Chicken with garlic, ginger and spring onion is a gloriously simple and quick Chinese takeaway style dish that bursts with bold flavours.
This recipe is a little less frantic than many stir fries, with just a few minutes of quick frying, then the chicken is braised in a sauce, but everything still cooks in under 30 minutes.
Garlic Ginger Chicken
My site is littered with Chinese fakeaway dishes and my latest offering is my interpretation of garlic ginger chicken.
I quite often use ginger heavily in these types of recipes, my ginger pork stir fry, teriyaki ginger prawns and ginger chicken udon noodles are some of my favourites of the genre.
Unlike all of those recipes, this dish is a “braise” rather than a stir fry. Don’t worry it is a quick braise, this delicious dish still cooks in under 30 minutes.
The chicken is quickly stir-fried with garlic and ginger for a few minutes, then things get a lot easier.
Next up, pour in the sauce, thicken it a little, and wait for dinner to be ready.
It’s a quick and easy fakeaway without the frantic energy of stir-frying.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use chicken breast?
Yes, there is no problem with using chicken breast in this recipe. But be sure to not try to reheat it because it will dry out.
What is Chinkiang vinegar?
Chinkiang vinegar is a black rice vinegar and it is delicious, I use it in almost all of my Chinese fakeaway recipes.
It has a much more complex and round flavour than regular rice vinegar. You can use regular rice vinegar instead if you wish
What is Shaoxing wine?
Sheaxing wine is a Chinese rice wine and again, I use it as my rice wine of choice, you can swap it out for any type of rice wine.
Do I have to use MSG?
No, you can omit it, but please do, it is a magical ingredient that makes the dish way more than the sum of its parts!
Can I make this in advance?
Yes, unlike many of my stir fry recipes, this dish does not rely on crisp fresh vegetables. This makes it ideal to cook in advance and reheat later.
It will sit in the fridge for 2-3 days if stored appropriately and can be reheated on the stovetop or even in a microwave oven.
Serving Suggestions
Like so many of my “fakeaway” dishes, I have served this chicken with ginger and spring onion recipe with some simple egg fried rice. However, there is more than enough big flavour here to be able to serve this with plain rice!
Noodles always make for a solid side dish for Chinese fakeaways, and a quick plain chow mein would work wonderfully here.
Chips would always be part of a Chinese takeaway order growing up, the modern-day equivalent to that in the UK appears to be salt and pepper chips.
Don’t forget to grab some prawn crackers or make up some prawn toast to kick off the meal!
Equipment Used
I only mention brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But, if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Stovetop.
- Wok. I use a large carbon steel wok that will work on my induction hob.
- Stirring and serving spoons.
- Kicthen knife.
- Chopping board.
- Weighing scales and or a combination of a measuring jug, cups and spoons.
- Mixing bowl.
Chicken with Ginger and Spring Onion Recipe
This spring onion, garlic and ginger chicken recipe uses boneless skinless thighs and almost braises them in a quick and simple Chinese takeaway-inspired sauce.
Ingredients
- 350-400g (14oz) Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
- ⅛ Tsp White Pepper
- ⅛ Tsp MSG
- 75ml (⅓ Cup) Chicken Stock
- 2 Tbsp Light Soy Sauce
- 1 Tbsp Chinkiang Vinegar
- 1 Tbsp Shoaxing Wine
- 2 Tbsp Oyster Sauce
- 10-12 Spring Onions
- 4 Garlic Cloves
- 35g (Thumb sized piece) Ginger
- 2 Tbsp Cooking Oil
- 1 Tsp Cornflour (Cornstarch)
- 1 Tbsp Water
- 1 Tsp Dark Brown Sugar
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into 5-6mm (¼") thick strips across the thigh.
- Mix together the white pepper, MSG, chicken stock, Chinkiang vinegar, Shaoxing wine and oyster sauce, then set aside.
- Trim both ends of the spring onion, then peel off any gnarly outer leaves. Cut the white parts of the spring onion into 5cm (2") lengths and finely slice the green parts of the spring onion, keeping both parts separate.
- Peel and slice the garlic cloves as finely as you can.
- Peel the ginger and cut it into batons as thinly as you can.
- Heat the cooking oil in a wok over a very high heat, throw in the chicken and white parts of the spring onion and stir fry for 2 minutes.
- Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute.
- Pour in the sauce we created in step 2, reduce the heat to medium and give the dish a stir.
- Mix the water and cornstarch and stir it into the sauce.
- Add the brown sugar and then simmer for 10 minutes.
- Just before you serve stir through most of the green parts of the spring onion, keeping a few back for garnish.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 449Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 188mgSodium: 1363mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 3gSugar: 5gProtein: 43g
Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.
Hannah
Monday 25th of May 2020
This recipe is amazing and simple, I just made it and it is full of flavour. I'll be sure to make it when next i have guests over, it's a winner. Thanks for sharing this recipe, i'll be trying more of your recipes.
Brian Jones
Monday 1st of June 2020
Thanks for taking the time to write, so glad you enjoyed it!
kim
Monday 19th of August 2019
Love this easy dinner idea! So much flavor!
Brian Jones
Thursday 22nd of August 2019
It certainly does.
Kelly Anthony
Monday 19th of August 2019
This ginger chicken is packed full of flavor and is sure to please any crowd.
Brian Jones
Thursday 22nd of August 2019
Thank you
Jeannette
Monday 19th of August 2019
Oh my! That looks so finger lickin' good! I'd LOVE to give this recipe a go! Thanks for sharing, Brian!
Brian Jones
Thursday 22nd of August 2019
Enjoy
Danielle Wolter
Monday 19th of August 2019
This looks absolutely incredible. I can almost taste the flavors through the photos!
Brian Jones
Thursday 22nd of August 2019
lol, thank you!