This easy and quick dish is a perfect blend of tender, crisp vegetables with brown rice and chicken in an Asian-inspired flavor. Are you not feeling the need to use soy and ginger? It’s not an issue. Two simple recipes are provided that use citrus and Italian flavors. Ginger Chicken is a homestyle Chinese dish composed of fresh-chopped ginger, fresh garlic, and onions. It is cooked to create the most sticky brown sauce that’s delicious with noodles or rice.
I first saw Ginger Chicken in a Chinese restaurant in Rochester, NY, where I worked as a waiter at tables. In the kitchen, it was mentioned that Cantonese chefs would refer to this Ginger Chicken as “Old Ginger Chicken” or “lo Gyong Gai” to use Cantonese.
I was fascinated by the conversations I had with the chef in spite of the fact that the kitchen wasn’t full of people. I was also able to appreciate the reasons behind it being referred to as “Old ginger chicken.” The reason is that “old,” or mature ginger is the best option!
Young Ginger vs. Mature Ginger
Mature ginger offers more of a spicy and intense flavor than fresh ginger. Young ginger can be described as pink with translucent skin. It is a little floral and spicy flavor. The ginger available in the majority of U.S. stores is mature ginger, which means you can quickly find the ingredients for this recipe! I’ve never seen young ginger in Asian supermarkets and it’s available only in a couple of months during the year during the season (mid-September until early November) If at all.
When I first tasted the chef’s Chinese Ginger Chicken, it was a strong and delicious taste that comes from the standard trio of fresh herbs most often utilized in Cantonese cooking including garlic, ginger, and the scallion.
Although ginger is the main ingredient of this dish, I think it tasted similar to it was the Oyster Sauce Chicken my mom would cook. There’s something to be said about the sticky sauce! My mom’s chicken was almost always on the bone, however, this recipe will make life easier by using bones-free chicken legs. If you’re not certain whether you like ginger, take your time.
As I grew older, my love for ginger grew and I was able to satisfy my cravings for dishes similar to the one below. Ginger Chicken! For more details on ginger and the ways it’s utilized for Chinese cooking, read the Chinese ingredient glossary for fresh ginger.
Should I use chicken breasts or chicken thighs?
Chicken thighs are more resilient to cooking times that are longer which allows the flavor of braises and sauces to be absorbed while not drying. Chicken breast, on other hand, is ideal for cooking that is quick, such as grilling and stir-frying.
Because this is basically braising, thighs of chicken are the preferred choice. If you like breast meat, it is recommended to take the breasts of your chicken after they’ve been cooked and then return them to the dish after the sauce has reduced enough to make it through the cooking. This will provide you with an extremely moist chicken breast with a flavorful simmered ginger sauce.
Do I require an oven to cook Ginger Chicken?
The most well-known option for this type of dish is a carbon steel wok.
But a huge saute pan or frying pan can also be a great choice!
Be sure to follow Judy’s advice for keeping the food items from sticking to the pan or wok when you are grilling your chicken.
Recipe Instructions
With a cleaver, gently smash the white portions of the scallions. The garlic, and ginger (use more firm hands for the ginger). The resulting flavor is released by the aromatics to create an enhanced flavorful dish. Scroll down on the recipe card to view the video I made of me showing this method! It’s just under a minute long, but it’s worth a look at to learn how to crush the ginger, in particular.
Spread the oil of canola along the edges of the wok. stir it up until it gets to the point of smoking. Incorporate the ginger slices that have been mashed and cook for about 15 seconds. Place the chicken pieces one by one inside the wok. Sear for 45 seconds. Flip them over and cook on the opposite side for an additional 30 seconds. Add the white part of the scallions as well as the garlic. Add the shallots as well. Continue stirring-frying over high temperature, stirring everything for thirty seconds. Add to the Shaoxing wines…Stir-fry for another 20 seconds.
Then, add some chicken broth, brown sugar soy sauce and dark sauce, white pepper as well as an oyster sauce (optional although it’ll add the dish an extra taste!). Cover and cook at high for 5 minutes. Remove the cover and cook for an additional seven minutes, to decrease the amount of liquid. Mix with the green portions of the scallions…
Then, immediately mix in the cornstarch and water mixture to make the sauce thicker. You can add more cornstarch slurry for a more thick sauce. (For more details about using cornstarch, read our article on how to make use of cornstarch in Chinese cooking. )Plate and serve hot white or brown rice, and an entrée of vegetables like stir-fried Bok Choy!
