Quick and easy Chinese drunken chicken. This dish packs a punch using only five ingredients. A delicious and fragrant mid-week dinner idea that you and your family will love.
This is my version of a traditional Chinese drunken chicken recipe. Normally whole chicken breasts are marinated overnight. In this case I am using chicken strips, which are perfect for a quick marinade before cooking.
If making it on a weeknight, get the chicken in the marinade when you walk in the door from work. Then do what you have to, there’s always a long list if you're like me.
Make sure to leave it in the marinade for a minimum of one hour, better if it is two, but on a weeknight, we rarely have that luxury. One hour will still give you a very tasty result.
Sara xxx
What's in this post
Ingredients
- Chicken Breast Strips: Packaged cut strips of chicken breast meat can be found at your local supermarket. Alternatively purchase chicken breast or chicken breast tenders and slice them yourself.
- Shaoxing Wine: Also knows as Chinese cooking wine or Shaosing Wine. This is the ingredient that makes this dish shine. Easily obtained from most major supermarkets. If you can't find it there try your Asian grocer. Dry sherry can be substituted in a pinch.
- Ginger: Finely julienned fresh ginger adds a flavour punch. Add a couple of larger slices for visual impact. If you can't find fresh ginger substitute a tablespoon of grated ginger.
- Soy Sauce: I use a standard soy sauce, it balances the flavour with a salt kick.
- Sugar: Again for flavour balance. I use caster/superfine sugar as it dissolves easily.
Serving Suggestions
As a mid-week meal a nice big helping of steamed rice is the perfect accompaniment to drunken chicken. Keeping it simple to let the fragrance and flavour of this dish shine through.
If serving it as part of a shared meal/Chinese banquet, the following dishes will make my twist on a Chinese classic into a feast.
Surprisingly this recipe also makes a great sandwich filler. I like buying the crusty bread rolls used for banh mi.
I load the rolls with drunken chicken, spring onion, coriander (cilantro), chili, and lettuce. Then just add a little drizzle of the drained sauce the chicken was cooked in over the filling. A quick and easy alternative if you don’t feel like rice and want to add a bit more veg to the dish.
Recipe walk through
- Place all ingredients in a bowl and marinate for a minimum of 1 hour. The longer you can marinate the chicken the better. You can even leave the chicken marinating for up to 24 hours.
- When ready to cook, remove chicken from the marinade, draining well, reserving the marinade.
- Heat a wok or fry pan with oil. Over medium heat cook the chicken slowly until it is cooked through. Avoid browning the chicken, you want it pale in appearance.
- While the chicken is cooking heat the reserved marinade in a small saucepan.
- Bring the sauce to a rapid boil then remove from the heat and strain.
- Place chicken on a serving dish and cover with the strained sauce. Feel free to garnish with some spring onion (green onion) and finely sliced chilli. Serve immediately with steamed rice.
Printable Recipe
Drunken Chicken
Ingredients
- 300 grams chicken breast strips
- 125 ml (½ cup) Shaoxing wine | Chinese cooking wine
- 20 grams piece of fresh ginger | a knob finely julienned
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon caster sugar
INGREDIENTS: USA Measurements
- 10.6 oz chicken breast strips
- 4.2 fl oz (scant ½ cup) Chinese Shaoxing wine | Chinese cooking wine
- 0.7 oz piece of fresh ginger | a knob finely julienned
- 4 teaspoons soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon superfine sugar
Instructions
- In a medium sized ceramic or plastic bowl place cooking wine, ginger, soy sauce and sugar. Give it a stir and then add the chicken breast strips, coat well.
- Leave the chicken to marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour, the longer the better, it can also be left over night.
- When ready to cook, strain chicken and ginger from the marinade. Reserve the marinade! Place reserved marinade in a small saucepan.
- In a wok or pan, place 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Over a low heat cook the chicken until cooked through. You don’t want to brown the chicken, cook slowly to keep it tender. The chicken should look pale in appearance.
- While cooking the chicken, heat saucepan with the marinade on the stovetop. Bring the sauce to a rapid boil and remove from the heat. Strain the sauce. The chicken juices, that have leached whilst marinating will coagulate on cooking, and not look very pretty, you want to remove that from your sauce.
- Place chicken on a serving dish and cover with the strained sauce. Feel free to garnish with some spring onion (green onion) and finely sliced chilli. Serve immediately with steamed rice.
Notes
- 1 teaspoon equals 5ml
- 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml (Nth America, NZ & UK use 15ml tablespoons)
- 1 cup equals 250ml (Nth America use 237ml)
- 4 teaspoons equal 1 tablespoon
- I use the below unless specified in my recipes;
Nutrition
More mid-week meals
You can find many more mid-week meals in our Recipe Index.
Helen | Grab Your Fork
I love drunken chicken but tend to use a whole chook. Eating off the bone is so much more satisfying!
THE HUNGRY MUM
We eat so much ginger in this house and Misses 8 and 10 are finally beginning to eat chook so will have to try this. Stunning styling, as always x
Jean | Holy Smithereens
Wow I can't believe this recipe only has 5 ingridients! This is my type of recipe - looks "pro" but actually is simple to do 😉
John | heneedsfood
It does look tasty, and great idea to do small pieces as opposed to a whole chook and having to portion it up. Beautiful clean flavours.
Amanda | Chew Town
Your drunken chicken looks delicious - and your telling me you don't have to eat it drunk... but can I still do that?! x
Rosemarie
A delicious easy recipe for two - looking forward to cooking it
Nancy | Plus Ate Six
This is exactly the sort of dinner I look for midweek - delicious with next to no effort and maximum flavour. And I bet everyone in the house loves it.
Annemarie @ justalittlebitofbacon
Quick and tasty is good for me too! This is definitely a great dish to get together on a Sunday afternoon for an easy dinner.
Sara
I do love quick and tasty, and who wants to slave away on a Sunday!
Immaculate
What an easy and tasty chicken dinner, great for those days when you do not want to labor in the kitchen. Thanks for sharing!!
Sara
Glad you like it, and the less slaving away in the kitchen the better.
Sandi (@fearless_dining)
Gorgeous soup recipe...I can't believe how few ingredients it has. Can't wait to give it a try.
Sara
Hope you enjoy it when you try it Sandi
Ludmilla
I love the combination of easy chicken with rice!! Perfect combination!
Sara
Glad you like the recipe Ludmilla, and yep, love easy chicken dishes and do love my rice.
Diana
This chicken dish sounds very easy and delicious! And many ingredients are required which is great!
Sara
I'm a big fan of meals with minimal ingredients, life needs to be easy sometimes.
Lauri-Ann
That looks amazing, Sara. Thanks so much for sharing!!
Sara
Thanks so much for your lovely words Lauri-Ann
Swayam
I love drunk enough chicken! I make mine with Marsala.. Might just have to go look for the Chinese cooking wine. I got hungry just looking at it
Sara
Love using Marsala in cooking, especially veal.
Sarah @ Champagne Tastes
I love how easy and fast this is! Chicken is so delicious when it's marinated overnight!
Sara
I agree, if you can plan ahead and marinade over night it is the best.
Revathi Palani
The chicken looks so mouthwatering and delicious. The pics are very gorgeous and love the one right before the recipe 🙂
Sara
Thanks so much Revathi for your lovely words about my photos.
Kate @ VeggieDesserts
I've never heard of drunk chicken before, but I LOVE the idea. I'll have to seek out some Chinese cooking wine!
Sara
You can always substitute sherry if you can't find Chinese cooking wine 😉