Chinese Tea Smoked Chicken Recipe: A Delicious Twist on Classic Roast Chicken

If you're looking for a new way to prepare chicken, why not try a Chinese tea smoked chicken recipe? This dish is a unique and flavorful way to enjoy chicken, and it's surprisingly easy to make. With just a few simple ingredients and some basic cooking techniques, you can create a delicious and aromatic meal that your whole family will love.

To make Chinese tea smoked chicken, you'll need some basic ingredients like chicken, tea leaves, sugar, and rice. You'll also need some spices and seasonings like salt and 5-spice powder. The preparation process involves marinating the chicken, steaming it, and then smoking it with tea leaves, rice, and sugar. The result is a juicy and tender chicken with a smoky and slightly sweet flavor that's sure to impress.

If you're feeling adventurous, you can even try adding some seafood to the mix. Shrimp or scallops can be a great addition to this dish, adding even more flavor and texture to the already delicious chicken. Just be sure to adjust the cooking time and temperature accordingly to ensure that everything cooks evenly.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Main Ingredients

The main ingredient for Chinese tea smoked chicken recipe is, of course, chicken. You can use any type of chicken, but it is recommended to use a whole chicken for the best flavour. If you want to add seafood to the recipe, you can use prawns or fish fillets as a substitute for chicken.

Spices and Seasonings

Salt and sugar are the primary seasonings used in this recipe. You can use brown sugar or white sugar, depending on your preference. Soy sauce and sesame oil are also used to add flavour to the chicken. Ginger, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, sesame seeds, fennel seeds, oyster sauce, and honey are other spices and seasonings that are commonly used in this recipe.

If you don't have all the spices and seasonings, you can substitute them with other ingredients. For example, you can use loose tea leaves, jasmine or black rice vinegar, light soy sauce, or minced ginger as a substitute for some of the spices and seasonings. If you want to make the recipe less spicy, you can reduce the amount of Sichuan peppercorns or omit them altogether.

If you want to make the recipe vegetarian, you can substitute chicken with tofu or other plant-based proteins. For seafood lovers, you can use prawns or fish fillets instead of chicken. However, make sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly, as seafood takes less time to cook than chicken.

Overall, the Chinese tea smoked chicken recipe is a versatile and flavourful dish that can be customized to suit your taste preferences. With a few substitutions, you can make this recipe vegetarian or seafood-friendly.

Preparation Techniques

Marinating the Chicken

Before starting the smoking process, it is important to marinate the chicken to ensure that it is tender and flavourful. To do this, you can marinate the chicken with salt and chicken powder and leave it in the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight. This will allow the chicken to absorb the flavours of the marinade and become more tender.

Creating the Dry Rub

After marinating the chicken, you can create a dry rub to add more flavour to the chicken. You can use a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder to grind Sichuan peppercorns and coarse salt together. Once the mixture is fine and well combined, you can rub it all over the chicken, including under the skin. This will give the chicken a delicious and aromatic flavour.

Setting Up for Smoking

To smoke the chicken, you will need to set up a smoking station. You can line a wok with aluminum foil and add tea, rice, and sugar. Turn on the burner and wait until smoke appears. Once the smoke appears, you can smoke the chicken for 8 minutes or until it turns to a nice bronze colour. This will give the chicken a smoky flavour and a beautiful colour.

If you want to add seafood to the recipe, you can use prawns or scallops. Make sure to marinate them in the same way as the chicken and add them to the smoking station along with the chicken. This will give the seafood a unique smoky flavour that complements the chicken.

Overall, the preparation techniques for Chinese tea smoked chicken are simple and easy to follow. By marinating the chicken, creating a dry rub, and setting up for smoking, you can create a delicious and flavourful dish that is perfect for any occasion.

Cooking Process

To make Chinese tea-smoked chicken, you need to follow a few simple steps. These steps include steaming the chicken, smoking the chicken, and finishing it in the oven. Here's how you can do it.

Steaming the Chicken

First, clean the whole chicken and let it dry for a couple of hours. Once it's dry, mix 5g of salt, 10g of salt-baked chicken powder, and 30ml of cooking wine, and apply it to the chicken, both inside and outside. Then, wrap the chicken in a fresh-keeping bag and put it in the refrigerator overnight.

The next day, take the chicken out of the fridge and steam it for 30 minutes. Make sure to keep the chicken dripping, as this will be used later.

Smoking the Chicken

While the chicken is steaming, line a wok with aluminium foil and add tea leaves, rice, sugar, and some peppercorns. Turn on the burner and wait until smoke appears. Then, smoke the chicken for 8 minutes or until it turns to a nice bronze colour.

If you want to experiment with seafood, you can use salmon or prawns instead of chicken. The smoking process will be the same, but the steaming time will be shorter for seafood.

