This dish is actually close to Cantonese hand-shredded chicken as I used Salt Baked Chicken powder and omitted red oil and peppercorns. It’s not as numbing and spicy as Sichuan hand-shredded chicken but carries a unique sand ginger flavor from the Salt Baked Chicken powder, which effectively eliminates any fishy taste and enhances the aroma. If you can’t find sand ginger or don’t like its taste, you can skip it. I’ll also introduce alternatives to Salt Baked Chicken powder.
I used chicken thighs for this dish, but you can also use chicken breast. However, I find chicken thighs more tender and flavorful.
This Chinese shredded chicken is a cold dish. It is rich in ingredients, appetizing, and perfect for summer. The chicken has a tender and juicy texture, not dry at all. Even those on a diet can give it a try!
Let’s make it now!
Ingredients
- 3 chicken thighs
- Green onions: some finely chopped for the final topping, and some cut into large sections for cooking the chicken
- Ginger: sliced
- Cilantro: cut into small sections or finely chopped
- Garlic: minced or diced
- Red chili (Optional): chopped.
I used mild chili, but you can use bird eye’s chili or dried chili flakes if you prefer spicier. Dried chili flakes would add more aroma if available, but I didn’t have any at the time, so I used fresh chili.
Seasonings
- Salt Baked Chicken powder
- Oil
- Salt
- Light soy sauce
- Oyster sauce
- Cooking wine
- Star anise (optional)
What’s Salt Baked Chicken Powder?
If you’re using Salt Baked Chicken powder, taste it first to decide if you need additional salt, as it usually contains salt. Salt Baked Chicken powder is mainly used for marinating chicken thighs, and its primary ingredient is sand ginger powder, which effectively removes any fishy taste and adds fragrance.
Additionally, some Salt Baked Chicken powders contain gardenia yellow, giving the marinated chicken a golden color. I didn’t use one with gardenia yellow, so the color is not golden. Gardenia yellow is a natural pigment extracted from the fruit of the gardenia, belonging to the carotenoid pigment category. Its main components are crocin and crocetin which are safe and nutritional.
The taste of Salt Baked Chicken powder can vary between brands. I’ve bought some that didn’t taste good. If you haven’t tried this type of seasoning or can’t find it, I recommend marinating the chicken thighs with green onions, ginger, and cooking wine, adding a star anise when simmering.
How to Cook Chinese Shredded Chicken
I used a non-stick pan with a coating for this dish, but you can also use a rice cooker.
Step 1: Marinate the chicken thighs. Score the chicken thighs, making several incisions to allow for better flavor absorption. If you’re using Salt Baked Chicken powder, sprinkle it on the chicken thighs, rub it in evenly, and let it marinate for 30 minutes. If you’re using green onions and ginger, rub the chicken thighs with cooking wine. Wait for 30 minutes before moving on to the next step.
Step 2: Wipe the non-stick pan dry, add oil, arrange the green onions and ginger, and then place the chicken thighs. Cook over medium heat, flipping the chicken a few times until the outer layer is golden brown. Then, pour some cooking wine.
Increase the heat, add water until it reaches halfway up the chicken thighs, and simmer for 10 minutes. If you marinated the chicken thighs with ginger, green onions, and cooking wine, you can add a star anise at this step.
If you’re using a rice cooker, the steps are the same. Just press the cooking button and remember to flip the chicken thighs to ensure even cooking.
Step 3: After 10 minutes, insert chopsticks into the chicken thighs. If no blood comes out, it’s cooked.
Step 4: Let the chicken thighs cool, then tear them into small pieces.
Step 5: Add the prepared chopped green onions, cilantro, minced garlic, and red chili to the chicken but don’t stir yet. Heat an appropriate amount of oil and pour it over these ingredients to release the fragrance.
Step 6: Finally, add salt, light soy sauce, and oyster sauce. Mix all of them, and it’s ready to serve. If you used Salt Baked Chicken powder, taste it first to decide if you need to add extra salt.
I hope enjoy this Chinese shredded chicken!
