the steamer. Serve hot as an appetizer, or over steamed rice as a main dish.
Notes
- Traditional steamed chicken is always made with bite-size bone-in skin-on pieces. However, since it’s less common to eat chicken that way in the US, I used boneless thighs in this recipe. For a more traditional approach, see my blog post above for tips on using bone-in cuts.
- I prefer to use a milder or neutral oil in this dish. But you can use sesame oil as well, if you like the nutty taste.
- The dried lily flowers, wood ear mushrooms and goji berries add texture and color to the dish. They are great if you happen to have them on hand. Otherwise you can totally skip them and just enjoy the chicken by itself.
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
I’d love to hear how it turned out for you! Please take a moment to leave a 5-star rating ⭐️ and share your thoughts in the comments further down the page. It really helps others discover the recipe too.
J-Mom
Since I love lily flowers and wood ear mushrooms, I really had to try this. And I’m glad I did. It’s really good, especially given how relatively simple the recipe is. I’m so glad I had a steamer. Thank you for the recipe!