Turning Whole Chicken into 8 Chinese Dishes

In Chinese cooking, one whole chicken can go a lot further than one dinner. We use the breast, the wings, the legs, the skin, even the bones, and every single part becomes something delicious. So today, I'm taking this one chicken and turning it into eight completely different Chinese dishes. And trust me, some of these are going to surprise you. Let's see how far we can stretch one chicken. Starting with breaking down a whole chicken, turning it into a refreshing cold noodle that's perfect for summer, a light wrap that tastes like Beijing duck, a saucy rice ball that's just irresistible, and the perfect crunchy bites you probably overlooked before. First things first, we need a whole chicken. Well, 80% of a whole chicken, cause the ones we can get from the shop already come cleaned out. I used to be really intimidated by the idea of separating a whole chicken, cause I'm not a chef and I feel like you need to be really skilled to even start trying. If you also need to hear this, you don't need to be good to start. Just start. First, I cut off the little tail end. Sorry, no booty today. Then let's take off the legs. Feel around where the leg meets the body and you will find a natural gap. Just slide your knife into that seam and cut along it. You shouldn't need much force here, we are cutting through the joints, not the bones. If you hit resistance, don't force it. Move the knife around a little until you find that natural gap. Same thing with the wings. Find where the joint connects to the body and cut right through that seam. Now for the breast. That's probably the part I still need some practice with. Find the breast bone running down the middle, then keep your knife as close to the bone as possible and work your way down. The meat should slowly peel away from the bone. Mine definitely isn't perfect. You can see I've left some meat behind, but that's okay, we're just making dinner. Repeat on the other side and now we have chicken carcass. I like to break it down a little further so the bones are easier to cook with later. Then I will trim off any extra skin and fat and save those too. Nothing goes to waste in this kitchen. I will also separate the legs a little bit more and take out the bones. And that's our whole chicken broken down. We've got breasts, thighs, drumsticks, wings, the carcass and bones, plus all that skin and fat. And now comes the fun part. Let's start with the so nourishing chicken soup noodle. In my last rice cooker video, I shared a quick hack version of chicken soup, but today, we are making the real deal. We start by pan frying the aromatics. Once they start smelling amazing, drop in the carcass and bones. We want to give them a good sear. This helps deepen the flavor and give the stock that beautiful golden color. There are hundreds of ways to make chicken stock, and this one I got tips from my Polish mother-in-law. Leave the pot uncovered and let it gently simmer over low heat. It should barely bubble and never come to a full boil. We are giving everything time to slowly reduce and concentrate in flavor. This way, we end up with that deep rich golden stock, which we will come back to later. While that's cooking, let's open up our appetite with something refreshing. Jī sī liǎng miàn, shredded chicken cold noodle. To be honest, I used to have my doubts about boiling chicken breasts, but this one will surprise you. I'm adding ginger, scallions, and Sichuan peppercorns, a classic Chinese trill for keeping the chicken fragrant while balancing out any gamey flavors. Drop the chicken breast into boiling water. Put the lid on and turn the heat right down. We are basically poaching it gently so the muscle fiber don't tighten up too quickly and squeeze out all the moisture. Then turn off the heat and just leave it there for another 10 minutes. The residue heat will finish cooking it nice and gentle, and look at that. Get all your spices into one bowl and wake them up with pure music. That hot oil brings all the aromas to life. I'm adding soy oyster sauce and Chinese vinegar, plus a little sugar to round everything out and bring out the savoriness. Now throw in our cold showered pasta. I'm using tagliatelle here, which I love for this dish because it gives a lot of space for the sauce to cling on. Top this pasta mountain with some cucumber for that fresh, crunchy bite. Then give everything a really good toss. In my case, it was a bit of a workout, but we got there. Look at that bite. It's tangy, spicy, refreshing, and the chicken is super tender. Then you get that crunch from cucumber and peanuts. There's just so much going on in one bite. If you love Beijing duck, but don't have a duck, a honey oven, or 50 hours to prepare it, I've got a much easier alternative, Beijing chicken wrap. This one actually went viral on Chinese social media as a lighter hack for a Beijing duck style wrap, using thinly sliced chicken breast instead. I'm keeping the marinade really simple. A little starch and oil creates a thin coating around the chicken that will keep the moisture inside so the chicken will stay tender during cooking. And for me, the real magic of Beijing duck is that sweet, savory sauce. You can get surprisingly close with ingredients you already have at home. Soy sauce and oyster sauce for