Finishing in the Oven

After smoking the chicken, remove it from the wok and put it in the oven at 180°C for 20 minutes to finish cooking. Once done, let it cool for a few minutes before serving.

In conclusion, Chinese tea-smoked chicken is a delicious and flavourful dish that is easy to make at home. By following the above steps, you can enjoy this dish with your family and friends.

Serving Suggestions

Carving and Presentation

Once the chicken is cooked, let it rest for a few minutes before serving. This will allow the juices to redistribute, resulting in a more flavourful and tender meat. When ready to serve, chop the chicken into pieces and arrange them on a platter. You can also garnish the platter with some chopped spring onions for added freshness and colour.

Side Dishes

Jasmine rice is a classic accompaniment to Chinese tea smoked chicken. Its delicate flavour and fluffy texture complement the smoky and savoury chicken perfectly. You can also serve some steamed vegetables such as bok choy or broccoli to add some greens to your meal. If you want to add some seafood to your meal, you can try serving some steamed prawns or scallops on the side.

Dipping Sauces

Chinese tea smoked chicken is delicious on its own, but dipping sauces can add an extra layer of flavour and complexity to the dish. Some popular dipping sauces include soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and sweet chili sauce. You can also make your own dipping sauce by mixing some soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and chopped garlic together. Experiment with different combinations to find your favourite dipping sauce.

Overall, serving Chinese tea smoked chicken is a simple and satisfying way to enjoy a classic Chinese dish. With some jasmine rice, steamed vegetables, and dipping sauce on the side, you can create a complete and delicious meal that will impress your guests.

Additional Tips

Storing and Reheating

Once you have made your Chinese tea smoked chicken, you can store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat it, you can either use a microwave or a steamer. If you are using a microwave, you can wrap the chicken in a damp paper towel and microwave for 1-2 minutes. If you are using a steamer, you can steam the chicken for 5-10 minutes.

Cookware Recommendations

When it comes to making Chinese tea smoked chicken, you can use a wok or a smoker. If you are using a wok, make sure to line the wok with aluminum foil to prevent the tea leaves and rice from sticking to the wok. If you are using a smoker, make sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions.

If you don't have a smoker or a wok, you can use a regular pot with a steamer basket. Simply place the chicken on the steamer basket and steam for 30 minutes.

If you want to try making Chinese tea smoked shrimp, you can use the same marinade and smoking process as the chicken recipe. Simply marinate the shrimp for 30 minutes and smoke for 5-7 minutes.

Remember, Chinese tea smoked chicken is a great dish to make for a team event or a cookery school. It's also a great dish to serve for a dinner party or a family gathering.

Overall, this recipe is a great introduction to oriental cookery and a must-try for anyone who loves Chinese cuisine.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the best way to smoke chicken in an oven?

While smoking chicken in an oven is not the traditional method, it can be done with good results. Preheat your oven to 160°C. Line a baking tray with foil and place a wire rack on top. Lightly oil the rack and place your marinated chicken on it. Smoke the chicken for about 30 minutes, or until it's fully cooked.

How can I make my tea smoked chicken crispy?

If you want crispy tea smoked chicken, you can add a bit of cornstarch to the marinade. This will help create a crispy exterior when you smoke the chicken. Additionally, you can smoke the chicken at a higher temperature for a shorter time to create a crispy skin.

What are some simple techniques for smoking chicken at home?

There are several simple techniques you can use to smoke chicken at home. You can smoke the chicken in a wok or a smoker, or you can use an oven. When smoking chicken in a wok, you can line the wok with foil and add your smoking mixture, then place the chicken on a rack above the smoking mixture. When smoking chicken in a smoker, you can use wood chips or pellets to add flavour to the chicken. When smoking chicken in an oven, you can use a wire rack on top of a baking tray to smoke the chicken.

Could you suggest a method for smoking chicken breasts?

To smoke chicken breasts, you can use the same method as smoking a whole chicken. However, since chicken breasts are smaller, they will take less time to cook. Smoke the chicken breasts for about 20 minutes or until they are fully cooked. You can also brine the chicken breasts before smoking to help keep them juicy.

How many calories are typically in Chinese smoked chicken?

The number of calories in Chinese smoked chicken will depend on the recipe and the size of the chicken. However, a typical serving of Chinese smoked chicken contains around 300-400 calories.

What are the secrets behind a juicy smoked chicken?

To create a juicy smoked chicken, you should marinate the chicken in a mixture of salt, sugar, and spices for several hours before smoking. You can also add a bit of oil to the marinade to help keep the chicken moist. Additionally, you should smoke the chicken at a low temperature for a longer time to ensure it's fully cooked and juicy.

As a suggestion, you can also use seafood such as prawns or scallops in your smoking mixture to add an extra layer of flavour to your tea smoked chicken.