Steamed Chicken with Winter Melon and Glass Noodles

This Steamed Chicken with Winter Melon and Glass Noodles is a light, nourishing steamed homestyle Chinese dish that is soupy, warm and so satisfying.

After steaming, the chicken is tender and you get to enjoy a lovely broth with glass noodles. The broth is mild and savoury, with natural sweetness from the chicken, gentle sweetness and fragrance from the winter melon, longan and goji berries. And the best part? The noodles just soak up all the flavours from the soup — you won’t get enough of it！

It’s a great dish for weeknight dinners, special occasions, or when you want something comforting without spending too much time in the kitchen.

I also featured this in my special edition Steam to Slim recipes. It is packed with protein and fibre, low in carbs, and has no added oil and sugar. Okay, I’m not an expert and I don’t strictly focus on weight management recipes, but I love to creating recipes that help me manage my calorie intake without compromising on taste and nutrition.

Other dishes that are light and nourishing are Steamed Egg with Fish Slices and Simple Steamed Herbal Chicken.

Steamed Chicken with Winter Melon and Glass Noodles Tutorial:

Clean the Chicken Thoroughly Before Steaming

You need to rinse the chicken thoroughly with clean water. Make sure to discard any internal organs and remove any red clots or traces of blood along the bone area.

I love using bamboo steamer baskets, which you can easily find on Amazon.

You can also use other types of steam equipment. However, they tend to produce more water condensation and cause the steam water to drip onto the food. The water condensation usually isn’t much, but to prevent it, you can wrap the lid with a cloth.

What other recipes you may like:

You may also love my Lemongrass Steamed Fish, Teochew Style Steam Pomfret with Beehoon or Steamed Egg with Fish Slices.

Ingredients 材料：

500 grams chicken thighs/ whole leg 500克鸡腿肉/整只鸡腿

180 grams winter melon 180克冬瓜

30-50 grams glass noodles 30-50克粉丝

9 grams dried longan 9克干龙眼

15 grams goji berries 15克枸杞

350 ml water 350毫升水

Seasoning for chicken 鸡肉调味料:

1/4 salt 1/4茶匙盐

Garnish 装饰:

1 sprig coriander 1枝香菜

Method:

Prepare the Chicken

• Season the chicken with salt and set aside. Let it marinate for 30 minutes.

Prepare the Winter Melon

• Remove the skin from the winter melon.
• Cut it into small, bite-sized chunks.

Assemble the Dish

• Place the winter melon into a deep heatproof plate.
• Pre-wash longan and goji berries. Then spread them over the winter melon.
• Place the seasoned chicken on top.
• Add some water to the plate to create a light soup base.

Steam

• Bring the water in your wok to a boil.
• Steam on high heat for about 25 minutes.

Add the Glass Noodles

• Soak the glass noodles until soft. It takes about 15 minutes.
• About 5 minutes before the chicken is done, tuck the softened glass noodles into the soup.
• Continue steaming until the chicken is fully cooked and the noodles are tender.

Serve

• Serve hot and enjoy while the soup is light, fragrant, and nourishing.

Cooking tips:

Cut the winter melon into even, small chunks — this helps it cook evenly and soften faster, giving you a smoother, more comforting texture.

Clean the chicken thoroughly — remove any visible blood clots or dark residues around the bone area to prevent any unwanted smell after steaming.

Choose your steaming method — steam on high heat for 25 minutes for a quicker meal, or low heat for about 1 hour or longer if you prefer the chicken to be extra soft and tender.

Add the glass noodles near the end — glass noodles absorb liquid quickly, so adding them about 5 minutes before the chicken is done keeps the soup light and balanced.

Use a deep plate — this allows enough space for the soup to form without overflowing and ensures even cooking.

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