Servings
Font
Back
Drunken Chicken (Zui Ji, 醉鸡)
5 from 18 votes

Drunken Chicken (Zui Ji, 醉鸡)

Drunken Chicken is a Chinese dish where deboned chicken legs are rolled, simmered with aromatics, and then steeped in a brine made of Shaoxing rice wine and seasonings. The resulting chicken is tender with subtle wine flavor, enhanced by ginger, scallions, and optional dried fruits like red dates and goji berries.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Soak
12 hrs
Total Time
12 hrs 30 mins
Servings: 3
Calories: 305 kcal
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients

For the chicken
  • 3 chicken legs about 680g/1.5 lb (see note 1, free-range
  • 5 lices ginger
  • 2 talks scallions
  • 6 dried red dates optional, aka jujube
For the brine
  • 2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Goji berries optional, aka wolfberries
  • 180 ml Shaoxing rice wine about ¾ cup, preferably Hua Diao/花雕 variety

Instructions

Make chicken rolls
    Cup of Yum
  1. Remove the bones of the chicken legs. Lay one piece flat with the skin side down. Roughly score the meat to make it more even in thickness (do not cut through).
  2. Tightly roll the meat into a cylinder. Use kitchen twine to secure (You may also wrap it with kitchen foil/aluminium foil).
Cook the chicken
  1. Put the chicken rolls, along with the bones, into a small pot (ideally just big enough to hold the rolls in a single layer). Add ginger, scallions and red dates. Pour in water enough to cover the meat.
  2. Bring it to a full boil then turn the heat to the lowest. Leave to simmer with a lid on for 10 mins. Then remove the pot from the cooker. Leave to steep (still covered) for a further 10 mins.
  3. Check the doneness by inserting a skewer into a chicken roll. They’re cooked if there isn’t much resistance and the juice coming out is clear (if using a kitchen thermometer, the inner part of the chicken should be above 165°F/74°C).
  4. Put the chicken rolls into a big bowl of cold water (ideally with ice cubes). Leave to cool for 10 mins.
Prepare the brine
  1. While waiting for the chicken to cool. Pour about 250ml (1 cup) of the chicken stock made from last step, through a sieve, into a non-reactive container. Add the cooked red dates, salt, sugar, rice wine and goji berries (see note 2). Leave to cool.
Soak the chicken
  1. Once the brine cools down to room temperature, put in the chilled chicken rolls (They should be fully immersed. Top up with more stock if necessary).
  2. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours. Slice the rolls and put into a serving bowl. Pour in some brine and garnish with red dates and goji berries.

Notes

  • Other chicken cuts such as breast, thighs, or wings can be used; adjust cooking times accordingly.
  • To lessen the alcoholic flavor, increase stock and reduce rice wine ratio or boil the brine for 2 minutes.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1serving Calories 305kcal (15%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 3 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 305

% Daily Value*

Serving 1serving
Calories 305kcal 15%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.