Today I’d like to share with you a classic Chinese dish, Chicken with Ginger Scallion Oil. It might sound like a complicated dish to make. But you’ll be surprised how easy it is, and yet super tasty. Let’s get started!

Chicken with Ginger Scallion Oil Recipe

Serve: 4
Prep time: 20 minutes
Marinate time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes

For the chicken and marinade:
1 (4 pounds) whole free-range chicken
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons ginger puree (1/2 inch piece ginger and 2 tablespoons water)
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
1 tablespoon avocado oil, or other cooking oil
1 large ginger, sliced

For the ginger scallion oil:
2/3 cup avocado oil, or other high smoking point oil
1 bulb shallot, thinly sliced
2 stalks scallions, minced
1 ½ tablespoons grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt

Chicken with Ginger Scallion Oil Instructions

1. After thoroughly cleaning and drying the chicken, rub the salt all over it, both inside and out. Apply ginger puree and Shaoxing wine all over the chicken, both inside and outside. (You could also replace it with other cooking wine, or omit it if you can’t consume alcohol.) Marinate for 20 minutes.
2. In the meantime, to make the ginger scallion oil, in a bowl place in the scallions, grated ginger, and salt. Whisk and set it aside.
3. Then in a pot over low heat, add the avocado oil (or other high smoking point oil) and shallot, and fry until golden brown for 5 minutes. Remove the shallot. Turn to high heat and heat up the oil until smoking hot. Carefully pour the hot oil over scallions, ginger, and salt. Whisk.
4. Brush a thin layer of avocado oil on the chicken skin. (You could also use other cooking oil. It will make the chicken look glossy and shiny.)
5. To steam the chicken, add a layer of sliced ginger to the steamer. (The ginger will infuse the chicken and prevent it from sticking to the steamer.) Place in the chicken, breast side down.
6. In a large pot of water over high heat, bring it to a boil. Turn to medium heat, transfer the steamer over the pot, and cover the lid. Steam the chicken until the internal temperature is at least 165 degrees F or 74 degrees C, about 40 minutes.
7. Shred the chicken with your hands into small pieces (or slice it with a knife). Serve it with ginger scallion oil.