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Scallion chicken is beloved throughout Asia, and for good reason! Juicy chicken with audibly crispy skin is smothered in our delicious homemade ginger scallion sauce. This high-protein, low-carb dish is so easy to make and incredibly addictive!
I saw this dish in Japan and have been meaning to make it ever since. Watch the video to hear just how crispy this chicken is! With the salty, gingery, oniony sauce on top, you won’t be able to stop eating it.
Table of Contents
My take on crispy scallion oil chicken
Crispy scallion chicken is a popular dish across East and Southeast Asia. The most well-known version is Cantonese-style white cut chicken (白切雞), made with poached or steamed whole chicken and served with scallion oil sauce on top. It can be served cold as an appetizer or warm as a main dish.
Today’s recipe is my take on green onion chicken, inspired by Taiwanese and Japanese street food. In this version, the chicken is cooked until crispy, then loaded with green onion sauce to create the most sinfully delicious bites.
Ingredients
I love this crispy-skinned chicken and green onions recipe because it’s truly simple yet so addictive! It takes just a few pantry staples to build unbelievable flavor and texture.
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For the Chicken:
- Boneless Skin-on Chicken Thighs: To save time, I buy Bell Evans chicken thighs from Whole Foods, which are already deboned.
- Substitution: See the recipe card for notes on how to prepare different cuts of chicken for this recipe.
- Coarse Sea Salt
- Black Pepper
- Garlic Powder
For the scallion oil:
- Scallion: Diced into small rounds.
- Fresh Ginger: Grated for maximum flavor and aroma.
- Toasted Sesame Oil: For nuttiness and classic Asian flavor.
- Coarse Sea Salt: Season to taste. I like this sauce a little on the salty side.
- Ground White Pepper
- Sichuan Peppercorn Powder (0ptional): Brings a hint of citrus and is known for its tingling sensation and floral notes.
- Avocado oil: Or any neutral-flavored oil.
How to make crispy scallion oil chicken
This crispy chicken and scallions dish is so easy to make, especially if your chicken is already deboned. (Need help deboning? Check out the recipe notes at the bottom of this post.)
- Make the sauce: Add diced aromatics with seasonings to a heat-safe bowl. Heat the oil until shimmering and pour over the spiced aromatics. Let it sizzle, stir to combine, and let it cool. For more information, please see the Ginger green onion sauce recipe.
- Season the chicken: Pat the chicken dry and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder on both sides.
- Crisp up the chicken:
- Air fry: Place the chicken skin side down in the air fryer basket. Air fry at 400°F (204 °C) for 10 minutes. Flip the chicken (with skin side up) and air fry for 10 more minutes.
- Grill: Grill the chicken at 375°F (191°C) for 5-7 minutes per side, or until the chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 175°F (79.4 °C.)
- Stovetop: In a well-heated cast iron skillet, pan-fry the chicken skin side down for 5-6 minutes. Cook the flip side for 4 minutes. Use a splatter guard.
- Bake: Bake at 425°F (218°C), skin side up with a wire rack under, for 20 minutes. Then, set the oven on high-broil for 3 minutes to give it a nice golden color.
- Serve: Slice the hot, crisp chicken and transfer to a serving plate. Drizzle Scallion oil over top and serve the extra sauce on the side. Serve hot.
Tip: If you’re using alternative cuts like bone-in chicken thighs, drumsticks, or chicken leg quarters, check the recipe card notes for detailed cooking times and temperatures.
time saving tip
Make-ahead
Want to whip out this dish in 20 minutes or less? Making the scallion oil ahead of time is a great time saver. This aromatic sauce can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 1 month and is great on everything! For the freshest flavor, use it within the first 2 weeks.
What to serve it with
This crispy ginger scallion chicken is a lean protein that pairs well with anything! To turn your main into a full family-style meal, give some of these tasty side dishes a try:
- Rice or noodles: Keep it simple with rice cooker white rice or spice things up with my Din Tai Fung fried rice. Scallion oil noodles are an obvious match!
- Veggie sides: Bring some vegetables into the mix with a simple bok choy stir fry, Chinese broccoli stir fry, or this blanched yu choy with garlic sauce.
- Soups: I could add soup to any meal! Some of my favorites are this light yet savory daikon soup, this umami-rich bok choy soup, or my Napa cabbage soup with egg drops.
ChihYu’s helpful notes
- Skin-on boneless chicken thighs: The most popular cut for this dish in Asia! The meat is flavorful and juicy while the skin crisps up to perfection—it’s the best part!
