Steaming Chicken Breasts: A Quick, Healthy Cooking Method

Steaming is a great way to cook chicken breasts, retaining flavour, tenderness and moisture without the need for additional fats. It's a versatile cooking method that's popular in Southeast Asian countries, where it's often served with chicken rice. To steam chicken breasts, you'll need a steamer basket or pan, a pot of boiling water, and some basic seasonings. The process is simple: season the chicken, place it in the steamer, and cook for around 25-30 minutes, depending on the thickness of the meat. You can also add aromatics to the water for extra flavour.

Preparing the chicken

Firstly, if you have time, you can sprinkle the chicken with salt and leave it in the refrigerator overnight or for 30 minutes. This will help to tenderise the meat and allow the flavours to soak in. Rinse the salt off the chicken before cooking.

You can also marinate the chicken in a mixture of lime juice, fish sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, grated ginger and chopped shallots for 30 minutes. Alternatively, you can add aromatics, such as onions, carrots, celery, or fresh ginger root to the steaming water to infuse the chicken with flavour.

Before steaming, you can also make a few shallow slices or poke holes into the thickest parts of the breast to help the heat reach all the way through the chicken.

To prepare the steamer, fill a saucepan with one inch of water and place over medium-high heat. You can add herbs or other flavourings to the water for additional flavour. Place a steamer basket or pan over the saucepan and ensure the water is not coming up through the holes in the steamer.

Place the chicken in the steamer, leaving a little room around each piece so that the steam can circulate freely. You can also add vegetables to the steamer, but be careful not to overcrowd the basket.

Setting up the steamer

• Choose your steamer: You can use a traditional steamer that fits on top of a saucepan, or opt for an electric steamer. If you don't have a steamer, you can also use a rack or tray that sits in the bottom of a large pot.
• Prepare the steamer basket: Place a steamer basket or pan over a pot of boiling water. Make sure the water level is just below the bottom of the steamer. If using a rack or tray, add at least one inch of water to the pot. You can also add herbs or other flavorings, such as onions, carrots, celery, or ginger, to the water for additional flavor.
• Season the chicken: Before placing the chicken in the steamer, season it with your desired spices and herbs. You can simply add salt and pepper, or get creative with garlic, chilli flakes, lemon zest, or thyme.
• Prepare the steamer basket: Lightly spray the steamer basket with oil or line it with perforated parchment. This will help prevent the chicken from sticking to the basket.
• Place the chicken in the steamer: Ensure that you place the chicken in a single layer, leaving a little room around each piece. This allows the steam to circulate freely and cook the meat evenly.
• Cover and cook: Once the chicken is in the steamer, cover it with a lid and let it cook. The cooking time may vary depending on the size of your chicken breasts, but on average, it should take around 8 to 10 minutes for the chicken to cook thoroughly.

Steaming the chicken

Steaming chicken is a great way to retain flavour, tenderness and moisture. It is also a healthy cooking method as no additional fat is used. You can steam chicken with a traditional steamer that fits on top of a saucepan, by using a rack that sits at the bottom of a tightly covered pan, or by using an electric steamer.

Firstly, set up your steamer by filling it with one inch of water and placing it over medium-high heat. Bring the water to a boil. You can add herbs or other flavourings to the water, such as onions, carrots, celery or ginger, to infuse the chicken with extra flavour.

Next, prepare the chicken. You can season both sides of the chicken breast with salt and pepper to taste. You can also marinate the chicken before steaming to give it a distinctive flavour. One option is to sprinkle the chicken with salt and leave it in the refrigerator overnight to tenderise the meat and allow the flavour to soak in. Another option is to rub the chicken with salt, place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, and then rinse the salt off before steaming.

You can also add aromatics, such as lemongrass, to the boiling water to infuse the chicken with extra flavour. If you want to add vegetables, place them in the steamer with the chicken, ensuring there is a little room around each piece so that the steam can circulate freely.

Place the chicken in the steamer in a single layer, leaving a little room around each piece. Cover and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the juices run clear. If using a rack in the bottom of a large pot, place the chicken in a heatproof dish and cover with a tight lid. Check that the water is not boiling up over the heatproof dish.

Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the steamer and use the water for a broth, or to make a sauce to serve with the chicken. You can also squeeze fresh lemon juice over the chicken, along with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, if desired.

Cooking time

The cooking time for steamed chicken breasts varies depending on the size of the breasts and the number of pieces being cooked.

If you are cooking two chicken breasts, it will take around 30 minutes for the juices to run clear. However, if you are cooking four small chicken breasts, it will take around 8 to 10 minutes.

The cooking time also depends on the method of steaming. For example, if you are using a traditional steamer that fits on top of a saucepan, you will need to bring the water to a boil and then place the steamer in the pot, ensuring that no water is coming up through the holes. Cover and cook for 8 to 10 minutes.

If you are using a rack or tray in the bottom of a large pot, add at least one inch of water and bring it to a boil. Place the chicken in a heatproof dish on the rack and cover with a tight lid. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes and then check for doneness.

It is important to note that the cooking time may be extended if the lid is removed during the cooking process, as heat and steam will escape.

Additionally, making a few cuts or pokings in the chicken breast can help the heat penetrate more evenly, but this will also reduce the cooking time.

Finally, the residual heat in the pot after turning off the heat can be used to finish cooking the chicken, which usually takes around 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of the breast and whether any cuts have been made to it.

Serving suggestions

There are many ways to serve steamed chicken breast, and it is a versatile dish that can be adapted to suit many tastes and dietary requirements.

A simple way to serve steamed chicken breast is to place it on top of a salad. This is a keto-friendly option. You could also add it to a wrap or sandwich, or eat it as it is with an avocado dip or herb sauce.

If you want to add a sauce to your steamed chicken breast, you could try frying an onion and adding garlic, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Pour this over the chicken and add some cilantro leaves for a tasty Asian-inspired dish. This goes well with rice and steamed vegetables. Alternatively, you could squeeze some fresh lemon juice and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil over the chicken and serve it with steamed kale and baby potatoes.

For a more fragrant option, you could add aromatics such as lemongrass to the boiling water when steaming the chicken to infuse it with extra flavour.

Frequently asked questions