Ingredients
Ingredient Checklist
- Four small boneless skinless half-chicken breasts (5 1 ounce each)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black and white pepper ground
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 ounces fresh asparagus cut and trimmed into 1-inch pieces (2 cups)
- 2 cups packaged julienne-cut carrots
- 1 cup reduced-sodium Soy Sauce
- Two teaspoons fresh ginger grated
- 1 1/3 cups cooked hot brown rice 1 1/3 cups hot cooked brown
- 1 teaspoon of crushed fresh red pepper (Optional)
Directions
Instructions Checklist
Step 1
Sprinkle the chicken with black pepper and salt. A large, nonstick pan cook oil at medium-high temperature. Add the chicken to the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 8-12 minutes or until the chicken isn’t paler and its juices are through the pan (170 temperatures F) and turning at the halfway point of the cooking.
Step 2
In the meantime, put an iron basket inside an enormous saucepan. Make sure to add enough water so that it is just beneath the bottom of the container. Bring the water to a boil. Add the carrots and asparagus to the steamer basket. Cover the basket and lower the heat. The steamer should be on for about 5-7 mins to ensure vegetables remain soft and crisp. Transfer the vegetables into dishes.
Step 3.
For serving, mix the soy sauce and ginger in the vegetables, or cook hot brown rice. Divide the rice and vegetable mix into four plates; add chicken. If you wish you want, sprinkle the chicken then top with crushed pepper.
Tips
A variety from Lemon Chicken for Summer Lemon Chicken Make as described, however substituting one large zucchini, as well as smaller yellow squash cut in half and then halved in place of the carrots and asparagus. Reduce the cooking time down to 3 to 5 hours. Mix 1 tablespoon finely chopped lemon peel, 1 cup lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper to replace the soy sauce and ginger. Alternate cooked hot whole-grain orzo for the rice that has been ready to cook. Don’t include the crushed black pepper. If you would like to serve it with a finely shredded citrus peel. Nutrients Per Serving include 64 calories. 5,5 grams of total fat (1 5 grams fat saturated. fat) and 82 mg cholesterol. and the sodium content is 243 mg. It also contains 18 grams of carb. Five grams of fiber, 36 grams of protein. Daily values 3.5% vitamin A Vitamin C, 25 percent vitamin A 5 percent calcium, Iron 12 percent. Exchange 1 vegetable 1, 1 starch 4.5 lean protein. Carb options 1.
Broccoli Slaw Chicken Recipe Follow the recipe previously mentioned, with the exception that you don’t require salt. Replace 4 cups of shreds of prepared broccoli (broccoli mix to make Slaw) for the carrots and asparagus. Do not steam. Substitute 1 cup of mild Italian salad dressing instead of the soy sauce and ginger. Replace 2 pita bread slices cut into six pieces to make rice. Don’t add any crushed red chili pepper. Nutritional Value Per Serving 339 calories. 9,9 grams total fat (1 1 grams of fat-saturated. fat) 85 mg cholesterol. 516 mg of sodium. 25 grams of carb. Five grams fiber and 38g of protein. Daily Nutritional Values 52 % vitamin A Vitamin C 124 percent 7 percent iron, and calcium. Changes: 1 . vegetables 1.5 in Starch 4.5 lean protein. The carb options are 1.5.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 breast of chicken approximately 1/2 cup of steamed vegetables, as well as 1/3 cup of cooked rice
Per Serving:
289 calories. Protein 36.7g as well as carbohydrates 23.9g; the dietary fiber 4.3g and sugars 4.4g as well as fat 4.8g saturated fat 0.9g Cholesterol 82.2mg Vitamin A Iu 10737.3IU Vitamin C 9.3mg folate 54.6mcg; calcium 61.6mg iron 3 mg; magnesium 85mg and potassium 725.1mg and sodium 428.1mg.
Exchanges: 2 starch, 4 lean proteins, 4 half 1 vegetable