Poached Whole Chicken with Ginger and Spring Onion

Whole poached chicken with ginger and spring onion is a clean, restrained Chinese-style dish where the cooking method does much of the work. The bird is kept at a gentle simmer rather than boiled, giving tender meat, firm skin and a delicately seasoned broth-like aroma from ginger, spring onion and Shaoxing wine. Chopped into serving pieces and finished with light soy, sesame oil and fresh spring onion, it has a savoury, fragrant simplicity that suits family-style dining. Serve it warm, cooled or chilled, with rice and vegetables, or as part of a larger shared meal.
Recipe by JustRecipes Editorial Team
Content validated: August 2026 How we create recipes
Made this recipe? Rate it
Cuisine style Chinese home cooking
Flavor profile Clean savoury • Ginger-scented • Light umami
Techniques Gentle poaching • Chilling • Chopping
Key equipment Stockpot • Kitchen thermometer • Chef's knife
Cooking style One-pot cooking • Make-ahead friendly • Meal prep friendly

Why this recipe works

  • Gentle poaching: Keeping the liquid at a bare simmer cooks the whole chicken evenly while helping the meat stay tender and the skin remain intact.
  • Clean aromatic flavour: Ginger, spring onion and Shaoxing wine lightly season the poaching liquid without masking the natural flavour of the chicken.
  • Flexible serving: The chicken can be served chilled, at room temperature or gently reheated, with the soy-sesame dressing added just before serving.

Get the most out of this recipe

Timing notes

  • Cool before chopping: The cooling and brief chilling time helps firm the skin and set the juices, making the chicken easier to cut into neat serving pieces.
  • Dress at the last moment: Spoon over the dressing just before serving so the skin keeps its clean texture and the spring onion flavour stays fresh.

Ingredient notes

  • Shaoxing wine: Shaoxing wine gives the poaching liquid a gentle rice-wine aroma; dry sherry is the closest practical substitute.
  • Use a skin-on whole chicken: The skin is part of the traditional finish and helps the chopped pieces look glossy and complete on the platter.
  • Keep the aromatics fresh: Fresh, firm ginger and bright spring onions matter here because the seasoning is deliberately simple.

Common mistakes

  • Boiling the chicken: A rolling boil can toughen the meat and damage the skin; keep the liquid barely trembling once it reaches a simmer.
  • Not checking the thigh: Use a thermometer at the thickest part of the thigh and cook until it reaches 74°C (165°F), especially when serving vulnerable diners.
  • Chopping too soon: Cutting the chicken while very hot can make the pieces tear and lose juices, so allow the cooling step to do its work.

Make-ahead tips

  • Poach in advance: The chicken can be cooked and cooled ahead of time, then kept covered in the fridge until ready to chop and serve.
  • Keep the dressing separate: Store the soy-sesame dressing apart from the chicken and spoon it over only after reheating or just before serving cold.
  • Freeze without dressing: Freeze chopped chicken without the dressing, then defrost overnight in the fridge and serve cold or reheat gently until piping hot.

Equipment you'll need

Chef’s knife Cutting board Kitchen thermometer Mixing bowl Stockpot Tongs
Ingredients
Instructions
Print
  1. Trim away any excess fat from the cavity of the chicken. Slice the ginger and cut the spring onions into 5 cm lengths, reserving 1 spring onion for the dressing.
  2. Put the chicken in a stockpot and add the ginger, most of the spring onions, Shaoxing wine, salt and enough water to just cover the bird. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, skimming any foam from the surface.
  3. Lower the heat so the liquid barely trembles, then poach for 35 to 45 minutes, turning the chicken once or twice for even cooking. The chicken is ready when the thickest part of the thigh reaches 74°C (165°F) and the juices run clear.
  4. Lift the chicken out and set it on a tray to cool for 20 minutes, then chill until the skin feels firm and the meat is cool, about 10 minutes. This makes it easier to chop cleanly.
  5. Meanwhile, whisk the light soy sauce, caster sugar and sesame oil in a bowl until the sugar dissolves. Finely slice the reserved spring onion and stir it into the dressing.
  6. Chop the chicken into serving pieces, keeping the skin on for the traditional finish. Arrange on a platter and spoon over the dressing just before serving.

