Ginger and Scallion Poached Chicken

This delicious recipe is an amazing way to showcase the creativity of Chinese cookery. The dish is bursting with big flavors of Ginger, Garlic, and Scallions, and to achieve this some fun but easy techniques are used. The Chicken itself is wonderfully tender and flavorsome as it is slowly poached in an aromatic broth until cooked. We love this recipe for Ginger and Scallion Poached Chicken for it’s unique flavors and simplicity. It’s a tasty recipe that’s hearty enough to feed a hungry family

How to make Ginger and Scallion Poached Chicken

There are two unique elements in making this dish. The first is Poaching the Chicken, and the second is making a beautiful Ginger and Scallion Sauce / Seasoning that’s smothered over the Chicken right before serving

This is a very simple recipe to make at home and requires very simple ingredients that everyone will have around the household. Otherwise, ingredients that are just as simple to get your hands on at the grocery store. We’ll kick this recipe off by talking through the technique to poach the Chicken

Poaching Chicken is the best way to cook Chicken Breast

In our opinion this technique is the best, as it will ensure a beautifully tender Chicken Breast that isn’t dry. The first step is to prepare a poaching liquid, which really is just a large pot of boiling water that has been flavored with aromatics

In our Ginger and Scallion Poached Chicken recipe we bring a large pot of water to the boil that’s filled with a combination of Scallions (the Green stemmy parts from the end of the Scallions), diced Ginger, and Salt. If you like you can add some of your favorite aromatics to the broth to customize it. Some nice additions would be Black Peppercorns, Szechuan Peppercorns, and whole Garlic Cloves

Once the broth is boiling all you need to do to Poach the Chicken is carefully place the Chicken Breasts into the broth. Cover the pot and completely turn off the heat. The residual heat that is retained in the pot will slowly poach the Chicken until it’s completely cooked

For the best results I recommend using a cast-iron based pot, as these tend to conduct and retain heat than other pots. Also, the more Chicken you add to the pot, the longer it will take to poach and you may need to keep to re-heat the pot if the Chicken is slowing down when cooking

Checking the temperature of the Chicken

I recommend checking the internal temperature of the Chicken at about the 25-minute mark. You’ll need a meat thermometer to do this, and it’s a good idea to check as the cook time will vary depending on how big your Chicken pieces are, as well as how well the pot is conducting heat and how many pieces of Chicken you’ve put in there

For 2 medium sized Chicken Breasts the cook time should take about 25 – 30 minutes. So, Check the internal temperature and once it hits 160F, the Chicken is cooked. If it’s under, and the Pot has started to lose heat, simply place it back over the stovetop, covered, on a low heat until the Chicken is completely cooked

With the Chicken cooked it’s time to make the amazing Ginger and Scallion Sauce

The preparation of this sauce is a little different to what you would expect. Instead of combining everything in a pan and cooking it together in a pan, the only element that’s cooked is the Oil. So, to make this sauce the first step is to prepare the Ginger, Scallions, and Garlic

Finely dice the Ginger, peel and grate half a cup worth using a micro plane or box grater. Do the same for the Garlic. For the Scallions, dice them relatively finely, and reserve the green stems for the poaching liquid. Once prepared, transfer the ingredients into a large bowl

Then you will need to heat some Peanut Oil in a frying pan over medium heat until it’s nice and hot. Then, very carefully, pour the hot Oil directly into the bowl where the Scallions and Ginger are. Using a chopstick or spoon, stir everything through to allow the Oil to coat all of the ingredients

You’ll notice immediately the wonderful aromas that will come out of the bowl. This is exactly what we want, as the Ginger and Scallion Poached Chicken is a deliciously aromatic and flavorful dish. The Ginger and Scallions will just barely be cooked, but enough to ensure their flavor is at its peak, and the texture is wonderful and crunchy

If you like you can replace the Peanut Oil with any other Neutral Oil you have at home. We just used good old Vegetable Oil, and it came out great. This way you don’t need to go out and make a specific purchase of Peanut Oil just for this dish. But hey, if you’ve got Peanut Oil available then definitely use that

Finishing the Ginger and Scallion Poached Chicken dish for serving

Once the Oil has cooled, we add a splash of Sesame Oil and stir it into the Sauce. This brings out even more wonderful flavors and adds the final finishing touch to this wonderful Chicken dish

To plate the dish, I like to slice the Chicken Breasts up into strips and lay it out in a bowl. Then, spoon over a generous portion of the Ginger and Scallions and finish with a drizzle of that wonderfully flavored Oil. If you like you can also add some additional crunchy elements as a garnish. Roughly chopped Peanuts or fried Scallions make a good choice

This dish is wonderfully flavorful and light, and pairs perfectly with a big bowl of Jasmine or Sushi Rice as a hearty meal. You can also prepare some nice pickled Vegetables to pair with the Chicken. We made a delicious and simple Pickled Cucumber dish to pair alongside the Poached Chicken, and it tasted amazing

Ginger and Scallion Poached Chicken Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 Scallion Stalks
• 1 tbsp. diced Ginger
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 2 Chicken Breasts
• ½ cup of grated Ginger
• 3 Garlic Cloves, grated
• ½ cup Peanut Oil
• 1 tsp. Sesame Oil
  
  

Instructions

1. Remove the leafy green ends of the Scallions and set aside. Dice the remaining Scallions
2. Fill a large pot or Dutch oven halfway full with Water then place over the stovetop on high. Add the Scallions leaves, diced Garlic, and Salt and bring to a Boil
3. Carefully place the Chicken Breasts into the pot. Remove from heat, cover and sit for 25 minutes to poach. Once the internal temperature of the Chicken reaches 160F, remove from liquid and set aside
4. Place the diced Scallions, grated Garlic, and grated Ginger in a bowl. Heat the Oil in a saucepan over medium heat for about 5 minutes until hot then very carefully pour the Oil directly into the bowl with the Scallions, Garlic, and Ginger
5. Mix well using a chopstick or knife then allow to cool for 5 minutes then add the Sesame Oil
6. Slice the Chicken and place onto a bowl then spoon over a generous portion of the Ginger Scallion Oil and serve
   
   

Recipe Notes

• You can replace the Peanut Oil with other Neutral Oils such as Vegetable Oil if you prefer
• The poaching time may vary depending on the size and volume of Chicken you cook. If needed, you can place the Chicken back over a low heat to continue cooking them if they’re not completely cooked through at the 25-minute mark
  
  

This amazing Ginger and Scallion Poached Chicken dish is a fun and unique meal that’s very easy to make at home. The technique of pouring hot Oil over aromatics produces an amazing result and is a very fun way to prepare some classic Chinese cuisine at home

For more fun Chinese recipes just like this one, check out these tasty dishes:

• Crispy Pork Belly Bao Buns
• Shrimp and Pork Wontons with Chili Shrimp Oil
• Szechuan Kung Pao Chicken
• Peking Chicken
  
  

Happy Cooking!