Ginger Scallion Chicken
Poached chicken with a fragrant raw ginger-scallion oil.
Ingredients
- 1 Whole chicken
- 1 Ginger
- 6 Scallions
- 5 tbsp Neutral oil
- 1 tbsp Light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Salt
Method
- Rub the chicken with salt and bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Mince the ginger and scallions for the sauce.
- Poach the chicken gently until just cooked through, about 25 minutes, then rest.
- Heat the oil until shimmering and pour it over the ginger and scallions, then stir in the soy.
- Carve the chicken and spoon the ginger-scallion oil over to serve.
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About Ginger Scallion Chicken
Ginger Scallion Chicken is a Cantonese classic in which the cooking is almost aggressively simple and the flavor comes entirely from a raw condiment. The chicken is gently poached rather than roasted or fried, a technique prized in Chinese cooking for keeping the meat tender and silky with a faint gelatinous quality near the skin. It is the ginger-scallion oil, not the bird, that carries the dish.
That sauce is made by mincing ginger and scallions and shocking them with shimmering hot oil, which blooms their aroma into something sweet, sharp, and almost creamy, finished with a splash of light soy. The chicken itself tastes clean and mild, a deliberate blank canvas for spooning the pungent oil over each slice. Traditionally served at room temperature as part of a larger spread, often over rice, it rewards patience with the poaching and rest so the meat stays juicy. High in protein and naturally low in carbohydrate, it is a dish where doing less to the chicken is exactly the point.
Ginger Scallion Chicken: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Ginger Scallion Chicken?
A serving has about 980 calories — 71.1g protein, 4.4g carbs, 74g fat, 1.3g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is it high in protein?
Each serving has about 71.1g of protein, roughly 29% of its calories.
Is Ginger Scallion Chicken gluten-free?
As written, no — it contains Light soy sauce. You'd need a certified gluten-free swap for that ingredient to make it gluten-free.
How long does Ginger Scallion Chicken take to make?
About 40 minutes start to finish, but only around 13 of those are hands-on — the rest is largely unattended cooking time you can step away from. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
How many servings does Ginger Scallion Chicken make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.