Ginger chicken is a classic Chinese takeout dish that is simple to recreate at home. With just a few pantry staples, you can make restaurant-quality ginger chicken packed with flavor. This easy chicken stir-fry comes together in about 30-45 minutes.
What is Ginger Chicken?
Ginger chicken features chicken pieces coated in a crispy starch coating that have been fried and then tossed in a sweet, savory ginger sauce. The sauce usually contains fresh ginger, garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice wine, and other aromatic ingredients. Ginger chicken offers a delicious balance of flavors – the chicken is crispy and salty, while the sauce is sticky, gingery, and a touch spicy. It’s an addicting combination!
Ginger chicken is served at many Chinese restaurants across North America. It’s commonly ordered as a main dish or appetizer Similar dishes include general tso’s chicken and sesame chicken While takeout ginger chicken is tasty, homemade has even better flavor and costs a fraction of the price.
How to Make Ginger Chicken
Making ginger chicken at home is easy to do Here are step-by-step instructions
Ingredients Needed
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
- Cornstarch or potato starch for dredging
- Vegetable oil for frying
- Fresh ginger, grated
- Garlic, minced
- Soy sauce
- Brown sugar or honey
- Rice wine or dry sherry
- Chicken stock or water
Prepare the Sauce
First, prepare your aromatic ginger sauce. Combine minced garlic, grated fresh ginger, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice wine, sesame oil, chili flakes, and chicken stock in a small bowl. Set aside.
Coat the Chicken
Pat chicken pieces dry with paper towels. Toss chicken in a bowl with a bit of soy sauce, grated ginger, and white pepper. Dredge chicken in cornstarch, coating each piece evenly.
Fry the Chicken
Heat 1⁄4 inch vegetable oil in a skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Fry chicken in batches until crispy and golden brown, about 3-5 minutes per batch. Drain fried chicken on a paper towel-lined plate.
Finish the Dish
Pour the prepared sauce into the pan with the oil Let simmer until thickened, 1-2 minutes Add chicken back to the pan and toss to coat in the sauce. Garnish with sliced scallions and sesame seeds if desired.
Serve Ginger Chicken
Serve the ginger chicken immediately while hot, with steamed rice or noodles on the side. Enjoy this better-than-takeout meal!
Tips for Making the Best Ginger Chicken
Follow these tips for crispy, saucy ginger chicken every time:
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Use boneless, skinless chicken thighs for the best texture. The dark meat stays juicy when fried. Cut into 1 inch cubes.
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Make sure your oil is hot before frying. Use a thermometer to maintain the temperature at 325-350°F.
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Fry the chicken in batches to avoid overcrowding. This helps it get super crispy.
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Use a heavy bottomed pan like a dutch oven or cast iron skillet to regulate oil temperature.
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Drain fried chicken on a wire rack or paper towels. Letting it sit removes excess oil.
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Grate the ginger finely so it incorporates smoothly into the sauce.
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Use young, fresh ginger for the strongest flavor. Mature ginger can taste bitter.
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Add chili flakes to taste if you like a little kick of heat.
Make Ahead and Storage Tips
You can prepare the sauce and coated chicken a day in advance. Store them separately in the fridge until ready to fry and finish the dish.
Leftovers will keep refrigerated for 3-4 days. Reheat gently in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium heat, adding a splash of water to loosen up the sauce.
The fried chicken also freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.
Serving Suggestions
Ginger chicken is commonly served with:
- Steamed jasmine rice or fried rice
- Rice noodles, ramen noodles, lo mein
- Stir fry veggies like broccoli, peppers, snap peas
- An Asian soup like egg drop soup, hot and sour soup or wonton soup
It also makes a great filling for:
- Lettuce wraps
- Tacos
- Stir fry with extra veggies
- Rice bowls
This saucy chicken works well in many dishes beyond the classic Chinese takeout style. Try tossing it in pasta, sandwiches, salads and more for a burst of gingery flavor.
Variations
There are lots of ways to customize this recipe:
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For a less spicy version, omit the chili flakes and use less ginger.
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For extra flavor, add minced shallots or onion.
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Use chicken broth instead of water for a richer tasting sauce.
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Mix up the protein with shrimp, beef or tofu.
