Whenever I want a simple, light, and nourishing dinner without much fuss, I turn to this Chinese-style Steamed Chicken Wings. Just marinate the wings for about an hour, then steam them for 15 minutes—easy and ready in no time.
What inspired this recipe?
I took a page from the classic poached chicken in Hainanese chicken rice — one of my all-time favorites. (By the way, I’ve got a quick Instant Pot Hainanese chicken rice recipe if you want a fast and tasty meal.)
This steamed chicken wings dish just needs some time to marinate, but it’s super easy after that.
You’ll get juicy, flavorful chicken wrapped in a savory sauce, with a hint of sweetness from the goji berries and a wonderful chewy, meaty bite from shiitake mushrooms that’s packed with umami.
If you want more simple chicken recipes, my Vietnamese lemongrass chicken and Vietnamese ginger chicken are definitely worth trying.
Ingredients
- Chicken Wings: Chicken thighs also work
- Ginger and scallions: Popular ingredients in Chinese cuisine.
- Chinese cooking wine: Can be replaced with sake or sherry cooking wine.
- Seasonings: Light soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, sesame oil.
- Goji berries and shiitake: Optional, but they enhance the umami flavors of the dish.
- Starch (cornstarch, tapioca starch, or potato starch): Helps the sauce adhere to the chicken.
Instructions
Marinate the Chicken
- Separate the chicken wings, keeping only the drumettes and wingettes. Save the tips for making chicken broth or phở gà (chicken pho). Use a knife or fork to prick the chicken pieces—this helps the marinade soak in better.
- Thinly slice the ginger into strips. Finely chop the white part of the scallions and cut the green part into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces.
- If using dried shiitake mushrooms, soak them in water for 3–4 hours, then squeeze out the water and slice them.
- In a bowl, mix the chicken with all the seasonings, scallions, ginger, and cornstarch. Add the shiitake mushrooms and goji berries, then mix everything well.
- Let the chicken marinate for at least 15 minutes.
Steam the Chicken
- Arrange the chicken and all the marinade on a deep plate. Steam over medium-high heat for 15 minutes.
- Add the green parts of the scallions on top and steam for another 3 minutes.
- Serve the steamed chicken wings hot with steamed rice (check out my microwaved jasmine rice recipe if you want a quick side).
- For an extra kick, drizzle with traditional ginger scallion sauce or Vietnamese scallion oil. It’s a game-changer!
Serving Suggestions
This steamed chicken wings dish pairs perfectly with steamed jasmine rice or a simple bowl of congee. For veggies, I love serving it alongside sautéed bok choy or stir-fried Chinese broccoli.
Easy Steamed Chicken Wings (Chinese Style)
Ingredients
- 1.2 pound chicken wings (550g)
- 1 sprig green onion
- 1 thumb-sized piece ginger
- 1½ tbsp light soy sauce (to your taste)
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce (to your taste)
- ½ tbsp sugar (to your taste)
- 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (or sake, sherry cooking wine)
- ½ tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp cornstarch (or tapioca starch, potato starch)
- 4 piece shiitake (optional)
- 1 tbsp goji berry (optional)
Instructions
Marinate the chicken
- Separate the chicken wings, using only the drumette and wingette; save the tips for making chicken broth or phở gà (chicken pho).
- Use a knife or fork to prick the chicken; this helps the marinade penetrate better.
- Slice the ginger into thin strips and finely chop the white part of the scallions; for the green part, cut into 2-inch (5cm) pieces.
- If using dehydrated shiitake mushrooms, soak them in water for 3-4 hours, squeeze them, and then cut them into slices.
- Combine the chicken with all the seasonings, scallions, ginger, and cornstarch. Then add shiitake mushrooms and goji berries; mix well. Let it marinate for at least 15 minutes.
Steam the chicken
- Let the chicken come to room temperature for 20-30 minutes before steaming.
- Put the chicken and all the marinade in a deep plate. Steam over medium-high heat for 15 minutes. Add the green part of the scallions and steam for an additional 3 minutes.
- Serve the hot steamed chicken wings with steamed rice.
