Steamed Chicken with Chili Garlic Sauce

Steamed Chicken with Chili Garlic Sauce is the ultimate upgrade to your chicken game. Juicy, tender chicken paired with a mouthwatering chili garlic sauce—follow my simple steps for the best steamed chicken you’ve ever tasted!

Steamed Chicken Recipe

Serving: 2 to 4
Prep time: 20 minutes
Rest time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes

For the chicken:
1 (4 pounds) Three Yellow Chicken
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons ginger puree (1/2 thumb ginger and 2 tablespoons water)
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
1 tablespoon oil

For the chili garlic sauce:
1 1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons scallions
2 tablespoons red chili flakes
6 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon Chinkiang vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Steamed Chicken Instructions

1. Prepare the chicken:

• In a bowl, mix together the salt, ginger puree, and Shaoxing wine. Whisk.
• Apply the ginger puree, Shaoxing wine, and salt mixture all over the chicken, both inside and outside.
• Marinate for 20 minutes.

2. Make the sauce:

• In a bowl, add the sesame seeds, garlic, scallions, and red chili flakes.
• In a small pan over high heat, add the oil, and heat it up until smoking hot. Pour the hot oil into the bowl.
• Then mix in the Chinkiang vinegar and soy sauce. Whisk.

3. Steam the chicken:

• Brush a thin layer of oil on the chicken. Place the chicken on a plate, breast-side down. Put the plate on a steamer rack.
• In a large pot over high heat, bring water to a boil. Turn the heat to medium, transfer the chicken to the pot, and cover the pot.
• Steam the chicken until completely cooked through for about 40 minutes. Make sure the internal temperature is at least 165 degrees F or 74 degrees C.
• Remove the chicken.

4. Serve:

• Shred the chicken with your hands into small pieces (or slice it with a knife). Serve it with the chili garlic sauce.

Tips & notes

• Three Yellow Chicken develops a naturally beautiful yellow hue when cooked. If you’re using regular chicken, you can mimic the color by brushing it with a thin layer of water mixed with a pinch of turmeric before cooking.
• Don’t skip the marinade—the ginger and wine infuse the meat with subtle depth and fragrance.
• Adjust the heat to your liking by controlling the amount of chili used.
• Pouring hot oil over the chili-garlic mixture unlocks its full aroma—so don’t hold back on that satisfying sizzle!