RESET360 with Camille McLaughlin
Instant Pot Meals

Ginger-Scallion Chicken with Bok Choy

Chicken thighs pressure-cooked in a gingery broth until silky, served with tender bok choy and a sizzling ginger-scallion oil.

Why you'll love Ginger-Scallion Chicken with Bok Choy

Ginger-scallion oil is one of the simplest and best sauces in Cantonese cooking: finely chopped ginger and scallions with salt, with hot oil poured over until it sizzles and blooms. Spooned over tender, juicy chicken and bok choy, it brings a bright, fragrant, savory heat that makes plain poached chicken taste extraordinary.

The pressure cooker makes the chicken silky in 10 minutes. Thighs cooked in a broth with ginger and scallion stay moist and pick up their flavor, and a natural release for 10 minutes keeps them tender. Bok choy cooks in the same broth for just a minute or two on sauté, so it stays bright green and crisp-tender. The broth itself is good enough to drink from a cup.

It is a clean, comforting dinner that comes together in about 30 minutes.

Quick overview: This Ginger-Scallion Chicken with Bok Choy takes 15 min of hands-on time and about 40 min in all and makes 4 servings, each about 2 thighs with bok choy. You'll need an Instant Pot.

Jump to recipe

Ginger-scallion chicken with baby bok choy in broth
Prep 15 minCook 25 minTotal 40 minServes 4Serving about 2 thighs with bok choyYou'll need Instant Pot

Ingredients

  • 2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt, divided
  • 1 cup chicken bone broth Label: chicken bones, water, vegetables, herbs, and salt, with no sugar, natural flavors, or oil
  • a 3-inch piece fresh ginger, half sliced and half very finely minced
  • 6 scallions, divided
  • 3 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 1 lb baby bok choy, halved
  • 1/4 cup avocado oil
  • 1 tbsp tamari Label: water, soybeans, and salt
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • Make it from scratch: Chicken Bone Broth, Ginger-Scallion Oil

Instructions

  1. Load the pot: Season the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Put it in the Instant Pot with the broth, the sliced ginger, 2 scallions cut into lengths, and the garlic.
  2. Pressure-cook: Lock the lid and cook at high pressure for 10 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then release the rest.
  3. Make the ginger-scallion oil: While it cooks, finely chop the remaining 4 scallions and put them in a heatproof bowl with the minced ginger and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Heat the avocado oil in a small pan until it shimmers, then pour it over the ginger and scallions. It will sizzle. Stir in the tamari and sesame oil.
  4. Cook the bok choy: Lift out the chicken. Set the pot to sauté and add the bok choy to the broth. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until bright green and just tender.
  5. Slice: Slice the chicken into thick strips.
  6. Serve: Arrange the chicken and bok choy in bowls with a little broth and spoon the ginger-scallion oil over the top.

Storage and leftovers

Refrigerate the chicken, bok choy, broth, and oil separately for up to 4 days.

Reheat the chicken and bok choy gently in the broth. The ginger-scallion oil keeps 4 days in the refrigerator.

Variations

  • Whole chicken legs: Use bone-in thighs and cook 12 minutes.
  • With mushrooms: Add shiitake mushrooms with the bok choy.
  • Spicy oil: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the oil.
  • Over cauliflower rice: Serve over cauliflower rice to catch the broth.

Notes and tips

  • Mince the ginger very fine: Fine ginger makes a smoother, more fragrant oil.
  • Heat the oil until it shimmers: Hot oil blooms the ginger and scallions.
  • Natural release: A natural release keeps the chicken tender.
  • Do not overcook the bok choy: A minute or two is enough.

Nutrition and mindful eating

  • Chicken thighs bring protein and stay silky when cooked under pressure.
  • Ginger and scallion bring bright, warm flavor, and ginger is known for easing an unsettled stomach.
  • Bok choy is a cruciferous vegetable with vitamin C, vitamin K, and calcium.
  • Avocado oil is the real fat in the sauce, carrying the ginger's heat.
  • As you eat, notice the clean, gingery flavors and the tender chicken, and pay attention to how a light, warming meal can still leave you comfortably full.

Frequently asked questions

Have a question about this Ginger-Scallion Chicken with Bok Choy? Start here, with the questions people ask most.

Can I use chicken breast?

Yes. Cook it 8 minutes at high pressure with a natural release.

What is ginger-scallion oil?

A Cantonese sauce of ginger and scallion bloomed in hot oil.

Can I make it on the stove?

Yes. Simmer the chicken in the broth for 20 minutes, until cooked through.

How long does the oil keep?

Up to 4 days in the refrigerator, since the fresh ginger and scallion sit under the oil.

You might also like

Tags: Instant Pot Meals, Cantonese-Inspired, Dairy-Free