Steamed Chicken With Scallion Dressing

Leftover Chicken, Big Flavor

You know those days when you open the freezer and find a couple lonely pieces of chicken thighs staring back at you? Yeah, this recipe is for those days. This Steamed Chicken with Scallion Dressing is light, fresh, and packed with big flavors that make you question why you ever doubted steamed chicken to begin with. 

And no, we’re not talking dry, bland sadness here—we’re talking juicy chicken topped with a gingery, punchy scallion-cilantro-chili dressing that brings big flavor with minimal effort.

I’ll admit, I’ve never been a big fan of chicken breast (sorry, gym people). It’s fine… if you like chewing on sawdust. But thighs? Juicy, flavorful, and hard to mess up. Pick your battles wisely—this one’s worth winning.

Also, this comes together so fast you’ll feel like you’re cheating, in a good way. Healthy-ish, minimal effort, and absolutely delicious. Let’s get into it.

Why this Recipe Works

• Steaming = tender and juicy: Lock in flavor and moisture without the oil.

• That hot oil dressing!: Pouring hot peanut oil over fresh aromatics infuses major flavor and a mouthwatering sizzle.

• Cilantro stems matter: Don’t toss them—they’re loaded with flavor and make the dressing pop.

• Thighs over breasts: More flavor, more forgiveness. But hey, use what you’ve got.

Tips for Making Steamed Chicken with Scallion Dressing

• No steamer? Use a heatproof bowl set inside a large pot with a lid and some water at the bottom. Instant steamer.

• Add some greens: Serve this with blanched bok choy, steamed rice, or over cold noodles.

• Swap options: No peanut oil? Use vegetable oil. No red chile? Add chili flakes. Make it yours.

How To Make Steamed Chicken with Scallion Dressing

Steamed chicken with scallion dressing is quick, healthy, and packed with flavor from ginger, soy, and sesame. A fast and easy Asian chicken dinner recipe.

Make the Dressing

• Combine cilantro stems, ginger, scallions, garlic, chili, soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, and sesame oil in a heatproof bowl.

• In a small pan, heat peanut oil until shimmering. Carefully pour the hot oil over the dressing mixture—stand back, it’ll sizzle. Stir and set aside, uncovered.

Steam the Chicken

• Arrange the chicken in a single layer on a heatproof plate that fits in your steamer.

• Place the plate in a steamer basket over a pot of boiling water. Cover and steam for about 14 minutes, or until just tender.

• Remove from steamer and let rest for 5 minutes. Drain any liquid from the plate.

Slice and Serve

• Slice the chicken on a diagonal into ½-inch pieces.

• Arrange on a serving platter and spoon the scallion dressing generously over the top.

• Serve at room temp and enjoy.

Steamed and Simple

This Steamed Chicken with Scallion Dressing is one of those dishes that punches way above its weight class. A handful of ingredients, one steamer basket, and suddenly you’ve got something that feels a little fancy but took almost no time at all. The sauce alone? Worth bottling. So next time you find a pack of chicken thighs hiding in your freezer, remember: this isn’t just a backup dinner—it’s the dinner.

Have a favorite gingery-scallion combo you swear by? Or another sneaky freezer dinner that hits the mark every time? Slide into my inbox—I’d love to hear about it!