Last Updated on 17 June 2026 by cooksimply
Quick read
- The traditional Chinese poaching method for tender, juicy chicken with silky skin
- The simple ingredients and step-by-step method for authentic white cut chicken at home
- Pro tips for perfectly cooked poached chicken every time, plus the fragrant ginger and spring onion sauce to serve with it
If you love chicken, you have to try this. White cut chicken, or Chinese poached chicken, is one of my family’s favourite dishes, and it’s a beautifully simple way to prepare a whole chicken. You get juicy, tender meat served alongside an aromatic spring onion and ginger sauce.
It’s easy to make, healthy, and a lovely dish to share. Best of all, the flavour comes from the gentle technique rather than a long list of ingredients.
What is white cut chicken?
White cut chicken (bak chit gai) is traditionally a celebration dish, enjoyed on special occasions like Lunar New Year or birthdays. My parents made it whenever the whole family got together, as part of a spread of homemade Chinese dishes.
A whole chicken, skin on, is poached gently with aromatics, then cooled immediately in an ice bath. That cold shock keeps the skin intact and leaves the meat extremely moist and tender. The chicken is then chopped into pieces, bone in, and served with the spring onion and ginger sauce.
The good news is you don’t have to wait for a celebration. It’s simple enough to make any day of the week.
How do you poach a whole chicken Chinese style?
Poach the whole chicken gently in salted water with ginger and spring onion, then let it sit in the hot liquid to finish cooking through. Cool it straight away in an ice bath to keep the skin silky and the meat tender, then chop and serve with a ginger and spring onion sauce. Gentle heat is the key, as a rolling boil toughens the meat.
The poaching itself is the trickiest part, and even that is straightforward once you know the rhythm of it.
Tips for the best Chinese poached chicken
- Keep the heat gentle. Poach, don’t boil. A gentle simmer keeps the meat tender, while a hard boil makes it tough and dry.
- Don’t skip the ice bath. Plunging the cooked chicken into iced water stops the cooking, firms up the skin and keeps the flesh juicy. It’s the secret to that signature silky texture.
- Use the best chicken you can. With so few ingredients, the quality of the bird really shows. Free-range if you can.
- Let it rest in the liquid. Leaving the chicken to sit in the hot poaching water lets it finish cooking gently without drying out.
- Make the sauce fresh. The ginger and spring onion sauce is half the dish, so make it just before serving for the brightest flavour.
Ingredients
You need relatively few ingredients, which is exactly why this is so easy to make any time.
- Whole chicken – get the best you can afford, ideally free-range
- Fresh ginger
- Spring onions
- Chinese cooking wine
- Salt
- Vegetable oil
- Light soy sauce
- Sesame oil
How to make poached Chinese chicken
1. Poach the chicken. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil with ginger and spring onion. Lower in the whole chicken, bring it back to the boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer.
2. Let it finish gently. After the initial simmer, turn off the heat and leave the chicken to sit in the hot liquid so it cooks through slowly without toughening.
3. Ice bath. Lift the chicken out and plunge it straight into a bowl of iced water. This keeps the skin intact and the meat moist and tender.
4. Make the sauce. Combine the ginger and spring onion, then pour over hot oil so it sizzles and releases its aroma. Stir through light soy sauce and sesame oil.
5. Chop and serve. Chop the chicken into pieces, bone in, arrange on a plate and serve with the spring onion and ginger sauce.
Note: this is the outline. Follow the exact quantities and timings in the recipe card below for the poaching and resting times.
Tips, variations and substitutions
- Add aromatics to the poaching liquid. Star anise, a slice of ginger or a little Chinese cooking wine in the water deepens the flavour of the meat.
- Save the broth. The poaching liquid becomes a light, savoury stock. Don’t pour it away, use it for soup or to cook rice.
- Adjust the sauce. Add a little grated garlic or a pinch of sugar to the ginger and spring onion sauce to suit your taste.
- Add chilli. A little fresh red chilli in the sauce brings gentle heat if you like it.
- Use chicken pieces. If a whole chicken feels like too much, the same method works with bone-in pieces, just reduce the cooking time.
Serving suggestions
White cut chicken is traditionally served with steamed rice and the ginger and spring onion sauce spooned over the top. Some rice cooked in the reserved poaching broth is even better.
For a fuller Chinese spread, serve it as part of a shared table with other dishes. It goes beautifully with steamed greens like pak choi or gai lan, and sits well alongside my slow cooker chicken chow mein or a bowl of Chinese braised aubergine.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between poached and boiled chicken?
Poaching uses a gentle simmer, while boiling uses a rolling, high heat. For this dish, poaching is essential, as gentle heat keeps the meat tender and juicy, whereas boiling toughens it.
Why do you put poached chicken in an ice bath?
The ice bath stops the cooking immediately, firms up and keeps the skin intact, and locks in moisture so the meat stays silky and tender. It’s the key step for authentic white cut chicken.
How do you know when poached chicken is cooked?
The juices should run clear when pierced at the thickest part of the thigh, with no pink remaining. Resting the chicken in the hot liquid helps it cook through evenly.
What is white cut chicken?
White cut chicken (bak chit gai) is a classic Cantonese dish of a whole chicken poached with aromatics and served with a ginger and spring onion sauce. It’s traditionally eaten at celebrations like Lunar New Year.
Can I use the poaching liquid?
Yes. It makes a light, flavourful stock. Use it as a base for soup, or cook your rice in it to serve alongside the chicken.
What do you serve with Chinese poached chicken?
Steamed rice and the ginger and spring onion sauce are essential. Steamed greens like pak choi or gai lan round it out, and it works well as part of a larger shared spread.
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Braised aubergine
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Singapore noodles
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Sesame prawn toast
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Chinese poached chicken [white cut chicken]
Ingredients
The poached chicken
- 1 whole chicken
- 3 slices of peeled fresh ginger
- 2 spring onions chopped
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
Ginger and spring onion sauce
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- A large chunk of fresh ginger peeled and finely chopped around 4cms
- 4 spring onions finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons of sesame oil
Instructions
- Get a large pot of salted boiling water and add the Chinese wine, pieces of ginger and spring onions. Add the whole chicken, and bring it to a boil. Then turn down the heat. Simmer with a lid on for 40-45 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
- Get a water ice bowl ready and carefully add the cooked chicken into the iced water and leave for 5-10 minutes so it cools. Once cooled remove from the ice bath and then you can prepare to cut into pieces.
- While the chicken is poaching you can get ahead and make the spring onion and ginger sauce. In a frying pan, add the oil, and heat to very hot. Then add the ginger, and stir fry for around 30 seconds, then add the spring onions, continue to stir fry, and then add the soy sauce and sesame oil, and stir through. Add to a bowl and give a good stir, ready for the white cut chicken.
- Cut the chicken into pieces with the bone in, and serve with lots of ginger sauce, rice, and extra chilli oil.
Video
Nutrition
Did you make this poached Chinese chicken recipe?
Please let me know how this white cut chicken turned out for you. Leave a comment below and tag @cooksimplyathome on Instagram. For other simple and delicious meals take a look at my other recipes.