Cody Casey
Steaming is a popular way of cooking chicken in Southeast Asian and Chinese cuisine. It is a healthy cooking method that helps retain the flavour, tenderness and moisture of the meat without the use of additional fat. Chicken can be steamed using a traditional steamer, a rack that sits in a covered pan, or an electric steamer. Before steaming, the chicken can be marinated or covered in salt to enhance its flavour and moisture. Aromatics such as onions, carrots, celery, ginger, and lemongrass can also be added to the boiling water to infuse extra flavour.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of Chicken | Boneless chicken breasts, skinless, or small whole birds |
| Marinade | Salt, garlic, ginger, green onion, light soy sauce, Chinese cooking wine, oyster sauce |
| Additional Ingredients | Onions, carrots, celery, herbs, lemon grass |
| Cooking Time | 8-30 minutes |
| Cooking Utensils | Traditional steamer, saucepan, rack, electric steamer, skillet, heatproof dish |
What You'll Learn
Preparing the chicken
Before steaming, you can marinate the chicken to infuse it with flavour. This can be done by covering the chicken with salt and rubbing it into the fillets, then placing it in the refrigerator for around 30 minutes. You can also add other ingredients such as garlic, soy sauce, and sesame oil to the marinade. Rinse the salt off the chicken after this step.
Another option is to use a basic marinating sauce made from ginger shreds, green onion shreds, light soy sauce, and Chinese cooking wine. Spread this evenly on both sides of the chicken and leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
You can also add ingredients to the steaming water to infuse extra flavour, such as onions, carrots, celery, and ginger.
Making a few cuts on the top and bottom surface of the chicken will allow the heat to penetrate more evenly during cooking.
Finally, place the chicken in a steamer basket or pan over a pot of boiling water. Ensure the water level is just below the bottom of the steamer, and that the chicken is in a single layer with a little room around each piece to allow the steam to circulate. Cover and steam for around 8-10 minutes for a whole chicken, or 20 minutes for chicken chunks or fillets.
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Choosing a steamer
To steam chicken, you will need a steamer. You have a few options to choose from, each with its advantages and considerations:
Traditional Steamer
The traditional option is to use a steamer that fits on top of a saucepan. Fill the steamer pot halfway with water and bring it to a boil using high heat. Adding herbs or other flavourings to the water can infuse additional taste to your chicken. Place the chicken in the steamer, ensuring a little room around the pieces for the steam to circulate, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes.
Rack in a Covered Pan
Another method is to use a rack that sits inside a tightly covered pan, suspending the chicken above the water. Add at least one inch of water to the pot, bring it to a boil, and then place the chicken in a heatproof dish on the rack. Make sure the water is not boiling up over the dish, cover, and steam for 8 to 10 minutes.
Electric Steamer
If you prefer a more modern approach, an electric steamer can be used. These are often designed to be placed directly into a rice cooker, saving time and energy. Simply follow the instructions for your specific model.
Rice Cooker Steamer
If you have a rice cooker, you can use its steamer function to cook your chicken. This is an efficient way to prepare your meal, as you can steam the chicken and rice simultaneously.
Regardless of the steamer you choose, always ensure that your chicken is thoroughly cooked before serving. Checking the internal temperature of your chicken with a meat thermometer can help ensure it has reached a safe temperature of approximately 75°C.
Experiment with different steamers and cooking times to find the setup that works best for your kitchen and culinary preferences.
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Cooking the chicken
Steaming is a popular way of cooking chicken in Southeast Asian and Chinese cuisine. It is a healthy cooking method as no additional fat is used, and it helps retain the chicken's flavour, tenderness and moisture.
To cook steamed chicken, you will need a steamer basket or pan that fits on top of a saucepan, or a rack that sits inside a large pot. You can also use an electric steamer.
First, marinate the chicken. This can be done by covering the chicken with salt and rubbing it into the fillets, then placing the chicken in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Rinse the chicken thoroughly under running water to remove the salt. Alternatively, you can marinate the chicken with a sauce of your choice.