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Swap the brown sugar for honey, maple syrup or agave.
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For a gluten free version, use tamari instead of soy sauce.
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Add citrus like orange zest or juice.
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Use sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds for nutty sesame chicken.
Ginger Chicken vs. General Tso’s Chicken
Ginger chicken and general tso’s chicken are two of the most popular Chinese chicken dishes. While they seem similar, there are some key differences:
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Ginger chicken features a translucent ginger sauce, while general tso’s sauce is thick and rich.
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General tso’s chicken uses more sugar in the sauce for an intense sweetness.
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The general’s sauce also contains chili peppers and is much spicier.
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Ginger chicken is crispy from the cornstarch dredge, but general tso’s chicken has a fluffy, velvety batter coating.
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Ginger chicken is lighter tasting overall, while general tso’s is very bold.
FAQs
What cut of chicken is best?
Chicken thighs are ideal because they stay so moist and tender, but you can also use chicken breasts. Just be careful not to overcook them.
Can I use frozen chicken?
Yes, just thaw it first and pat dry. The cornstarch dredge will help hide any ice crystals.
Do I have to deep fry the chicken?
Nope! You can pan fry or shallow fry it in just 1/4 inch oil with great results.
What if I don’t have rice wine?
Dry sherry makes a great substitute. Or you can use broth or water.
Can I make it spicy?
Absolutely. Add extra minced chili peppers, chili oil, or chili crisp sauce.
Can I add veggies?
Sure! Onions, carrots, bell peppers all work well. Just cook them with the aromatics first before adding sauce.
Enjoy Restaurant Worthy Ginger Chicken at Home
Whipping up ginger chicken is easy and fun. In less than an hour, you can have crispy fried chicken drenched in a sweet, gingery sauce that rivals your favorite takeout. This versatile recipe also makes great leftovers and freezes nicely. Experiment with different sauce ingredients and chicken coating options until you create your perfect ginger chicken.
Tips for Serving, Storing and Freezing
- My favorite way to serve this chicken is with buttery mashed potatoes and a really simple side of sauteed kale or collard greens. It would also go well with rice and a salad. Either way, you want something fresh and green, and some starch element to soak up the extra garlic ginger sauce.
- Store any leftover chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.Â
- This recipe works beautifully as a freezer meal. Simply prepare the marinade and transfer to a freezer-safe plastic or reusable silicone bag. Transfer the chicken to the bag, turning each one to coat with the marinade, then seal the bag, making sure to remove as much air as possible. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- To cook from frozen, transfer the bag to the refrigerator to thaw overnight. The next day, set the bag on the counter about 30-45 minutes before cooking, to bring it to room temperature and continue with the recipe as written below.
- If you forget to take the chicken out the night before, you can still have it for dinner, but don’t just leave the bag on the counter to thaw. To be safe, place the frozen bag inside a slightly larger dish and cover it with very cold water (with something heavy on top to keep the meat submerged) for a few hours until thawed. Be sure to replace the water every half hour so the chicken is always sitting in very cold water.Â
Preparing Chicken in a Soy Sauce Marinade
This recipe uses a soy sauce marinade, which adds flavor and umami to the chicken but differs somewhat from marinades that rely on acidic ingredients to do the work of tenderizing the meat. Under most circumstances, salt draws moisture out of meat, which you don’t want. But with a soy sauce marinade, the sodium-rich soy sauce actually functions like a brine.Â
Wet brining allows the flavor from the seasonings to absorb into the meat all the way through and works to tenderize it first by increasing its moisture-holding capacity, and then by allowing it to take up some of the moisture from the brine. Since the meat is then more moist than it otherwise would be before cooking, meat that has been brined will be juicier even after it inevitably loses some moisture during the cooking process.Â
Chicken is a relatively tender meat, so the brining process requires less time than, say, it does for pork. Ideally, you want to give the chicken at least 30 minutes in the soy sauce mixture, but 2-4 hours is even better. If it’s easiest for you to prepare the chicken in advance the night before, the chicken can also be left in the soy-marinade-brine overnight in the refrigerator. However, you don’t want to leave the chicken in the brine for much longer than that, or the texture of the chicken will deteriorate.Â