Chinese ginger chicken
A quick dish from home-style Chinese cooking that relies on fresh ginger; we stir-fry it over high heat so its flavor stays sharp and refreshing.
Cut the chicken breasts into even bite-sized cubes so they cook evenly and stay tender.
Mix the chicken with half the soy sauce, half the starch, and the white pepper, and leave it for ten minutes to absorb the flavor and stay juicy.
Dissolve the rest of the starch in the water with the rest of the soy sauce and the sugar on the side, so it is ready for a quick addition.
Heat the oil in a wide pan over high heat and fry the chicken with constant stirring until it turns golden and turns white on the inside.
Push the chicken to the side and add the ginger, garlic, and the white part of the green onion, and stir for half a minute until fragrant without burning.
Pour in the sauce mixture and stir everything until the sauce thickens and coats the chicken, and make sure the chicken has reached 74 degrees Celsius in the thickest piece (FSIS).
Add the green part of the onion and lift the pan off the heat right away, and serve it hot over steamed rice.
The glycemic index (GI) measures how quickly a food raises blood sugar, while the glycemic load (GL) measures how much a full serving raises it. Together they give the complete picture.
A low value (≤55) means a gradual rise in blood sugar — the most suitable range for diabetes and insulin resistance.
Glycemic load reflects the impact of the full serving. To lower it: take half a serving, or pair the recipe with a source of protein and fiber.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet per FDA food-label reference values — your daily needs may be higher or lower. Values are derived from the recipe's ingredients via the USDA database.
The most common problems when preparing Chinese Ginger Chicken, and how to fix them:
Do not prolong the frying after it is done; lift it off as soon as it reaches 74 degrees Celsius, as excess heat dries it out.
Stir it again over the heat until the starch thickens, or add a little of the starch and water mixture.
Use fresh grated ginger and add it near the end so its flavor does not evaporate.
Keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Reheat it in a pan over medium heat with a splash of water to restore the sauce's consistency.
Freeze it for up to a month, and thaw it in the refrigerator before reheating.
| Original Ingredient | Tested Substitute | Ratio | Flavor Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken breasts | Boneless chicken thighs | 1 to 1 | Thighs are slightly more tender and hold up well to quick frying. |
| Low-sodium soy sauce | Regular soy sauce diluted with water | Reduce the amount | To lower the sodium, dilute the regular sauce and reduce the added salt. |
| Corn starch | Potato starch | 1 to 1 | Gives a similar thickening to the sauce. |
| Ingredient | 2 servings | 4 servings (base) | 8 servings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken breasts | 300 g | 600 g | 1200 g |
| Fresh ginger | 12 g | 25 g | 50 g |
| Soy sauce | 15 ml | 30 ml | 60 ml |
| Vegetable oil | 12 ml | 25 ml | 50 ml |
Quick frying over high heat traps the chicken's juices and keeps it tender, and fresh ginger gives a clearer flavor than ground.
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