that savory umami, then a generous amount of sugar for the sweetness. A little starch thickens everything up until it's nice and glossy. Now drop the marinated chicken into a hot pan. The heat sets the starch coating straight away, so the chicken stays beautifully tender. The original viral recipe uses ready-made dumpling wrappers, but I only have tortillas, so I thought why not make one of my childhood favorites, the old Beijing chicken wrap from KFC in China. They were sometimes a little economical with the sauce, but not here, my friend. We are putting in a good amount of that juicy chicken, and then we go in with more sauce. This one really brings back memories. I used to get the KFC wrap after school with my friends, especially when they do those buy one get one free deals. Well, I could easily fit into myself, but friendship is sharing. And that savory sweet flavor is on point. Instead of deep fried chicken, you get this juicy tender chicken with fresh crunchy cucumber. And because it's pan fried chicken breast, I can proudly tell myself it's a healthier grown up version of my KFC childhood. The name of our next dish, kou shui ji, literally translates to mouthwatering chicken. And honestly, it's very well named. Drop the chicken thighs in cold water. It gives the chicken a gentler, more even cook, while the ginger, scallions, and Sichuan peppercorns have time to do their thing. Once it's cooked, straight into ice cold water. That stops the cooking immediately and helps keep the skin nice and firm while the meat stays juicy. Then just let it cool down completely before slicing it thin. The thinner you go, the more sauce each slice gets to pick up. And now we get to the part that makes this dish. The sauce. We've got spicy, nutty, aromatics, a little punch. And then we wake everything up with a generous pour of hot oil. I really wish you could smell this through the screen. My mouth is already watering. Then we bring it all together with some soy sauce for umami, Chinese vinegar for that sharp little kick, and a touch of sugar to balance everything out. This sauce is the soul of the dish. It's practically glowing. This part is completely optional, but as a proud peanut butter advocate, I take every opportunity to add peanut butter into my food. You can also use sesame paste or tahini. They give the sauce that creamy, nutty richness that makes every bite even more addictive. Since we already have a pretty rich and flavor-packed sauce, I like to pair it with something fresh and light. I'm using konjac noodles and cucumber here. Then we just let that beautiful sauce get into every little layer. Finish with another drizzle of peanut butter. And obviously, some crushed toasted peanuts for extra crunch. We are basically peanut maxing this bowl. This is the type of dish where every bite hits somewhere different. Spicy, tangy, savory, creamy, crunchy. It just keeps going. It really is exactly what the name promises. Mouth-watering chicken. After a few hours of simmering, I think we have earned ourselves a bowl of soul-nourishing chicken soup noodles. I like mine with rice noodles. They are light and slippery, so you get that really satisfying slurp while still letting the soup be the star. Just simple seasoning with salt and white pepper. And look at that color. The charred chicken and vegetables have given the stock so much depth. This bowl feels like a warm hug from someone wearing a very nice cashmere sweater. And you can save the rest of the stock for a rainy day. Put it in the fridge or freezer, and whenever you need a little pick-me-up, you already know what to do. Well, the next one is little more than a hug. It's a dent. We all love a boneless chicken thigh. But honestly, drumsticks are just as easy once you know where to cut. Look for the little dent along the bone. Make a cut right down the middle, then start peeling the meat away from the top. Once you can get your finger underneath, just work your way down, cutting the meat away as you go. And there you have it, boneless drumsticks. I'm starting with the classic Chinese combo, ginger and scallions. Then some soy sauce and oyster sauce for that savory umami, and a pinch of black pepper. And if you ever wondered why the meat in Chinese stir-fries are so ridiculously tender, here is one of the tricks. Starch and oil. It's a classic Chinese technique called velveting, shàng jiāng. The starch forms a light coating that helps the meat hold on to its moisture, while the oil helps protect it from drying out. While that's doing its thing, let's make a quick sauce. Soy sauce and honey are just one of those combinations that never fail. You get the savory umami, the sweetness, that beautiful color, and eventually that glossy glaze. Now drop the chicken into a hot pan so that coating sets straight away, keeping all those juices in. Let it cook until the edges get a little brown. Then I'm taking out the ginger, the best undercover agent in every Chinese kitchen. Now the pan is clear, in goes our sauce. Turn the heat up and let it bubble away. This process is called shōu zhī. Basically, we're letting the water cook off and the honey concentrate, so the sauce slowly turns into this thick, glossy glaze that clings to every piece of chicken. And now, get yourself a big bowl of fluffy rice. And yes, you