Chinese braised chicken with mushrooms is a classic Northern Chinese dish that is comforting and satisfying. Bone-in chicken pieces are braised in a savory broth with mushrooms to create a potent sauce that enhances them both. The mushrooms are the highlight of the dish, meaty and juicy, and add an earthy umami to the tender chicken.
Chinese braised chicken with mushrooms (小鸡炖蘑菇) is a classic northern Chinese homestyle dish. When my mom makes it, she uses a cut-up whole free range chicken along with dried shiitake mushrooms and a soy sauce based sauce. The chicken is browned, then braised until tender. The sauce is reduced until it becomes a glossy sticky sauce that is full of umami from the mushrooms. The mushrooms are so meaty in texture and absorb tons of flavor from the chicken. It is a winter dish but my family enjoys it year round.
Growing up in Beijing, this type of “red braised stew” has always been a staple. I’ve posted a few recipes for red braised dishes, including braised pork ribs, braised lamband braised pork trotters. The braising sauces might look very similar to each other – a strong, savory brown sauce with soy sauce as its base. But the key is the ratio and combination of other spices.
By adjusting the spices according to the type of protein, the sauce will create a customized umami that brings out the deliciousness of the ingredients. Plus, you won’t taste the flavor of any single spice in the finished dish, because everything works together as parts of a whole.
Chinese braised chicken ingredients
Which cut of chicken to use
In traditional Chinese recipes, a cut-up whole chicken is always the preferred option. You should try to pick a chicken on the smaller side, about 3 lb (1.4 kg). The back and neck don’t have much meat, but the bones in them will make the sauce extra tasty. You can also save the back and neck for making chicken stock, and only use the meaty pieces in this dish.
If you’re close to a market that has a butcher station, you can ask them to cut up the chicken when you purchase it. Tell the butcher that you will use the chicken for braising, and ask them to chop the chicken into bite-size pieces using their cleaver.
For a much easier approach, consider using:
Chicken wings – drumettes and flats separated
Bone-in leg – thigh and drumstick separated; if possible (only when you have a cleaver that is suitable for cutting bones), cut them into two pieces across the bone.
Boneless legs – cut into large bite-size pieces. You will need to use much less liquid, as you only need to cover the chicken pieces. And reduce the cooking time to 20 to 25 minutes.
Set up
When you’re ready to cook, you will have:
- Cut up chicken pieces
- Green onion white part
- Soy sauce (light and dark soy)
- Shaoxing wine
- Rock sugar (or regular sugar)
- Salt
- Star anise
- Sliced ginger
- Soaked shiitake mushrooms
How to make Chinese braised chicken with mushrooms
To make Chinese braised chicken with mushrooms, start by browning the chicken to develop flavor. You probably need to do this in batches, so the chicken will not overcrowd the pan and will brown properly.
Saute the aromatics. Add back the chicken and all the seasonings. Bring to a boil and skim the brown foam from the top.
Braise the chicken with the pan covered, until the chicken turns tender.
Lastly, turn to high heat, uncover the pan, and cook to reduce the sauce. Scoop the chicken from the bottom frequently to prevent it from burning. It’s easy to reduce the sauce with the chicken in the pan while using a wok. But if you’re using a dutch oven, it’s much easier if you transfer the chicken to a serving bowl first. Then reduce the sauce until slightly thickened.
A Few Things To Note
- Adjust the braising time according to the type of chicken. A free range chicken might take more than 1 hour to braise, while a typical young chicken will start to fall apart and dry out after 50 minutes. Check the doneness of the chicken closely after 30 minutes to avoid overcooking.
- Make the braising sauce a bit salty, because the braising time is relatively short and the chicken won’t have enough time to absorb all the flavor.
- Reduce the sauce until it can coat the chicken, so the taste of the chicken will be just right.