Next, fill the steamer pot halfway with water and bring it to a boil. Add aromatics, such as herbs, onions, carrots, celery, ginger or lemongrass, to the water for additional flavour. Place the chicken in the steamer, ensuring that it is in a single layer with a little room around each piece to allow the steam to circulate. Cover and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. If using a rack in 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, ensuring that the water is not boiling up over the dish. Cover and cook for 8 to 10 minutes.
Check if the chicken is cooked by piercing it with a skewer; the juices should run clear. If not, continue cooking and check again after a few minutes. Once cooked, remove the chicken from the steamer. You can use the leftover water as a broth or to make a sauce.
To make a sauce, heat some vegetable or sesame oil in a pan. Add onions and cook until tender, then mix in garlic and cook until fragrant. Stir in soy sauce, and other ingredients of your choice, such as oyster sauce, and remove from the heat. Spoon the sauce over the chicken before serving.
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Making a sauce
To make a sauce for your steamed chicken, you can follow this recipe for an Asian-inspired sauce. Start by heating some vegetable oil in a pan over medium heat. Add in chopped onion and cook until tender, this should take around 3 to 5 minutes. Next, add in garlic and cook for another minute, stirring regularly. Finally, pour in soy sauce and sesame oil, stirring to coat. You can ladle this sauce over your steamed chicken.
Another option is to make a Chinese-inspired oyster-based dipping sauce. Start by heating sesame oil in a saucepan. Add in chopped garlic and green onion and stir-fry until fragrant. Then, add in oyster sauce, light soy sauce, and water. Bring the contents to a boil and transfer to a dipping bowl. This sauce can be served alongside your steamed chicken.
You can also use the water from the steamer to make a broth. Simply use the water as a base for a sauce to serve with the chicken.
Additionally, you can serve your steamed chicken with chicken rice, which is a popular combination in Southeast Asian countries.
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Serving suggestions
Steamed chicken is a popular dish in Southeast and Southern China, where it is often served with chicken or rice and a dipping sauce.
Sauces
Steaming is a great way to cook chicken as it retains flavour, tenderness and moisture. To add extra flavour, you can cover the chicken in salt before steaming, and/or add aromatics such as lemongrass, onions, carrots, celery or ginger to the boiling water. You can also brine the chicken (cover with salt or soak in saltwater) to lock in moisture.
If you want to serve your steamed chicken with a sauce, you can make a simple Asian-style sauce by frying onions and garlic in vegetable or sesame oil, and adding light soy sauce. You can also make an oyster-based dipping sauce by stir-frying garlic and green onions in sesame oil, then adding oyster sauce, light soy sauce and water.
Sides
Steamed chicken is often served with rice, but you can also steam vegetables with the chicken. Just be sure not to overcrowd the pot.
Timing
Remember not to cut into the chicken as soon as it comes out of the steamer—let it rest for a few minutes first to retain moisture.
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Frequently asked questions
To steam chicken, you will need a steamer basket or pan that fits on top of a saucepan. Fill the saucepan with water to just below the bottom of the steamer, or half full of water if using a traditional steamer. Bring the water to a boil, add your chicken, cover and steam for 8-30 minutes, until the juices run clear.
The cooking time for steamed chicken depends on the size of the chicken pieces. Smaller pieces, such as boneless chicken breasts, will take around 8-10 minutes to cook through. Larger pieces will take longer, up to 30 minutes.
To keep your steamed chicken from drying out, brine the meat before cooking by covering it with salt or soaking it in saltwater. This will help to lock in moisture. You can also try cooking darker meat cuts, such as chicken thighs, as these are less prone to drying out.
Steamed chicken is often served with rice and a sauce. You can make a simple sauce by frying onions and garlic in vegetable or sesame oil and adding soy sauce. You can also serve steamed chicken with a dipping sauce, such as an oyster-based sauce.
