Description
Chinese scallion chicken blends tender poultry with fragrant green onions in a dish that blends perfectly in seven straightforward steps. Your kitchen fills with amazing aromas as the chicken cooks, and you end up with something so good that you and your family keep coming back for more.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein:
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Seasonings and aromatics:
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
- 4–5 scallions, chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Cooking essentials:
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Instructions
- Whisk together 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, and 1 tablespoon cornstarch in a bowl until the cornstarch dissolves completely.
- Submerge your 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in the marinade, turning them to coat all sides evenly, then let them sit for at least 15 minutes at room temperature.
- While the chicken rests, chop 4-5 scallions into pieces, mince 2 cloves garlic finely, and mince 1 tablespoon ginger so everything is ready to go.
- Pour 1 tablespoon vegetable oil into your skillet or wok and heat it over medium-high heat until it shimmers, about 2 minutes at 375°F.
- Place your marinated chicken breasts into the hot oil and sear them for 5-7 minutes on the first side without moving them around, letting them develop a golden crust.
- Flip each breast carefully and cook for another 5-7 minutes on the second side until the internal temperature reaches 165°F, then transfer to a plate.
- Add the minced garlic and ginger to the same skillet and cook for about 1 minute at medium heat, stirring constantly so they don’t burn.
- Toss in your chopped scallions and sauté everything together for 2-3 minutes until the aromatics become fragrant and slightly softened.
- Return your chicken to the skillet along with any accumulated juices, then pour in any remaining marinade and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes until the liquid reduces and coats everything.
- Season with salt and pepper to your taste, then remove from heat and let it rest for 1 minute before slicing and serving with rice or noodles.
Notes
- The cornstarch in the marinade creates a light coating that helps seal in moisture, so don’t skip this step even if your chicken seems wet.
- Let your chicken rest for a full minute after cooking before slicing, which keeps each piece tender and juicy rather than dry.
- If the sauce seems too thin after simmering, mix a teaspoon of cornstarch with a tablespoon of water and stir it in to thicken it up.
- For a dairy-free or vegan version, swap the chicken for tofu or thick vegetable slices and reduce the cooking time accordingly since these cook faster than chicken breasts.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15-17 minutes
- Category: Sautéed Chicken
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Chinese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 220 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 5 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg