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Drizzle dressing over Shandong chicken.
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5 from 2 votes

Shandong Chicken (Chinese Chicken and Cucumber Cold Dish)

Simple, delicious and refreshing -- my Shandong Chicken recipe, served with a sweet and tangy savory sauce, is the perfect addition to your meal on a hot day! With my simplified version, you can easily make this classic dish at home.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Marinated Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Asian, Chinese
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 311kcal
Author: Edwina

Ingredients

Steamed Chicken

  • 1.5 lb whole chicken leg or bone-in chicken thigh, drumstick or bone-in (split) breast
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorn
  • 1 teaspoon rice cooking wine (mijiu) or Shoaxing wine
  • 3 slice ginger
  • 1 scallion cut into 2" (5 cm) sections

Dressing

  • 4 tbsp broth from steaming chicken
  • 1 clove garlic minced, or more to taste
  • 2 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon black vinegar optional
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Other

  • 6 mini cucumber or 1 English cucumber
  • thinly sliced scallion
  • chopped cilantro optional
  • chili oil optional

Instructions

Prepare the Chicken

  • Coat both sides of the chicken with soy sauce before placing it skin side down and marinating for 30 minutes. This step is mainly for getting color on the chicken to mimic the result of braising chicken. You can do this a few hours ahead or overnight.
  • Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat until the oil is hot, pat dry the chicken before placing the chicken in the skillet with the skin side down. Cook for about 3 minutes or until the skin becomes golden brown. Flip the chicken and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
  • Transfer chicken into a dish or tray with skin side down, top with Sichuan peppercorn, rice cooking wine, ginger, scallion and steam for 30-35 minutes over medium heat or until it's cooked through.

Prepare Cucumber and Dressing

  • Trim the two ends of the cucumbers before cutting into 2" (5 cm) sections. Gently smash each section with the flat side of your knife just to break them open. Cut each section in half lengthwise and place them on a serving plate.
  • Drain the broth from steaming the chicken and set aside 4 tablespoon of the broth. In a small bowl mix the broth with soy sauce, rice vinegar, black vinegar, sugar, minced garlic and sesame oil. Drizzle a bit over the cucumber.

Assemble the Dish

  • Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, discard Sichuan peppercorn, ginger and scallion, break pieces of chicken off from the bone and place it on top of the cucumber. Top with scallion slices (and other optional toppings if using) and drizzle with the dressing.
  • You can serve this dish right away or let it chill in the fridge for about half an hour before serving.

Notes

  • When steaming chicken, place it in a dish or tray that's deep enough to hold the broth from steaming chicken (it usually produces around 5-6 tablespoon of broth).
  • Try the dressing first and adjust it based on your taste before using.
  • When breaking off pieces of the chicken, don't make the pieces too thin, they should be slightly thicker than the cucumber pieces.
  • If you plan on serving it the next day, I would recommend that you steam the chicken and make the sauce the day before, and prepare the cucumbers and assemble the dish a few hours or right before serving.
  • Another great way to enjoy this dish is by adding some wheat noodles and enjoying it as a cold noodle dish.

Nutrition

Calories: 311kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 1152mg | Potassium: 960mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 606IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 3mg