Poached chicken with garlic oil sauce is my go-to meal when it's a busy weeknight but I still have to eat. I love this dish because you get juicy shredded drumsticks tossed in a savory soy sauce made with garlic fried until golden and crispy. Honestly, the crispy garlic is my favorite part.
Quick Summary: Poached Chicken with Garlic Oil Sauce
- ⭐️ What It Is: Poached chicken with garlic oil sauce is tender shredded drumsticks tossed in a savory soy sauce made with crispy garlic oil.
- 👍 Why Make This Recipe: Gentle poaching makes the chicken succulent and juicy.
- ⏰ Total Time: 35 minutes
- 🧂 Key Ingredients: Chicken drumsticks, garlic, ginger, avocado oil, soy sauce, oyster sauce.
- 🚫 Skip This: A whole chicken, since drumsticks are cheaper cuts and cook fast.
- 🫢 The Secret: Start in cold water and finish with an ice bath for silky, bouncy chicken.
- ❓ Can I use chicken thighs instead of drumsticks? Yes, bone in thighs work great with the same cook time.
- 🍽️ Best For: Weeknight dinner, meal prep, and rice bowls.
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- Quick Summary: Poached Chicken with Garlic Oil Sauce
- What is Poached Chicken with Garlic Oil Sauce?
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Customizations and Substitutions
- How to Make Poached Chicken with Garlic Oil Sauce
- Herman's Expert Tips
- Storage
- Poached Chicken with Garlic Oil Sauce FAQs
- What to Serve with Poached Chicken with Garlic Oil Sauce
- Poached Chicken with Garlic Oil Sauce
What is Poached Chicken with Garlic Oil Sauce?
Poached chicken with garlic oil sauce is chicken gently simmered with ginger and scallions, shredded, then coated in a soy and oyster sauce made with garlic infused oil. It's inspired by Cantonese style poached chicken but the sauce is made with a ton of garlic.
If you want the classic version, my poached chinese chicken with ginger scallion sauce is the one to make, and my rice cooker Hainanese chicken rice is its one pot cousin.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Juicy every single time: It's the same technique as my poached chicken with shallot oil sauce but way more garlicky.
- Crispy garlic does double duty: Frying the garlic flavors the oil for the sauce and gives you a crunchy topping too.
- Pantry ingredients: Soy sauce, oyster sauce, and a little sugar already makes up most of the ingredients and if you want heat, my poached chicken with soy chili oil is the spicy older sister.
Key Ingredients
- Chicken drumsticks: Dark meat stays juicy and tender, and the bones add flavor to the poaching liquid.
- Garlic: Thinly sliced garlic fries into crispy chips and flavors the oil that becomes the base of the sauce.
- Ginger: Used in the poaching water and the oil to keep things fragrant.
- Avocado oil: A neutral, high heat oil that lets the garlic flavor shine. But you can use any other neutral oil you prefer.
- Oyster sauce: Adds savory depth and a little sweetness to balance the soy sauce.
- Shaoxing wine: Optional, but it gives the chicken that classic restaurant aroma.
Customizations and Substitutions
- Add some heat: Stir a spoonful of chili crisp or sliced Thai chilies into the garlic oil sauce.
- Make it a noodle bowl: Pile the chicken over a bowl of my ginger scallion noodles for a next level lunch.
- Go meatless: Spoon the garlic oil sauce over soft tofu, similar to my chili garlic silken tofu.
- Swap the oil: Any neutral oil like canola or peanut oil works in place of avocado oil.
How to Make Poached Chicken with Garlic Oil Sauce
Start the chicken in cold water
Add the cold water, drumsticks, ginger, green onions, garlic, Shaoxing wine, and salt to a medium pot, bring to a boil over medium high heat, then lower to a gentle simmer.
Poach the chicken
Simmer for 9-12 minutes until the juices run clear and save a little of the poaching liquid for the sauce.
Ice bath and shred
Move the drumsticks straight into ice water to stop the cooking, then shred the meat by hand, discard the bones, and transfer to a plate.
Make the garlic oil sauce
Cook the avocado oil, ginger, and garlic in a small saucepan over medium heat for 5-8 minutes until the garlic is golden brown and crispy.
Strain the aromatics
Use a slotted spoon to remove the garlic and ginger, save some crispy garlic for garnish, discard the ginger, and pour the oil into a medium bowl.
