What Is Steam Pot Chicken? 汽锅鸡 Explained

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Yunnan · Soup

Steam Pot Chicken

汽锅鸡

qì guō jī

Chicken slowly steamed in a special clay pot so condensation forms an intensely clear broth.

Yunnan steam pot chicken
Photo: Shizhao · CC BY-SA 3.0
FromYunnan
Eating occasionLunch or dinner
Dish typeSoup
FlavorDelicate · Savory · Clear

01

What is Steam Pot Chicken?

Chicken slowly steamed in a special clay pot so condensation forms an intensely clear broth.

02

Flavor profile

Delicate · Savory · Clear

Chicken slowly steamed in a special clay pot so condensation forms an intensely clear broth.

03

Key ingredients

Chicken, ginger, scallions, salt and sometimes Yunnan ham or medicinal herbs.

This is a food guide, not a recipe. Ingredients and preparation vary between cooks, shops and cities.

04

How it is usually made

Steam enters through the chimney of a clay pot, gently cooking the chicken while collecting concentrated broth.

05

Origin and food culture

Steam-pot chicken is a Yunnan specialty traditionally made in a Jianshui clay qiguo, a pot with a central chimney that channels steam into the vessel.

Little or no water is poured directly over the chicken in the classic method; condensed steam gradually creates the clear, concentrated broth.