Mark my words, this gingery soya sauce chicken is the ULTIMATE side dish to pair with rice.
After my first bite of this dish created by Wong Zenzi @onegoodmeal.a.day I had only one thought: “Aiya, I wish I’d cooked more rice!” I also understood why the recipe went viral: such intense and complex flavours contributed by two soya sauces and various aromatics, which come together beautifully through a sequence of pre marination, searing and simmering.
Why the gingery soya sauce chicken is such a flavour bomb
1. Pre-Marination
The key to this dish’s deep flavour lies in the marinade, a simple but intense blend of light and dark soy sauces, ground ginger, and a touch of five-spice powder. Cornflour rounds off the mix, tenderizing the chicken and thickening the eventual sauce. I use boneless chicken thigh meat, keeping the skin on for extra flavour (or as chefs would say, fat equal flavour).
2. Searing
Next, we fry strips of ginger in oil until they’re crispy and golden. This isn’t just for garnishing purposes; the aromatic oil contributes flavour when we sear the marinated chicken in it. Spread out the pieces in a single layer in a hot wok and let cook over high heat until they develop browning, which translates into more flavour. The high heat will trigger the natural juices from the chicken to ooze out, creating the base for a rich gravy.
3. Simmering
At the end of the cooking process, pour in a cornflour slurry and let the chicken braise in the liquid to transform into a silky, flavourful gravy. Finally, sprinkle the chicken with the crispy ginger strips we fried earlier to add a mild spicy kick and textural contrast that elevates the dish even further.
OMG, tell me your mouth is not watering by now! I know mine is!
What’s different in my version of the gingery soya sauce chicken
Now. The sharp-eyed in you will notice that the marinade in Zenzi’s original recipe calls for ginger juice extracted from grating fresh ginger root. I’m not above using short cuts ok?
What I did was to swap the manually-grated ginger juice with with Langit Collective’s ground ginger. It didn’t affect the flavour negatively as far as I can tell. What we want is the concentrated flavour of ginger and the form – juice or powder – doesn’t matter much. Less effort, same incredible flavour, why not?!
Lastly, I skip the Chinese wine as I don’t use alcohol in my cooking. While the Chinese wine does add a layer of complexity, my version holds its own with a slightly dryer marinade, which makes the searing step more effective. Adding liquid through the cornflour slurry later will ensure there’s plenty of rich gravy to go around.
This dish is a testament to how simple ingredients and thoughtful techniques can create something spectacular. Whether you follow my adjustments or stick with the original, one thing is certain: you’re going to wish you cooked extra rice.
Love chicken? I have lots more poultry recipes you can try out!
Gingery Soya Sauce Chicken
Equipment
- wok
- Spatula
- Knife
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 200g chicken thigh meat
- 1 3-4 cm length of fresh ginger root
- 1/4 cup cooking oil for frying
Marinade
- 1/2 tbs light soy sauce
- 1/2 tbs dark soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp ginger powder
- 1/4 tsp sesame oil
- 1/8 tsp five spice powder
- 1/8 white pepper powder
- 1 tsp corn flour
Cornflour Slurry
- 1/2 tbs cornflour
- 1/4 cup water or chicken stock
Instructions
- Cut up the chicken thigh meat into bite size cubes. (Skin is optional but I kept it on because the fat from the skin is flavour)
- Marinate the meat with the marinade ingredients for at least 15 minutes
- Prepare corn slurry by mixing cornflour with water or chicken stock together.
- Slice fresh ginger root into fine strips. Heat up wok and add cooking oil. Put in the ginger strips and fry until golden and crispy. Remove the strips from heat, leaving the oil in the wok.
- Now, into this aromatic ginger-infused oil, spread out the marinated chicken pieces in a flat layer. Sear at a high heat until the bottom of the chicken acquires browning. (Turn up the heat to achieve this but without burning the chicken lah). This will only take several minutes.
- Using your spatula, flip the chicken and cook the other side. By now, you'll notice that the chicken has oozed out its natural meat juices - every drop is flavour!
- Finally, add in the corn slurry. Stream it in slowly - you don't have to add all of it and can stop when you have enough gravy. Let the chicken finish braising in the liquids as they emulsify into a gravy.
- Taste for seasoning. If not salty enough, add more light soy sauce. Dish up and top with the fried ginger strips we made earlier. Enjoy with white rice!
Notes
1. What ingredients do I need for gingery soya sauce chicken? You’ll need boneless chicken thighs, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, ginger (ground or fresh), five-spice powder, cornflour, and oil for frying. 2. Why is pre-marination important for this recipe? Marinating allows the soy sauces and ginger to penetrate the chicken, creating deeper, richer flavour once seared and simmered. 3. Can I use ground ginger instead of fresh ginger juice? Yes. Ground ginger works well and offers concentrated flavour with less effort — perfect as a shortcut. 4. What chicken cut works best for this dish? Boneless chicken thighs with skin-on are ideal because they stay juicy and the skin adds extra flavour during searing. 5. How do I get the best browning on the chicken? Use high heat, spread the chicken in a single layer, and avoid moving it too soon. Browning boosts flavour through caramelisation. 6. Why fry the ginger strips first? Frying ginger crisps it up for garnish and infuses the oil, which enhances the flavour of the chicken when searing. 7. Do I need Chinese cooking wine for this recipe? No. You can skip it — the dish still turns out richly flavourful thanks to the marinade, searing, and simmering steps. 8. How does the cornflour slurry affect the dish? It thickens the sauce into a silky gravy and helps the flavours cling beautifully to every piece of chicken. 9. What’s the key to achieving the signature flavour of this dish? A sequence of techniques: marinating for depth, searing for caramelisation, and simmering to bring all flavours together. 10. What should I serve gingery soya sauce chicken with? Steaming white rice is the perfect match — the savoury gravy soaks into the rice and makes every bite irresistible.