How to serve Chinese braised chicken with mushrooms
The seasoning in this dish is quite balanced and the chicken will taste quite savory and comforting. You can serve the braised chicken as a main dish, along with veggies such as potato and green beans. The sauce from the chicken works beautifully with them.
And you can also serve this dish over steamed rice, just like a Chinese family would. Consider serving other sides, soup or appetizers for a full Chinese meal.
Dishes that go well with braised chicken with mushrooms include:
Chinese braised chicken and mushrooms freeze very well and can be prepared ahead of time. It’s perfect for cooking on the weekend and enjoying during the next week. It’s also a common festival dish in northern China, and is often served during Chinese New Year.
Chinese Braised Chicken with Mushroom (Chicken Braised with Mushroom)
Servings: 4 to 6 servings
Instructions
-
Place dried shiitake mushrooms in a medium-sized bowl and add warm water to cover. Rehydrate mushrooms until soft, 20 minutes or so. Set aside. Reserve the soaking water once done.
-
Heat the oil in a large wok or dutch oven over medium-high heat until hot. Add the chicken pieces without overlapping. Cook until both sides are browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. You might need to cook in batches. Transfer the chicken to a large plate once browned.
-
Your pan should still have some oil left. If not, add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the star anise green onion (white part) and ginger. Stir and cook over medium heat until the edges of the aromatics are lightly charred, 1 to 2 minutes.
-
Add back the browned chicken. Add 1 cup of the mushroom soaking water. Then add cold water until it can mostly cover the chicken, 5 cups or so. Add the Shaoxing wine, light and dark soy sauce, rock sugar, and salt. Cook over medium-high heat until brought to a boil. Skim and discard any brown foam from the top.
-
Add the rehydrated shiitake mushrooms. Then cover the pan and turn to medium heat. Keep the liquid at a low boil until the chicken turns tender, 30 minutes or so. Check the chicken after 15 minutes, scooping the chicken from the bottom to prevent it from sticking.
-
Taste a small piece of chicken and some sauce, adding salt if necessary. If you want to serve the chicken by itself, the chicken should taste slightly under seasoned now, because the saltiness will increase once the sauce is reduced. If you want to serve the chicken over steamed rice, add a bit of salt until it tastes just right. In this case, I added 1/4 teaspoon of salt to get a slightly salty dish in the end.
-
Once the chicken turns tender, turn to high heat and boil uncovered. (*Footnote 2) Use a spatula to scoop the chicken from the bottom constantly, until the sauce is thick enough to thinly coat the chicken, 5 to 10 minutes. Pay a lot of attention during this step, since the sauce reduces very fast towards the end and might burn the bottom. The sauce will thicken up a bit more once cooled.
-
Once done, sprinkle with the reserved green onion to garnish. Transfer chicken to a large bowl. Serve hot as a main dish or over rice.
-
Store the leftover chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Notes
- The traditional recipe uses a bone-in cut up whole chicken. The easiest cut for this recipe is chicken wings (drums and flats separated). Another great option is bone-in drumsticks and / or thighs. If you have a cleaver, I highly recommend chopping the drumsticks and thighs into two pieces across the bones. So you get large-bite size pieces that will be more flavorful once braised. But you can leave them uncut as well. Another option is to use boneless cuts, preferably thighs. In this case, you will need less liquid (just enough to mostly cover the chicken) and less braising time, 20 to 25 minutes.
- It’s much easier to reduce the sauce in a wok, because you have a very large surface and the sauce thickens quickly. Plus, you can easily scoop the chicken due to the shape of the wok, without burning the bottom. If using a dutch oven to cook this dish, consider transferring all the chicken pieces to a big bowl, then reducing the sauce by itself.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 406kcal, Carbohydrates: 26.4g, Protein: 57g, Fat: 8.3g, Saturated Fat: 2.1g, Cholesterol: 144mg, Sodium: 1152mg, Potassium: 556mg, Fiber: 3.5g, Sugar: 8.1g, Calcium: 30mg, Iron: 2mg
