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This Chinese braised chicken with chestnuts combines juicy chicken thighs, sweet, buttery chestnuts, and shiitake mushrooms in a glossy, savory-sweet sauce. Ginger, scallions, and mushroom soaking liquid give it the familiar flavor of a Chinese home-cooked dinner.
My family makes this dish for New Year celebrations, but it’s easy enough to enjoy any day. I use boneless chicken and ready-to-eat chestnuts to keep the prep simple—just add rice to catch all that sauce.
A family favorite made simpler
The buttery chestnuts are my favorite part, especially with a spoonful of sauce over sticky rice. Here’s what makes this version a favorite in my kitchen:
- No chestnut peeling. I use packaged, cooked chestnuts to save the most time-consuming prep.
- Juicy, bite-size chicken. Boneless thighs are easy to cook and eat, with no bones to work around at the table.
- Familiar family flavors. Dried shiitake and its soaking liquid are a must in my family’s version. They give the sauce the deep, woodsy flavor I love.
Which chestnuts should I use?
Peeled, cooked, ready-to-eat chestnuts are my first choice. I used Blanchard chestnuts. Look for vacuum-packed chestnuts labeled cooked or ready-to-eat; you’ll need 9–10 ounces. There’s no peeling, and they need only a short braise.
Peeled, raw frozen chestnuts also work, but they need more cooking time. Use them straight from the freezer and follow the timing adjustment in the recipe notes.
Main Ingredient Notes
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs: Cut them into roughly 1½-inch (3.8 cm) pieces for this short braise.
- Potato starch or tapioca starch: Either works for lightly coating the chicken before searing.
- Dried shiitake mushrooms: These are my first choice for their deep, woodsy flavor. I use both the mushrooms and their soaking liquid in the sauce. If you make a larger batch, increase the mushrooms in proportion to the chicken.
- Braising seasonings: Ginger, scallions, soy sauces, cooking wine, and brown sugar give the sauce its savory-sweet flavor. I skip star anise here so the woodsy shiitake flavor can come through.
Using fresh shiitake? I’ve tested this dish with fresh shiitake too. It’s still very tasty, just less woodsy. Fresh mushrooms don’t need soaking, so use chicken stock in place of the mushroom soaking liquid. See the recipe notes for the amounts and adjustments.
How to make braised chicken with chestnuts
You can make this in a Dutch oven from searing to braising. In the photos, I sear the chicken in a skillet and braise it in a clay pot. Both methods work.
Step 1: Prep and sear
Soak the dried shiitake overnight in the fridge until fully softened. Trim the tough stems and save the strained soaking liquid for braising. Here’s my guide on how to rehydrate dried shiitake mushrooms if you’re new to using them.
Season the chicken with salt and wine, then lightly coat with starch. Sear in oil until golden on both sides.
My testing note: The light starch coating gave me better browning and juicier, more distinct bites than uncoated chicken.
Step 2: Braise the chicken
Set the chicken aside and sauté the ginger and scallion whites in the remaining oil. Return the chicken, then add the mushrooms, seasonings, and reserved soaking liquid. Cover and simmer for 8–10 minutes, stirring along the bottom occasionally.
Check the sauce: My Dutch oven retained more liquid than my clay pot. For a thicker sauce, simmer uncovered for about 5 more minutes before adding the cooked chestnuts.
Step 3: Finish with the chestnuts
Gently stir in the cooked chestnuts. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. I add them near the end to keep them buttery with a little bite.
Finish with the scallion greens, then turn off the heat. Leave enough sauce to spoon over rice—it thickens further as it cools.
What to serve with chestnut chicken
My family loves this dish with sticky rice. Try my sticky rice in a rice cooker, or serve it with plain steamed rice. Either way, spoon some of that mushroom-rich sauce over the top.
For a vegetable side, Chinese broccoli stir fry adds a little crunch alongside the tender chicken and buttery chestnuts.
