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Steamed Chicken with Lime

Somjit Najaireeb
Steamed Lime Chicken is a Thai variation of Steamed Fish with Lime and Garlic. Fall-off-the-bone tender chicken thighs drenched in sour-spicy gravy and sprinkled with earthy, garlicky flavours make a delicious dinner for the family.
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Prep Time 8 mins
Cook Time 50 mins
Total Time 58 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian, Thai
Servings 4
Calories 351 kcal

Equipment

  • Steamer
  • Sharp Kitchen Knife
  • Chopping Board
  • Steamer Clamp
  • Measuring Spoons

Ingredients

  • 1.5 L water, for steaming
  • 30 g garlic, peeled & minced finely
  • 15 g cilantro & spring onion, chopped for garnishing
  • 15 g cilantro & spring onion, cut into 2 inches in length
  • 2 lime, to get 2 tbsp of lime juice
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 chicken thigh, large, roughly 580g in total
  • 125 ml water
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1/2 tbsp sugar
  • 1/4 tbsp salt

Instructions
 

Boiling Water

  • Boil the water in a steamer over medium heat for about 8 minutes.

Preparing Herbs

  • Prepare the herbs. Smash the garlic and mince finely. Set them aside.
  • Chop the chillies and set them aside.
  • Chop 15g of a mix of cilantro and spring onions for garnishing. Set them aside.
  • Cut 1 cilantro root into half. Cut the lemongrass into thick, slanting pieces before setting both herbs aside on the same plate. Chop the rest of the cilantro and spring onions into 2 inches in length for steaming. Set aside with the cilantro root and lemongrass.
  • Cut the lime into wedges, avoiding the centre core. Then, remove the centre core and most of the seeds. Squeeze the juice from the lime and set the juice aside.

Marinating Chicken

  • Marinate the chicken with 1/2 tsp of salt on one side, rubbing to spread it evenly. Flip the chicken to the other side and repeat with another 1/2 tsp of salt.
  • Spread the lemongrass, 2 inches cilantro and spring onions all over the steaming plate. Place the chicken on the herbs.

Steaming Chicken

  • Ensure the water is boiling vigorously before placing the steaming plate into the steamer. Cover the steaming plate with another heat-resistant plate. Place the steamer over the boiling water and cover the pan. Steam for 45 minutes.
  • Make the fish sauce mixture. Add the fish sauce, sugar and 1/4 tbsp of salt into 125ml of water. Mix until well-combined. Then, add all the garlic and chopped chillies. Stir briefly before setting aside.
  • After 45 minutes, open the cover and remove the heat-resistant plate carefully with a steam clamp. Remove the steaming plate and pour out the chicken stock into a separate bowl. Place the steaming plate in the steamer.
  • Scoop most of the chillies and garlic from the fish sauce mixture and spread them all over the chicken. Pour the sauce evenly over the chicken. Repeat with 2 tbsp of the chicken stock. Cover the steaming pan and let it steam for 5 mintes.

Serving

  • Remove the steaming plate from the pan with a steam clamp. Drizzle with the lime juice and garnish with a generous amount of chopped cilantro and spring onions. Optionally, add some lime slices for decoration.
  • Serve immediately with white rice.

Notes

Tips
  • Smashing the garlic makes it easier to mince it later.
  • For a less spicy version, remove the seeds from the bird's eye chilli and use only green ones. I do not recommend omitting it completely as this Steamed Chicken dish needs a little spicy kick!
  • Avoiding the core in citrusy fruits being squeezed gives us an easier time squeezing out the juices. To make it even easier, roll the limes with your elbow on a sturdy surface a few times to weaken the fibres within.
  • Squeeze the lime wedges over a strainer to remove the seeds.
  • The salt is spread over the chicken twice for even marination.
  • The chicken stock obtained as a by-product of this recipe can be used in other recipes, such as stir-fried vegetables or in a spicy dipping sauce.
  • Adding lime juice after the steaming plate is removed prevents it from making the gravy bitter.
  • Adding sliced lime to the dish before serving adds visual interest and gives the expectation that tangy flavours are included in the dish.
  • Watch the video to see exactly how I made it to ensure success!
Note: the nutritional values do not include the serving of white rice.

Nutrition

Calories: 351kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 25gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 142mgSodium: 1313mgPotassium: 363mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 1IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 26mgIron: 2mg
Keyword chicken, lime, steamed
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