Mix the sauce
Stir the soy sauce, oyster sauce, reserved chicken broth, sugar, and salt into the garlic oil.
Warm, toss and serve
Microwave the chicken for 10-20 seconds just to warm it, pour the sauce over, and top with crispy garlic and scallions.
Herman's Expert Tips
- Low simmer: Cook the chicken in a low simmer but keep an eye on it because if you cook too long, the chicken turns rubbery.
- Pull the garlic a shade early: Garlic keeps cooking in hot oil even after you take the pan off the heat, so strain it as soon as it hits golden or it turns bitter fast. If you love garlic like me, my garlic soy chicken should be next on your list.
- Don't toss the poaching liquid: It's basically a light homemade chicken broth, so save the rest to cook rice or as a head start on Chinese chicken herbal soup.
- Warm it, don't cook it: The chicken is already done, so keep the microwave time short or the meat goes from silky to rubbery.
Storage
Store the chicken in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days and keep the crispy garlic in its own container so it stays crunchy. Extra shredded chicken is also perfect stirred into a bowl of chicken congee.
Poached Chicken with Garlic Oil Sauce FAQs
Definitely poach it. A hard boil tightens the meat and makes it tough, while a gentle simmer keeps the chicken silky and juicy.
You can but breasts dry out much faster, so pull them as soon as they hit 165F. Drumsticks and bone in thighs are way more forgiving.
It's a key step in this recipe. The ice bath stops the cooking process and it gives the skin and meat that bouncy, silky texture.
That's totally normal for gently cooked dark meat, since the bone marrow can tint the meat pink. If juices run clear and thermometer reads 165F, you are good to go.
What to Serve with Poached Chicken with Garlic Oil Sauce
Poached Chicken with Garlic Oil Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
Poached Chicken
- 5-6 cups cold water
- 6 chicken drumsticks
- 4 slices ginger
- 3 green onions cut into 2-inch pieces
- 4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine optional
- 2 teaspoon salt
Garlic Oil Sauce
- 5 tablespoon avocado oil
- 2 slices ginger thinly sliced
- 10 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 2.5 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon chicken broth reserved from the poaching liquid
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- Pinch of salt adjust to taste
For Serving
- Chopped green onions as garnish
- White rice
- Veggies of choice
Instructions
- In a medium pot, add the cold water, chicken drumsticks, ginger, green onions, garlic, Shaoxing wine (optional), and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then turn the heat down to low and keep it at a gentle simmer.5-6 cups cold water, 6 chicken drumsticks, 4 slices ginger, 3 green onions, 4 cloves garlic, 1 Tbsp Shaoxing wine, 2 tsp salt
- Cook the chicken for 9-12 minutes until just cooked through (the juices should run clear when poked with a chopstick or knife, or the internal temperature should reach 165°F). Reserve some of the poaching liquid for the sauce, then immediately transfer the drumsticks to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Once cooled, shred the chicken with your hands, discard the bones, and transfer the chicken to a plate.
- In a small saucepan, add the avocado oil, ginger, and garlic and cook over medium heat for 5-8 minutes until the garlic is golden brown and crispy.5 Tbsp avocado oil, 2 slices ginger, 10 cloves garlic
- Use a slotted spoon to strain out the garlic and ginger, then transfer the oil to a medium bowl. Save some of the crispy garlic for garnish and discard the ginger.
- Add the soy sauce, oyster sauce, chicken broth (reserved from the poaching), sugar, and salt to the garlic oil and mix well.2.5 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp oyster sauce, 1 Tbsp chicken broth, 1 tsp granulated sugar, Pinch of salt
- Warm the chicken in the microwave for 10-20 seconds, being careful not to overcook it since we’re just heating it up. Pour the garlic oil sauce over the chicken and mix well.
- Garnish with the crispy garlic and chopped green onions. Serve with white rice and your choice of veggies.Chopped green onions, White rice, Veggies of choice
Notes
- A low simmer for about 9-12 minutes is enough to cook through the chicken drumsticks. Keep a close eye on it because you don't want to overcook the chicken, which will make it rubbery.
- Make sure to transfer the chicken drumsticks immediately to an ice bath, which stops the cooking process and ensures the chicken stays juicy.
- Let the garlic fry until golden brown but not dark brown. If it is too dark, the garlic will be a little bitter.
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