Chinese braised chicken with chestnuts recipe
Ingredients
- 0.85 oz dried shiitake mushrooms about 10 small caps
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into roughly 1½-inch chunks
- ¼ tsp coarse salt to season the chicken
- ½ tbsp Shaoxing wine Taiwanese mijiu, or gluten-free dry sake, to season the chicken
- 1½ tbsp potato starch or tapioca starch
- 0.7 oz ginger cut into 6–7 thin slices, about 1½ inches long and ⅛ inch thick
- 3 scallions cut into 2-inch sections, white and green parts separated
- 1-2 tbsp avocado oil divided
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- ½ tbsp dark soy sauce
- 3½ tbsp Shaoxing wine Taiwanese mijiu, or gluten-free dry sake, for braising
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 cup strained shiitake soaking liquid or chicken stock
- 9-10 oz peeled and cooked chestnuts ready-to-eat and vacuum-packed
Instructions
- Soak the mushrooms. Place the dried shiitake in a container with 2 cups of room-temperature water. Cover and refrigerate overnight until fully rehydrated. Trim off any tough stems and leave the small caps whole. Strain the soaking liquid and reserve 1 cup for braising.
- Season the chicken. Place the chicken in a large bowl. Add the salt and ½ tablespoon wine, then mix well. Add the starch and toss to coat.
- Prep the aromatics. Thinly slice the ginger on a diagonal. Cut the scallions into 2-inch sections, keeping the white and green parts separate.
- Sear the chicken. Add 1 tablespoon avocado oil to a 4-quart Dutch oven and preheat over medium-low heat until hot. Arrange the chicken in a single layer. Increase the heat to medium or medium-high to maintain a steady sizzle. Sear until golden brown, about 4 minutes on the first side and 2–3 minutes on the second side. The chicken does not need to be cooked through yet.
- Sauté the aromatics. Turn off the heat and transfer the chicken to a plate, leaving the oil and rendered fat in the pot. Add up to 1 more tablespoon of oil if needed. Return the heat to medium. Add the ginger and scallion whites and sauté for about 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Braise the chicken. Return the chicken to the pot and stir briefly. Add the shiitake, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, remaining 3 1⁄2 tablespoons of wine, brown sugar, and 1 cup strained mushroom soaking liquid. Stir well and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover and simmer for 8–10 minutes, opening the lid periodically to stir along the bottom of the pot. Adjust the heat between medium and medium-low to keep the sauce bubbling steadily without scorching. The sauce should become glossy and begin to thicken, with plenty left in the pot.
- Add the chestnuts. Gently stir in the cooked chestnuts. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring periodically to prevent sticking.
- Finish and serve. Add the scallion greens and stir for 30 seconds. Turn off the heat. The sauce will thicken further as it cools, so leave enough to spoon over the chicken and rice. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve hot with rice.
Notes
- Dried shiitake: These give the sauce a deep, woodsy flavor. Stick to the listed amount—in my testing, adding more made the sauce taste too salty and the mushroom flavor overpowering.
- Fresh shiitake option: Use 5 oz fresh shiitake, about 5 large caps. Trim off the tough stems and slice the caps. Skip the soaking step and use 1 cup chicken broth in place of the mushroom soaking liquid. The flavor will be less woodsy.
- Frozen chestnuts: Use peeled, raw frozen chestnuts straight from the freezer. Add them in Step 6 with the chicken, mushrooms, and braising liquid. Cover and simmer for 15–20 minutes total, stirring periodically, until the chestnuts are soft and buttery. Skip Step 7 and finish with the scallion greens.
- Clay pot method: I sear the chicken in a separate skillet before transferring it to my clay pot. For the simplest method, use a Dutch oven so you can sear, sauté, and braise in the same pot.
- Storage and reheating: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop with a splash of chicken stock to loosen the sauce, stirring until warmed through.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Chinese and Taiwanese family favorites
For another chicken braise, try my Taiwanese three cup chicken with ginger, garlic, sesame oil, and basil.
If you love the chestnuts and shiitake in this dish, my sticky rice stuffing brings those same flavors together with Chinese sausage and chewy sticky rice. It’s another favorite for family celebrations.
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