This sticky oyster sauce chicken has been one of our top chicken recipes on the blog since we published it in 2016, and for good reason!
The chicken is infused with intense umami flavor thanks to oyster sauce and a classic trio of Chinese aromatics (scallion—AKA green onions, ginger, and garlic) to make for a luxurious, yet simple chicken dish complete with sticky gravy.
This sticky chicken in oyster sauce will quickly become a favorite dish for you, family, and friends, as it has for so many of our readers.
Note:
We originally published this recipe on June 21, 2016. We have since updated it with higher res photos, nutrition information, and metric measurements. The recipe remains the same. Enjoy!
A Recipe for the Ages
Oyster sauce chicken is a comfort food like no other comfort food I know. If you eat chicken like me (things start civilized with a fork and knife, but progress to hands before long), then one taste of this dish will redefine your understanding of finger lickin’ good. (Sorry, Colonel Sanders!)
This is the kind of chicken where some folks might use napkins instead of licking their fingers, only to find they have to run to the sink to wash sticky gravy napkins off of their hands.
Sorry to offend some of you more genteel readers out there, but, yes, it’s that kind of chicken.
This oyster sauce chicken is also the first dish I cooked for friends after I landed my first job up in Binghamton, NY.
You know, one of those guys-only dinners where I would agree to cook, but only if the others brought beer and chips. It was an easy trade for me, because I had this dish perfected thanks to some solid education from my mom!
So there we were. Three guys, each with a chicken leg quarter, rice, and lots of gravy (uh, no veggies) and here were the responses I got:
Tall-skinny friend #1: “Mmmm, mmm good!”
Bespectacled friend #2: “Whoooa, I need a cold one with this and some napkins!”
Southern friend #3 (who would regularly claim, “my momma makes the best fried chicken in North Carolina!”): “Damnnnnnn, Bill!”
True story.
If you’re unfamiliar with oyster sauce, read more about it in our Oyster Sauce Ingredients Glossary article. We use Lee Kum Kee’s Premium Oyster Sauce.
If you need something gluten-free, look for the Lee Kum Kee green panda label. Megachef Oyster Sauce is also popular and gluten-free, available at The Mala Market.
Enjoy this one folks!
Oyster Sauce Chicken: Recipe Instructions
Rinse the chicken and trim off any excess fat. This recipe calls for whole chicken leg quarters.
However, you can cut them into drumsticks and thighs for easier handling in the wok if desired. You can also make this recipe just with bone-in thighs or drumsticks. Drumsticks are the most economical cut, making them a great option! You could also do this with chicken wings.
Note
Some of you have asked us whether you can substitute boneless skinless chicken breast in this recipe. However, chicken breast isn’t as suited to braising, and the chicken skin is key to getting that sticky texture to the sauce, so we wouldn’t recommend using boneless chicken here.
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in your wok or a large frying pan over medium high heat, spreading the oil around to coat. Place the chicken skin-side-down in the pan carefully, and sear for about 3 minutes, or until golden brown.
Next, flip the chicken and add the smashed ginger slices to the bottom of the pan. Let both sides of the ginger slices cook and caramelize in the oil for 1 to 2 minutes.
Next, add the garlic slices and white portions of the scallions. Let fry in the oil for a minute. Use a metal wok spatula to ensure the chicken is not stuck to the wok, but be gentle so as to not break up the chicken skin. As you can see from the pictures, this does not always work out but the finished oyster sauce chicken is still good!
Add the Shaoxing wine to deglaze the pan, and let cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock, soy sauce, oyster sauce, white pepper, and sesame oil. Many of these ingredients contain salt, so you won’t need additional salt here.
Stir until well combined and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to a slow simmer. Cover and let cook for 15 minutes.
Use tongs or chopsticks to turn the chicken quarters and let cook for another 15 minutes. There should be quite a bit of sauce in the pan. If things are looking dry, add a bit more chicken stock.
Next, uncover the chicken and add the green portions of the scallions. Cook uncovered to reduce the liquid until it just begins to coat a spoon. Use a meat thermometer to check to make sure the internal temperature of the chicken is 165 degrees F.
Alternatively, you can just poke the thickest part of the chicken leg quarter with a fork. The juice should run clear. At this point, you can be the judge of how thick or thin you want your sauce to be. However, the chicken should be done.
You’ll notice that we’re not using cornstarch to thicken the sauce here. Instead, we will simmer until the sauce reduces to a sticky gravy. The skin-on chicken is key to getting that nice texture to the sauce! Turn the heat up to reduce the sauce if you like yours on the thicker side.
Serve your oyster sauce chicken with all of that luscious gravy and the cooked down garlic, ginger, and scallions over a bed of white rice with your favorite veggies. Stir-fried bok choy or garlicky broccoli are great choices.
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Recipe
Sticky Oyster Sauce Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 chicken leg quarters
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil (such as vegetable, canola, or avocado oil)
- 4 slices fresh ginger (¼-inch thick and smashed with the side of your knife)
- 3 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)
- 3 scallions (cut into 2-inch/5cm pieces, white and green portions separated)
- ¼ cup Shaoxing wine
- 2 cups chicken stock (low sodium or homemade)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
- ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
- Rinse the chicken and trim off any excess fat. This recipe calls for whole chicken leg quarters, but you can cut them into drumsticks and thighs for easier handling in the wok if desired.
- Heat the neutral oil in your wok or a large frying pan over medium high heat, spreading the oil around to coat. Place the chicken skin-side-down in the pan carefully, and sear for about 3 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Next, flip the chicken and add the smashed ginger slices to the bottom of the pan. Let both sides of the ginger slices cook and caramelize in the oil for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Next, add the garlic slices and white portions of the scallions. Let fry in the oil for a minute. Use a metal spatula to ensure the chicken is not stuck to the wok, but be gentle so as to not break up the chicken skin.
- Add the Shaoxing wine to deglaze the pan, and let cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock, soy sauce, oyster sauce, white pepper, and sesame oil. Stir until well combined and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to a slow simmer. Cover and let cook for 15 minutes.
- Use tongs or chopsticks to turn the chicken quarters and let cook for another 15 minutes. There should be quite a bit of sauce in the pan, but if things are looking dry, add a bit more chicken stock.
- Next, uncover the chicken and add the green portions of the scallions. Cook uncovered to reduce the liquid until it just begins to coat a spoon. Use a meat thermometer to check to make sure the internal temperature of the chicken is 165 degrees F. Alternatively, you can just poke the thickest part of the chicken leg quarter with a fork–the juice should run clear. At this point, you can be the judge of how thick or thin you want your sauce to be, but the chicken should be done. Turn the heat up to reduce the sauce if you like yours on the thicker side.
- Serve the chicken, all of that luscious gravy, and the cooked down garlic, ginger, and scallions over a bed of white rice with your favorite veggies. Stir-fried bok choy or garlicky broccoli are great choices.
