When I first posted my Scallion Oil Poached Chicken recipe, I jokingly named it “Marry Me Chicken”, not expecting it to blow up. But the video went viral with over 5 million views—and let’s just say, not everyone was a fan. Many people weren’t familiar with the Cantonese poaching method, and the comments section was full of debates about whether the chicken was raw.

But here’s the secret: it’s not raw—it’s perfectly tender. The trick is letting the chicken sit in residual heat, which allows it to cook through gently without drying out. The result? Juicy, tender chicken drizzled with fragrant scallion oil. If you’ve never tried this classic Cantonese dish, you definitely need to give it a go!

ingredients:

5 chicken drumsticks
5 slices ginger
2 green onions
1/2 tbsp Shaoxing cooking wine

For the oil:

5 tbsp vegetable oil
5 slices ginger
3 green onions
2 shallots
2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tsp sugar

steps:

In a pot of cold water, add chicken drumsticks, sliced ginger, green onions, and Shaoxing cooking wine.
Bring the water to a boil, then reduce heat to low, and simmer for 8 minutes. Turn off the heat, with the lid covered, let the chicken sit in residual heat for 15 minutes.
Dunk the chicken in ice water, then use your hands to shred. Place the chicken on a serving plate.
In a saucepan, add oil, ginger, green onions and shallots. Cook in low-medium heat for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Mix the scallion oil with oyster sauce, soy sauce and sugar. Drizzle over the chicken and enjoy with rice!

my top tips for making the best scallion oil poached chicken:

Don’t Skip the Residual Heat Method
Turning off the heat and letting the chicken sit in hot water is key to achieving juicy, tender meat. The residual heat from the water will continue gently cooking the chicken, which will make it super soft and tender, and not dry and overcooked.
Dunk in Ice Water for Extra Silkiness
After poaching, immediately submerge the chicken in ice water. This step tightens the skin, giving it a smooth, bouncy texture while locking in moisture. It also immediately stops the cooking process.
Slowly Infuse the Scallion Oil
Cook the scallions, shallots, and ginger low and slow in oil to extract maximum flavour. Rushing this step can result in burnt aromatics instead of a fragrant, golden oil that brings the whole dish together!

more of my popular chicken recipes: