Tender Steamed Chicken with Shiitake Mushrooms

If you love simple, comforting home-style Asian dishes, this steamed chicken with shiitake mushrooms is one you’ll want to keep on repeat. The magic lies in its simplicity: a quick marinade, a short steaming time, and ingredients that do all the work to create incredible depth of flavour.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This recipe is perfect for busy days when you want something healthy, effortless, and delicious. Steaming keeps the chicken juicy and tender while preserving nutrients, and the shiitake mushrooms infuse every bite with rich umami flavour. You can prepare everything in advance, marinate overnight, and steam it in just 15 minutes — no stir-frying, no mess, and minimal cleanup. It’s truly a dish that feels homemade and nourishing.

Why Marinate Chicken with Flour and Oil?

This small step makes a big difference! A bit of flour (or cornstarch) and oil are often added to marinades to lock in moisture and create a silky texture once cooked. The flour lightly coats the chicken, protecting it from drying out during steaming, while the oil adds smoothness and helps the flavours cling to the meat. The result is chicken that stays tender, glossy, and full of flavour.

Dry vs Fresh Shiitake Mushrooms

You can use fresh shiitake mushrooms for this recipe, but I highly recommend using dried shiitake mushrooms if you can. The difference in fragrance and depth of flavour is remarkable — dried shiitakes have a richer, more concentrated umami taste that fresh mushrooms simply can’t match.

When soaked, dried mushrooms release a beautifully aromatic broth that enhances the entire dish. That subtle smokiness and earthiness seep into the chicken as it steams, creating a wonderfully complex flavour that makes this dish truly special.

You can easily find dried shiitake mushrooms at most Asian grocery stores in the UK. They keep for months in your cupboard, so they’re great to have on hand for soups, stir-fries, and steamed dishes like this one.

The Key to Perfect Steaming

The beauty of this dish is that it’s almost foolproof — but a few key points will take it from good to great:

• Always start with boiling water. Make sure the water in your steamer is fully boiling before placing the dish inside; this ensures even cooking from the start.
• Don’t overcrowd the dish. Spread the marinated chicken and mushrooms in a single, even layer so the steam circulates evenly and cooks everything through.
• Cover properly. Use a lid or a heatproof plate cover to trap steam and retain moisture during cooking.

How to Steam

You can use a traditional bamboo steamer, a metal steamer rack, or even a steaming setup in a wok or pot. Simply fill the base with water, bring it to a boil, then place your dish of marinated chicken and mushrooms on the rack. Cover tightly, and let the gentle steam do its work.

Final Thoughts

This steamed chicken with shiitake mushrooms requires simple ingredients, minimal effort, and pure comfort in every bite. It’s 100% perfect for pairing with steamed rice and a side of greens. Once you try it, you’ll understand why it’s one of my most-cooked dishes at home.

Tender Steamed Chicken with Shiitake Mushrooms

Wanting

It’s simple, nourishing, and full of comforting flavours. The earthy aroma of shiitake mushrooms and the tender, juicy chicken make it the perfect dish to enjoy with a bowl of rice.

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Course Lunch, dinner

Cuisine Asian, Chinese, Taiwanese

Ingredients

  

• 2 boneless chicken thighs (about 287g), diced
• 4 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in cold water until softened (about 3–5 hours) Tip: You can soak them in hot water for a quicker option, but cold soaking gives better aroma.
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp cooking wine
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 5 g ginger, cut into thin strips
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp plain flour

Instructions

 

• Soak the mushrooms: Soak dried shiitake mushrooms in cold water until softened (3–5 hours). For a faster method, use hot water, though it will be slightly less fragrant. Once softened, slice and squeeze out any excess water.
• Marinate the chicken: In a mixing bowl, combine diced chicken with salt, cooking wine, ginger, white pepper, soy sauce, oil, and flour. Add the sliced mushrooms and mix well. Marinate for at least 1 hour, or overnight for deeper flavour.
• Steam: Spread the marinated chicken and mushrooms evenly in a shallow heatproof dish (don’t overcrowd). Steam over boiling water for 12–15 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked through.
• Serve: Carefully uncover, sprinkle chopped spring onion on top, and enjoy while hot.

Video

Notes

Keyword Chicken, Steamed