Cantonese Steamed Chicken with Chinese Sausage, scallions and shitakes is an easy one dish meal. I’ve been making this for over forty years and can assure you it’s not only healthy, it is delicious!
Cantonese chicken is what I eat when I feel like something healthy and when I need to eat quick!
This steamed chicken comes together fast and that’s a good thing when one is “hangry”.
Easily made in a Chinese steamer made to fit into a wok, this chicken is simple and satisfying served with steamed rice on the side. Brown or white, or fried, it’s up to you!
Cantonese food, found in Hong Kong, emphasizes the fresh ingredients of the dish, and generally has more mild seasonings than other regions in China. Contrast that with Sichuan cooking where spice is heavily used!
Dishes should be well balanced and sauces should not overwhelm the main ingredient.
Dim sum is Cantonese food and many dim sum dishes are steamed. Though there are deep fried Cantonese dishes, many are steamed or boiled.
Way back when, in college actually, I bought a Chinese steamer. I can even remember where I bought it.
My steamer was found on a sidewalk sale table at a kitchen store in the Foothills Mall in Fort Collins, Colorado. It must have been cheap and I must have thought that this was a great find or I never would have bought it.
I don’t even think I knew what pot stickers were back then and dim sum – well, I can assure you I had no clue what that was.
The only thing I can figure is that I had this cookbook, that has long since fallen apart, that contained a variety of recipes and one of which required a Chinese steamer.
It goes without saying that I’ve been making this Cantonese chicken recipe a long time. Like I said, this simple recipe packs so much flavor. Not only that, but it is easy and quick, though it does require a Chinese steamer!
Now that I have a steamer I’ve used it to steam dumplings and it is great for reheating frozen pot stickers. You can put it in the microwave but there is one tiny metal piece that can get very hot-so watch it!
This is a great last minute dish if you have chicken breasts in the freezer, which I always do. I also keep a stash of dried shitake mushrooms around that I buy when I venture to the Asian market.
Green onion? Check. Those are a staple for me. And Chinese sausage, well, I sometimes have that. Often, I use turkey pepperoni. OK! I know it sounds weird but it works.
Chinese sausage is a totally different flavor with a bit of wine and sweetness; unlike pepperoni, totally! They also keep forever in the fridge, but I just ran out!
If you don’t have either; no worries. The chicken is still great without it. However the sausage does add another flavor dimension to this mild chicken.
I first wrote about this Cantonese chicken recipe in 2013 which explains why the pics are not so good! I did try to enhance them, but I thought it about time that I shared this simply delicious recipe with you again.
Enjoy!
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A few things I used when making Cantonese steamed chicken that might be helpful for you. I prefer a traditional Chinese wok. After many uses it blackens and develops a patina. Please never use soap in your wok! Need a good cleaver? I use mine for many chopping jobs. Make sure it’s heavy and fits your hand. I prefer carbon steel. Need a steamer? I could use one with two tiers. When we go to our favorite dumpling place she stacks them at least ten tiers high! Amazing! If you want more recipes to make with your steamer, this cookbook looks interesting!
More Asian recipes?
If you want an Asian twist on focaccia and a way to use more Chinese sausage, this is an incredible recipe.
These Chinese noodles with a fried egg and bacon could be dinner tonight. Honestly, I haven’t made this in awhile and these are so good!
I’d love it if you follow me on Pinterest where I pin lots of recipes, that aren’t even mine!
Please Pin and Share:
Cantonese Steamed Chicken with Mushrooms
- Prep Time: 15 Minutes
- Cook Time: 12 Minutes
- Total Time: 27 minutes
- Yield: 4 Servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Steaming
- Cuisine: Cantonese
Description
Cantonese Steamed Chicken with scallions, ginger and shitake mushrooms comes together fast and it tastes incredible!
Ingredients
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
5 dried Shitake mushrooms rehydrated and then thinly sliced
1 Chinese dried sausage or about 12 slices turkey pepperoni
4 scallions, sliced on the diagonal in 2 inch pieces
1 2 ½ inch thick piece of ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
1 ½ T cornstarch
½ T sugar
½ T soy sauce
1 T oyster sauce
½ t sesame oil
Good Pinch of white pepper
1 T dry sherry
1 T peanut oil
Instructions
Remove any fat and gristle from chicken. Slice on diagonal into I inch pieces. ( Freeze the chicken for about 15 minutes and then slice it. Your job will be easier.) Set aside.
Combine mushrooms, sausage, scallions, and ginger.
Combine cornstarch and ½ T cold water, stirring well to dissolve cornstarch. Stir in remaining ingredients except peanut oil. Toss chicken with liquid ingredients and then add peanut oil. Toss well. Toss in the veggie and sausage
mixture and 3 T cold water.
Spread mixture on a china plate (I use a regular dinner plate) that fits in your wok. Put water in wok and set steamer inside. Bring to a boil. Place plate on rack and cover. Steam for 12 minutes or until just done.
Serve with white rice.
Rahul
Sunday 11th of October 2020
The word steamed chicken caught my eyes. Such an amazing idea Abbe. Love all the amazing flavors in it. I have this bamboo pot in my list to buy. But I have so many kitchen gadgets that I bought and used just once. But I guess this would be a great purchase.
Abbe
Monday 12th of October 2020
I am not a gadget person and I really don't like a cluttered kitchen. But a steamer does come in handy when I make Asian food!
Healthy World Cuisine
Saturday 10th of October 2020
Believe it or not, we generally do not steam our chicken but that is a brilliant idea. Great addition to the morning congee, if you are into that kind of thing. Adding the Chinese sausage adds that much needed punch to the recipe.
Pam
Friday 9th of October 2020
I seem to keep repeating the same chicken dishes so need to change that after seeing this. Plus healthy dishes are a good thing. Now I need to hunt for a Chinese steamer! And I'll be checking out Chinese dried sausage. Then I need to talk Bill into eating this!
Liz Berg
Friday 9th of October 2020
YUM! I gravitate to the same boring chicken recipes from my repetoire. This is the perfect way to branch out and have a delicious meal!!
sherry
Thursday 8th of October 2020
i love your roooster jug. so cute. and this dish sounds very healthy and delicious.