Tender sliced chicken stir-fried with a generous amount of fresh ginger and scallions, a fast, fragrant Cantonese-style weeknight dinner.
This stir-fry leans on the classic Cantonese pairing of ginger and scallion, an aromatic combination used across many Chinese dishes, here built into a quick, satisfying chicken dinner that comes together in well under 30 minutes. The chicken is briefly marinated in a simple mixture of soy sauce, rice wine and cornstarch, a technique called velveting that keeps thin-sliced chicken tender and silky rather than tough after the intense heat of stir-frying. Ginger and scallions are added generously, cooked just long enough to release their aroma into the oil without burning, giving the finished dish a fragrant, slightly sharp backbone that pairs perfectly with steamed rice.
Serves 4
Toss sliced chicken with soy sauce, Shaoxing wine and cornstarch; let sit 15 minutes.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a hot wok and stir-fry the chicken in batches until just cooked through, about 3 minutes per batch; remove and set aside.
Cook the chicken in batches rather than all at once — overcrowding the wok drops the temperature and steams the meat instead of searing it.
Add the remaining oil to the wok and stir-fry the ginger for 30 seconds until fragrant, then add scallions and garlic, cooking 1 minute.
Return the chicken to the wok, add oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar and chicken stock, tossing everything together over high heat for 1-2 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly and coats the chicken.
Serve immediately over steamed rice.
Marinate the chicken briefly in soy sauce, wine and cornstarch — this velveting technique keeps thin-sliced chicken tender through the high heat of stir-frying.
Cook the chicken in batches so the wok stays hot enough to sear rather than steam the meat.
Cut the ginger into thin, even matchsticks so it cooks quickly and evenly without burning.
Ginger scallion sauce alone, without the chicken, is a classic accompaniment to poached or steamed chicken (as in Hainanese chicken rice).
Beef or shrimp can replace chicken using the same technique and marinade.
Adding sliced bell pepper or bok choy makes for a more substantial, vegetable-forward version.
Refrigerate up to 3 days in an airtight container; reheat in a hot wok or skillet to help restore some of the dish's original texture.
Ginger and scallion is one of the most fundamental aromatic combinations in Cantonese cooking, used across countless dishes from poached chicken to seafood, and this stir-fry adaptation showcases the pairing in a quick, everyday format.
Yes, though thigh meat stays more tender and juicy through the high-heat cooking process; if using breast, slice it thin and don't overcook.
Dry sherry is the closest substitute, though you can omit it entirely and add a touch more soy sauce if neither is available.
It was likely overcooked, or the marinade step was skipped — the cornstarch coating and brief marinade time are what keep the chicken tender through high-heat cooking.
Per serving (280g / 9.9 oz) · 4 servings total
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