I ate Chinese Steamed Chicken with Mushrooms on repeat after our baby boy arrived. This juicy chicken steamed with shiitake and wood ear mushrooms is one of my favorite dishes my Cantonese parents made for me during postpartum. When I want something gentle on the stomach, yet very nutritious and delicious, this Chinese steamed chicken is my go-to!
🔍 Quick Look:
- What is it? Chicken thigh marinated in soy sauce, oyster sauce, and cornstarch, then steamed with shiitake and wood ear mushrooms — the cornstarch seals in the juices as it steams, which is why the chicken comes out so silky (the same trick behind restaurant velveting). If you love wood ear’s signature crunch, my Wood Ear Mushroom Salad gives it a whole recipe of its own!
- Why you’ll love this recipe: This is a traditional Cantonese favorite dish with authentic flavors and doubles as an easy weeknight dinner over rice! One bowl to marinate, and one pan to steam (little dishes!!) is also a win.
- 🕒 Total Cook Time: 15–18 minutes steaming (plus soaking the mushrooms a few hours or overnight, hands-off)
- 🔥 Cook Method: Everything — chicken, soaked mushrooms, ginger, and seasonings — gets mixed in one bowl, then steamed over boiling water on a rack for 15–18 minutes. No flipping, no watching.
- 👩🍳 Flavor Profile: The chicken is salted perfectly with ginger and the mushrooms provide a nice umami flavor that gives the dish a nice earthy flavor!
- ⭐ Difficulty: Genuinely easy — one bowl and one steam; the only planning step is soaking the dried mushrooms a few hours or overnight.
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What is Chinese Steamed Chicken with Mushrooms?
This steamed chicken is a popular dish made at home among many Cantonese families. We love a light flavor (little oil) so you can taste how clean the ingredients are. The dish is gentle enough for sick days or for postpartum (like me!) and definitely easy to make during weeknights. You don’t need to marinate the chicken at all – just mix the chicken with mushrooms and seasonings to make a flavorful dish that goes perfectly with rice.
Lots of ginger is prioritized during postpartum healing — postpartum moms even shower in ginger water to boost recovery! We add more ginger than normal, but don’t worry, the dish is not spicy by any means: very fragrant and flavorful, yet tastes light and clean. It was in my postpartum rotation alongside my Chinese Pork and Ginger Soup.
Key Ingredients
Here’s a look at what you need to make this Chinese Steamed Chicken with Mushrooms. The highlights are here but the full ingredient list and quantities of each are in the recipe card.
- Chicken thigh: are extra juicy compared to chicken breast. You can use skinless or skin-on depending on your preferences. Real authentic steamed chicken uses bone-in chopped chicken for extra collagen and flavor.
- Shiitake mushrooms: I used dried shiitake mushrooms for this and soaked them overnight. If you can find fresh shiitake mushrooms, you don’t need to soak them to rehydrate.
- Wood ear mushrooms (black fungus): I also used a handful of dried wood ear mushrooms and soaked them prior to cooking. Prior to soaking, they are very small and when hydrated, they balloon and 5x the size they once were!
- Ginger: ginger is pivotal to this dish as it takes away the gaminess flavor yet adds a warm (not spicy) taste to nourish the body.
- Cornstarch: the secret to the silky texture — it coats the chicken so the juices stay in through the steam. You can’t substitute this with other types of flours.
Substitutions and Variations
- Chicken thighs or breast both work — chicken breast can be a little more dry, but still tastes moist and delicious in this dish!
- Add a few veggies like napa cabbage, broccoli or carrots for extra nutrition! Be careful not to add too much, or the dish will taste under-seasoned.
- Prefer a sauce-forward steamed chicken? My Chinese Steamed Chicken with Ginger Scallion Sauce is this dish’s cousin — same gentle method, completely different flavor direction.
How to Make Chinese Steamed Chicken with Mushrooms
Step 1: Soak wood ear mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms in water for a few hours or overnight prior to cooking.
Step 2: The mushrooms should be hydrated. Strain the water for both mushrooms. For the shiitake mushrooms, squeeze out excess water and cut the stem.
Step 3: Slice the mushrooms. Peel and slice the ginger in strips.
Step 4: Cut the chicken in 2 inch pieces.
Step 5: Marinate the chicken by adding all the ingredients listed in a bowl (including the mushrooms).
Step 6: Mix together and ensuring there’s no clumps of cornstarch.
Step 7: In a large pot, add some water and a steam rack inside the pot. Once the water is boiling, add the chicken on the steam rack.
Step 8: Steam for 15-18 minutes with lid covered. Enjoy the chicken while hot and serve with some rice.
Expert Tips
- Don’t skip the cornstarch — it’s what makes steamed chicken silky instead of stringy; make sure every piece is coated.
- Soak the mushrooms overnight! This means they will be fully hydrated before cooking. Don’t forget to squeeze out excess water.
- Slice everything evenly so it all finishes together in 15 minutes.
Recipe FAQs
The marinade does the work: cornstarch seals the juices in while soy and oyster sauce season the meat all the way through, and the gentle steam never dries it out — so every bite is seasoned AND silky.
Marinate with cornstarch, spread the pieces in one layer on a heat-proof plate, and steam over water that’s already fully boiling — 15 minutes for bite-size pieces.
It’s one of the lighter ways to cook chicken — no frying, just a spoonful of oil, and the mushrooms and lean protein carry the dish. That gentleness is exactly why it’s a staple of Chinese home cooking and postpartum meals alike.
Wood ear (black fungus) for its crunchy-silky texture and shiitake for deep umami — dried versions of both, soaked a few hours or overnight, give the best texture and flavor. Dried lily flowers are the classic third add-in.
Same gentle steaming method, different flavor direction: the mushroom version is marinated in soy and oyster sauce and steams WITH its flavorings, while the ginger-scallion version keeps the chicken plain and pours a sizzling aromatic oil over it after cooking.
Chinese Steamed Chicken with Mushrooms
Ingredients
- handful dried wood ear mushrooms
- 4 shiitake mushrooms
- 0.5 lb chicken thigh
- 2 inch ginger peeled and sliced
- ½ tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ tbsp oyster sauce
- 1.5 tbsp cornstarch
- ½ tsp chicken bouillon
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Notes
- Don’t skip the cornstarch — it’s what makes steamed chicken silky instead of stringy; make sure every piece is coated.
- Soak the mushrooms overnight! This means they will be fully hydrated before cooking. Don’t forget to squeeze out excess water.
- Slice everything evenly so it all finishes together in 15-20 minutes.
Sam says
I’ve been trying more Chinese recipes at home and this one is a new favorite! The combination of tender chicken, mushrooms and the sauce is so delicious and comforting! I love that it’s easy to prepare but still feels like a special homemade meal. This is definitely a recipe I’ll be making again! ❤️