Gingery Soya Sauce Chicken
This flavour bomb of a side dish will have everyone going, "More rice please!"
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
Gingery Soya Sauce Chicken - Quick FAQ
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.
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.