Huang Men Ji (黄焖鸡 huáng mèn jī） also called Bean Paste Braised Chicken is a popular chicken dish that you can find pretty much in any restaurant. Many people believe this dish is originated from Jinan (济南 jì nán), Shandong. However, the earliest record we could find on paper about this dish is from 1600 AD (Ming dynasty). This dish was cooked for the Ming dynasty soldiers who won a war against the armed rebellion at Lou Shan Guan (娄山关 lóu shān guān) – north of Guizhou Province. Fast forward to modern days, this dish is popularized by an enteropneust from Jinan city – Yang Xiaolu. He created the most popular Huang Men Ji brand in China “Yang Mingyu Huang Men Ji Steamed Rice”.
The chicken in this dish is tender and saucy, which is perfect when paired with rice. My fondest memory of eating this dish is in one of those iconic “hole in the wall” restaurants in Guilin when I was in college.
To achieve the best taste and texture, it is best to choose skin on and bone on chicken thighs. However, I happen to have a box of chicken thigh fillets from our local Sainsbury’s, so that’s what I went with. Let’s prepare this dish!
Ingredients for Chinese Braised Chicken
To make Huang Men Ji, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Brown cane sugar 1 tbsp
- Chicken thigh fillet 500g
- Chinese cooking wine ½ tsp
- Sliced fresh ginger 19g
- Garlic 25g
- Light soy 1 tbsp
- Dark soy 1 tbsp
- Oyster sauce 1 tbsp
- Bean paste sauce 1 tbsp
- Dried Shiitake Mushroom 11
- Potato medium/large 2
- Sweet pepper (small) 4
How to Make Chinese Braised Chicken with Bell Peppers
This Huang Men Ji recipe is fairly simple and efficient to make. You’ll need to follow these steps:
- For prep, soak the dried Shiitake mushrooms in one cup of water for 20 minutes, and peel 2 medium-to-large potatoes and cut them into big chunks. Then, cut the mushrooms into quarters and leave the juice aside for later use. Finally, cut the sweet peppers into roughly 2x2cm chunks.
- Slice the garlic and ginger and set them aside in a container. Cut the chicken thighs into big chunks.
- Add 2 slices of fresh ginger, diced chicken thighs, ½ tsp of Chinese cooking wine, and tap water in a cooking pot, and bring it to a boil. Then, drain the water and put the boiled chicken thighs aside to air dry.
- Heat up a pan and add 2 tbsp of vegetable oil. Add 1 tbsp brown cane sugar (you could also choose to use crystal sugar if you have any) in the oil, then stir until melted and darkened with low heat.
- Add the diced chicken thighs to the pan (pad dry the chicken thighs before putting them in if needed with some paper towels). Stir fry until nicely browned.
- Add the rest of the sliced ginger, sliced garlic, 1 tbsp light soy, 1 tbsp dark soy, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, and 1 tbsp Chinese bean paste sauce. Then stir and mix well.
- Add the mushroom juice we set aside earlier, and freshwater until all the ingredients in the pan are covered (roughly 150ml in total).
- Cover the lid, bring it to boil, reduce the heat and let it stew for 15 – 20 mins.
- Taste to see if you need more salt. Add diced potatoes and mushrooms in and cook for further 10 mins.
- Open the lid, to thicken the sauce. Add the sliced sweet pepper in, stir with low heat for 2 mins, and plate.
- Serve with rice, don’t forget to have your rice soaked in the sauce, have a big spoon full of rice, chicken, potato, and pepper. Enjoy, 请慢用 (qǐng màn yòng )!
Try It Yourself!
And that’s how you can make a delicious and flavourful authentic Chinese braised chicken dish! If you like Chinese chicken, be sure to check out the rest of our chicken recipes.
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to share the result on Instagram and tag us @linschinesekitchen.
Chinese Bean Paste Braised Chicken (Huang Men Ji) Recipe
Course: Stir FryCuisine: ChineseDifficulty: Easy3
servings20
minutes30
minutesThis recipe will show you how to make authentic Huang Men Ji, a delicious Chinese bean paste braised chicken dish.
Ingredients
Brown cane sugar 1 tbsp
Chicken thigh fillet 500g
Chinese cooking wine ½ tsp
Sliced fresh ginger 19g
Garlic 25g
Light soy 1 tbsp
Dark soy 1 tbsp
Oyster sauce 1 tbsp
Bean paste sauce 1 tbsp
Dried Shiitake Mushroom 11
Potato medium/large 2
Sweet pepper (small) 4
Directions
- Soak the dried Shiitake mushrooms with a cup of water for 20 mins.
- Cut the mushrooms into quarters. Leave the juice aside for later use.
- Peel 2 medium to large potatoes, cut them into big chunks.
- Cut the sweet peppers into roughly 2x2cm chunks.
- Slice the garlic and ginger, set them aside in a container.
- Cut the chicken thighs into big chunks.
- Add 2 slices of fresh ginger, diced chicken thighs, ½ tsp of Chinese cooking wine, and tap water in a cooking pot, bring it to boil.
- Drain the water, put the boiled chicken thighs aside to air dry.
- Heat up a pan, add 2 tbsp of vegetable oil.
- Add 1 tbsp brown cane sugar (you could also choose to use crystal sugar if you have any) in the oil, stir until melted and darkened with low heat.
- Add the diced chicken thighs to the pan (pad dry the chicken thighs before putting them in if needed with some paper towel).
- Stir fry until nicely browned.
- Add the rest of the sliced ginger, sliced garlic, 1 tbsp light soy, 1 tbsp dark soy, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tbsp Chinese bean paste sauce, stir and mix well.
- Add the mushroom juice we have preserved before, and freshwater until covering all the ingredients that are in the pan (roughly 150ml in total).
- Cover the lid, bring it to boil, reduce the heat and let it stew for 15 – 20 mins.
- Taste to see if you need more salt.
- Add diced potatoes and mushrooms in and cook for further 10 mins.
- Open the lid, to thicken the sauce.
- Add the sliced sweet pepper in, stir with low heat for 2 mins, and plate.
- Serve with rice, don’t forget to have your rice soaked in the sauce, have a big spoon full of rice, chicken, potato, and pepper. Enjoy, 请慢用 (qǐng màn yòng )!