Made this recipe? Rate it — a comment is optional.

Recipe notes

Tips

  • Keep the poaching liquid at a bare simmer; a rolling boil can tighten the meat and split the skin.
  • For a cleaner flavour, skim the surface during the first 10 minutes of cooking, then keep the heat low and steady.
  • If serving to pregnant people, young children, older adults, or anyone immunocompromised, ensure the chicken reaches 74°C (165°F) at the thickest part of the thigh.

Substitutions

  • Replace Shaoxing Cooking Wine with dry sherry for a similar aroma.
  • Replace Sesame oil with light olive oil for a milder finish.

Storage

  • Refrigerate up to 3 days
  • Cool the chicken quickly, then refrigerate in a sealed container. Store the dressing separately and spoon over after reheating or serving cold. Freeze chopped chicken (without dressing) for up to 2 months; defrost overnight in the fridge and serve cold or reheat gently until piping hot.

Ratings & reviews

Liked this recipe? Share your feedback to support our cooking community.

Tried this recipe?

Choose 1–5 stars. A comment is optional.

If you leave a comment, use 10–500 characters.

Stay inspired

Discover new recipes, seasonal favourites and cooking inspiration every day. Follow JustRecipes on Pinterest and Spillt.

Pinterest

Recipe overview

  • Servings: 4 servings
  • Total time: 1h 45min (25min active)
  • Difficulty: Medium
  • Cuisine: Chinese
  • Allergens:
    Sesame Soybeans
One pot Freezer friendly Kid friendly
Signal WhatsApp

Plan your meals and get a complete grocery list automatically.

Add to meal planner

Equipment you'll need

Chef’s knife Cutting board Kitchen thermometer Mixing bowl Stockpot Tongs
Advertisement

Recommended tools for this recipe

Best overall

Misen 8-Inch Chef Knife

Sharp modern chef knife
  • AUS-10 steel
  • Balanced design
  • Less traditional feel

Got ingredients left?

Find recipes using ingredients from this recipe or what you already have at home.

Find recipes with these ingredients →

More variations

View all

More from this course

View all

Cook with these ingredients

Caster sugar

1 cup ≈ 200 g
Convert ingredient→

Fine sea salt

1 cup ≈ 268.8 g
Convert ingredient→

Light soy sauce

1 cup ≈ 240 ml
Convert ingredient→

Sesame oil

1 cup ≈ 240 ml
Convert ingredient→

Shaoxing Cooking Wine

1 cup ≈ 240 ml
Convert ingredient→

More with similar ingredients

View all

You might also like

Make this recipe easier next time

Advertisement

These tools help you get better results with less effort.

Best overall

Misen 8-Inch Chef Knife

Sharp modern chef knife
  • AUS-10 steel
  • Balanced design
  • Less traditional feel
Best value

Titanium & PP Double-Sided Cutting Board

Easy-clean double-sided board
  • Separate surfaces for meat and produce
  • Resists odors and stains
  • Harder on knife edges than wood or plastic
Top quality

OXO Good Grips Stainless Mixing Bowl Set

Insulated grip bowls
  • Non-slip base
  • Comfort grip
  • Higher price
Best overall

OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Cutting Board Set

Practical everyday board set
  • Two useful sizes with reversible cutting surfaces
  • Dishwasher safe and easy to clean
  • Plastic surfaces will show knife marks over time

Browse alphabetically

Looking for a specific recipe? Choose a letter below to jump directly to recipes starting with that letter or number.

Explore the Recipe Index

Enjoy cooking with JustRecipes?

Add JustRecipes as one of your preferred Google sources to discover our recipes more easily across Google Search.

Add JustRecipes to Google

Every recipe on JustRecipes follows the same structured editorial process. Learn how recipes are created, validated, translated, illustrated, and continuously improved across the platform. How we create recipes.