Quick & Juicy 20-Minute Chinese Steamed Chicken – Healthy Weeknight Dinner

Introduction

Craving a healthy, flavorful dinner that takes less than half an hour? This Quick & Juicy 20-Minute Chinese Steamed Chicken is the answer. With tender, moist chicken infused with aromatic ginger, garlic, and scallions, it’s a dish that delivers restaurant-quality flavor without any heavy frying or oily sauces. Steaming locks in both taste and nutrition, making this a perfect option for busy weeknights when you want something nourishing, fast, and absolutely delicious.

Why You’ll Love This Healthy Chinese Steamed Chicken

This dish shines thanks to its simplicity and the way it maximizes natural flavors. Steaming ensures the chicken stays incredibly juicy while the ginger, garlic, and soy infuse every bite with savory umami and warmth. With minimal ingredients and prep, it’s a standout recipe for anyone who loves authentic-tasting Chinese food but wants a lighter, healthier option that’s easy to include in weekly meal rotation.

Tips for Extra Tender, Juicy Chicken

Always choose boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts for fast, even cooking. Marinating the chicken even for 10 minutes before steaming ensures the meat stays succulent and flavorful. Thinly slice or butterfly thicker cuts for even steaming. Lining your steaming dish with scallions or Napa cabbage helps prevent sticking and adds a subtle layer of flavor.

Effortless Assembly for Maximum Flavor

While your chicken steams, whip up a simple dipping sauce of soy, garlic, and a touch of sesame oil. Serve your chicken sliced and drizzle the sauce over top, or on the side for dipping. This streamlined process means dinner is on the table in less than 25 minutes, and cleanup is minimal.

Nutritional Information & Serving Size

This recipe yields 2 generous servings (easily doubled for families). Each serving contains about 300 calories, with high-quality protein, minimal fat, and tons of flavor from fresh aromatics and a light soy dressing—making it ideal for anyone focused on healthy eating.

💡Meal Planning Tip: Save this recipe to automatically generate an organized shopping list with all ingredients sorted by store section—perfect for efficient grocery trips and healthy weeknight planning.

Instructions

1. Arrange sliced ginger, smashed garlic, and scallion pieces in a shallow heatproof dish (like a rimmed plate or pie dish).
2. Season chicken lightly with salt, white pepper, and Shaoxing wine if using. Lay on top of the aromatics.
3. Set up a steamer over a pot of boiling water. Place dish inside, cover, and steam for 15–18 minutes, until chicken is just cooked through (internal temp 165°F).
4. Meanwhile, stir together soy sauce and sesame oil in a small bowl for a quick dipping sauce.
5. Remove chicken from steamer, slice, and arrange over cooked ginger and scallion. Drizzle with the sauce and scatter on extra scallions, cilantro, or sesame seeds.
6. Serve hot with steamed rice or vegetables for a balanced meal.

Weekly Meal Planning

This Quick & Juicy 20-Minute Chinese Steamed Chicken is a dream for healthy meal planners. Save and schedule this recipe to plan which weeknights to serve it and auto-generate a smart shopping list—including overlapping ingredients if you’re making more than one chicken dish that week.

**Planning Benefits:**

• Consolidates ingredient totals from all your recipes so you don’t under- or overbuy
• Sorts your grocery list by store section (produce, meats, spices) for faster trips
• Reduces food waste by tracking overlapping items (e.g., if you use scallions here and in another meal)
• Simplifies your week by letting you see all planned meals in one place

Pro tip: Schedule this chicken recipe alongside other Asian-inspired meals to use up common aromatics like ginger, garlic, and scallions—no wasted produce, all week long!

Cook and Prep Times

Prep Time: 3 minutes
Cook Time: 15-18 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

This Quick & Juicy 20-Minute Chinese Steamed Chicken is your ticket to a healthy, crowd-pleasing dinner that doesn’t skimp on juicy flavor or freshness—making healthy weeknight eating both easy and delicious!