Chinese Marry Me Chicken | Easy Scallion Chicken Recipe
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Author:
Mandy Fu
Servings
4
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
My husband and I both love scallion chicken—it’s one of those simple Chinese home-cooked dishes that has appeared on our dinner table again and again over the years. So when I recently discovered that social media has given it a viral name, “Chinese Marry Me Chicken,” I couldn't help but laugh. But honestly, I get it. It really is that good.
You won't believe how simple this dish is. There are no fancy ingredients and no complicated techniques. Just a handful of scallions and a perfectly cooked chicken together can create something so comforting. At the end, you can turn the broth into a hearty noodle soup.
In many ways, it reminds me of marriage itself—simple on the surface, but built on care, patience, and showing up for each other day after day. Nothing flashy, just consistency, warmth, and the little things done well.
Ingredients
Make the Shallot&scallion Sauce
- 4 scallions, diced into 1/2 inch long pieces
- 2 shallots, quartered and sliced thinly
- 4 tbsp of oil
-
2.5 tbsp of soy sauce
-
2 tbsp of oyster sauce
- 1.5 tsp of sugar
To cook the chicken and make the noodle soup
-
2 lb / 907g chicken legs or 1.4 lb of breast meat
- 2 inches of ginger, crushed
- 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 3 scallions, tie into knots
-
4 mushrooms, sliced thinly
- 227g / 8 oz of carrot, diced
- 227g / 8 oz of daikon radish, diced into cubes
- 7 cups of water or stock
-
2 tbsp of soy sauce
- 1 tsp of salt
- 4 servings of noodles (any types will work)
- 1/4 cup of diced scallion for garnish
- Chili oil to taste
Directions
Add the scallions, shallots, and oil to a pot. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the aromatics are golden brown and fragrant, 15–20 minutes. Strain through a sieve, reserving both the crispy aromatics and the infused oil.
Return the infused oil to the pot. Add the soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce is lightly thickened, 1–2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
To the same pot, chicken legs, ginger, garlic, scallions, mushrooms slices, carrot, daikon radish, and water.
Bring it to a boil then switch the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the chicken sit in the hot broth and the rest of the heat will continue to cook it to the perfect doneness.
To check if the chicken is cooked through, poke the thickest part using a fork and there should be not pink juice coming out.
Transfer the chicken to an ice bath and let cool completely. Remove from the ice water and pat dry with paper towels.
Debone the chicken and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Arrange on a serving platter. Drizzle the scallion sauce all over the chicken and garnish it with some diced scallions and the reserved fried crispy aromatics.
Season the broth with soy sauce and salt to taste, and bring to a simmer. Add the noodles and cook according to the package instructions or until they reach your preferred doneness.
Divide the noodles and broth among serving bowls. Serve alongside the scallion chicken. Garnish the noodle soup with diced scallions and chili oil, if desired.