would want that much. Pile that saucy chicken on top, finish with sesame seeds and scallions. One look at that bite, you already know it slaps. When I was a kid, my grandma would make honey soy chicken at least once a week, but I would never get tired of it. It's such a simple combination, but it works every time. Deep umami from the soy, that warm toasted sweetness from the honey, and juicy tender chicken underneath it all. Every bite is basically a moonwalk for your palate. I call moonwalk. Crispy chicken wings. We are keeping the marinade pretty classic. Light soy, dark soy, and citron peppercorns for a little extra aroma. Let that hang out for a bit. Then give the wings a really good coating of cornstarch. Get into every little corner, then shake out the excess. You're supposed to wait for the pan to get smoking hot before dropping in the egg, but my fear of frying egg runs deeper. So I'm just going to let it bubble away in a decent amount of oil. He will get there. Then lower the heat and welcome in the wings. Once one side is golden, flip them over and just move them around as needed, giving every little corner some time on the pan. And since we are already here, there is absolutely no reason to waste that beautiful chicken oil. I'm throwing in some chopped onions and letting it caramelize. Onions might make you cry, but they also make magic. Pile everything into a bowl. The sweet caramelized onions, that crispy fried egg, and our wings. Now this moment gives me the same adrenaline as opening a Christmas present. Look at that yolk. Let it run through the rice. Pick up all the sweet onions and coat every little grain. This is heaven. And then the wings. That crust is so light and crispy. And the second you bite through it, you get a burst of juicy chicken. The slow pan frying really keeps the meat tender. Then you get even more texture with those crispy egg edges and caramelized onions. So many layers of chicken happiness. I remember my grandma trying to scare me away from fast food by telling me they're using chicken with six wings. Honestly, for the little me, that sounds like good news. That's how much I love chicken wings. And these ones, 10 out of 10. These little trims are packed with fat. While pork fat is famously rendered into lard, chicken fat is just as delicious. It is lighter and more fragrant. I'm using the water rendering method today. We gently simmer the skin with a little water first. The water keeps temperature low and helps fat render slowly, so the skin doesn't burn before oil comes out. Once all the water evaporates, you can see the oil starts coming out. This one, I throw in some ginger, onions, scallions, bay leaves, and citron peppercorns. Let them slowly infuse all that golden fat with aroma. Keep going until the skin is completely crisp and dry, and you are left with this beautiful homemade chicken oil. We are not stopping at chicken oil. We have just turned something that most people might throw away into a secret ingredient for our next two dishes. And these might be my favorite two recipes from the whole chicken. Take a spoonful of that golden chicken oil, mix it with some soy sauce, and throw it straight into the rice cooker. I use a little less water than usual because the oil gives the rice so much richness. We are not letting those crispy chicken bits go to waste. Break them up and mix them into the rice. I know it doesn't look much, but this is the type of dish that really surprises you. Every grain gets coated in that savory chicken flavor, and every now and then, you get one of those crunchy little bits that's just like a surprise. I grew up eating a very similar version with lard and pork scratchings. It's basically one of those dinners when no one had time to cook. It's a zero effort Chinese struggle meal. The chicken version has so much more going on. Might be my new thing. Now, let's take our chicken oil into noodle territory. I'm using the same pot because we are maximizing to the last drip. I like thinly sliced onion here. Once they are cooked down, they just blend perfectly into noodles. This is basically a Shanghainese scallion oil noodles chickeny cousin. The onions slowly caramelize in that chicken oil, and the longer they cook, the more flavor they pick up. Then I just add soy sauce, oyster sauce, and a little sugar. Nothing complicated. We're just building flavors on the chicken base. I learned my lesson from the last pasta situation. A reasonable, responsible, sensible amount of noodles this time. Pile on that onion sauce, throw in those crispy chicken bits, and a cherry on the cake. I want that yolk nice and jammy. Because once it breaks, it becomes part of the sauce. Now look at that. You've got those crispy caramelized onions, little crunchy chicken bits, and all that savory sauce cleaning to the noodles. And because we started with chicken oil, there's this layer of roasted chickeny flavor underneath everything. This dish is just so delicious. You want to put all your hair back to fully dive in. If you have never cooked the whole chicken before, maybe this is your sign to give it a try. And I would love to know which one you will actually make first. If you enjoyed hanging out with me in the kitchen, give this video a like and subscribe. I've got more food coming. See you in the next one!