- Making the sauce ahead: This will cut down on the cooking time of this dish, making it perfect for weeknight dinners and last-minute meals.
- Check internal temperature: No matter which method you use to crisp your chicken, use a meat thermometer and aim for 175°F (79.4°C) at the thickest part for juicy, tender chicken.
- Enjoy immediately: Slice the chicken while it’s still hot and crispy. Spoon the scallion ginger sauce over the top and serve immediately to enjoy the best texture and flavor.
More Chinese chicken recipes you might like
I hope you loved this take on one of my favorite Asian street foods! For more savory Chinese chicken ideas, check out these yummy recipes.
- Oyster sauce chicken stir fry is an authentic Chinese staple with shitake mushrooms and snow pea leaves
- Chicken napa cabbage stir fry is super popular with my readers. It comes with juicy velveted chicken breast and sweet napa cabbage.
- Mongolian chicken is a Taiwanese staple with thinly sliced crispy chicken and loads of aromatics in a sweet and savory sauce.
Scallion chicken
Ingredients
For the scallion ginger sauce (makes 1 cup):
- 6 bulb scallion diced, a little over 2 cups diced scallion
- 1 oz ginger root grated, about 1.5 tbsp grated ginger
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp coarse sea salt or to taste
- ½ tsp ground white pepper
- ½ tsp Sichuan peppercorn powder optional
- ½ cup avocado oil or any neutral-flavored oil
For the chicken:
- 1.5 lb chicken thighs skin-on and boneless, see notes 4 pieces
- 1 tsp Coarse sea salt divided about ¼ tsp per thigh
- Sprinkle Ground black pepper
- Sprinkle Garlic powder
Instructions
Ginger scallion sauce:
- Place diced scallions and grated ginger in a heatproof bowl with sesame oil, salt, white pepper, and optional Sichuan peppercorn powder. Heat avocado oil in a small pan over medium-low heat for 7–8 minutes until shimmering. Carefully pour the hot oil over the aromatics, let it sizzle, and stir to combine. Set it aside to let cool.
- For more information, please see the Ginger scallion sauce recipe.
Season the chicken:
- Pat the chicken dry and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder on both sides.
Crisp up the chicken:
- Air fry: Place the chicken skin side down in the air fryer basket. Air fry at 400°F (204 °C) for 10 minutes. Flip the chicken (with skin side up) and air fry for 10 more minutes.
- Grill: Grease and preheat the grill to medium heat, 375°F (191°C). Grill the chicken for 5-7 minutes per side, or until the chicken is cooked through (an inserted thermometer should read 175°F| 79.4 °C.)
- Stovetop: In a well-heated cast iron, pan fry the chicken skin side down for 5-6 minutes. Cook the flip side for 4 minutes. Use a splatter guard.
- Bake: Brush the wire rack with little oil. Bake at 425°F (218°C), skin side up with a wire rack under, for 20 minutes. Then, set the oven on high-broil for 3 minutes to give it a nice golden color.
Serve:
- While the chicken is still hot and crisp, slice it and transfer to a serving plate. Add a few tablespoons of Ginger scallion sauce over and serve the extra sauce on the side. Serve hot.
Notes
- How-to debone chicken thighs:
- With one hand holding the knife and the other hand holding the bone, carefully make a small incision cut along the chicken thigh bone.
- Slowly and carefully cut along the bone to separate the leg bone and the meat. Pull the bone in upward and frontward directions a few times to help separate the meat and the bone.
- Run the tip of your fingers through the chicken to make sure there are no bones left behind.
- Do a few shallow cuts on the meaty side to break the tendons so that the chicken stays flat in heat.
- Scallion sauce storage: You are likely to have extra leftover sauce. Once the sauce has cooled to room temperature, transfer it to an airtight glass container. Store in the fridge for up to 1 month, but for the freshest flavor, use it within the first 2 weeks.
- Alternative Chicken Cuts & Cooking Times
If boneless, skin-on chicken thighs are unavailable, try these options:- Bone-in Chicken Thighs
– Baking: 425°F (218°C) for 35-40 minutes, skin side up.
– Air Frying: 400°F (204°C) for 18-20 minutes per side. - Drumsticks
– Baking: 425°F (218°C) for 35-45 minutes, turning halfway.
– Air Frying: 400°F (204°C) for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway. - Chicken Leg Quarters
– Baking: 425°F (218°C) for 40-50 minutes, skin side up.
– Air Frying: 400°F (204°C) for 22-25 minutes per side.
- Bone-in Chicken Thighs
- All cuts are ready when the internal temperature reaches 175°F (79.4°C) at the thickest part.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
