Fluffy, savory and slightly salty, chicken floss is a delightful accompaniment that can jazz up your simple Asian dishes.
Best of all you'll just need around 30 minutes to make a jar full of this from scratch! Sprinkle some of it over a bowl of Yam Khai Dao or steaming hot Congee and a spoonful of scallion ginger oil to finish it all up!
For me, weekends are all about batch-making essentials and meal-prepping for the upcoming days. And as a true Asian household, I almost always make my Air Fryer crispy noodles and Schezwan sauce.
This time, I had some chicken breasts that I wanted to use, and I ended up making a batch of Air Fryer shredded chicken. The fluffy texture just reminded me of chicken floss that I had on my last trip, so of course, I HAD to try and replicate it in my kitchen too.
Quick Look
- 🔪Prep time: 15 minutes.
- ⏲️Cook time: 15 minutes.
- 👪 Servings: 6.
- 📋Main ingredients: Chicken, green onions, soy sauce, oil, ginger, brown sugar, seasonings.
- ♨️Cooking method: Poach chicken in spices and aromatics 🡢 shred 🡢 cook down in a pan with brown sugar and soy sauce 🡢 shred again 🡢 serve or store for later.
- ⭐Difficulty: Medium.
- 🥣Serving ideas: Top the floss over some Chinese steamed eggs to make it more filling and flavorful!
Jump to:
What's So Great About the Recipe?
- It looks complicated, but is actually easy to make. You'll just need a few pantry staples, and about 20 minutes in the kitchen.
- It's really versatile. You can serve it with some steamed rice and some soy cured egg yolks, or even pair it with some bread.
- A batch can last you for at least a week, if not longer. It's perfect for making over the weekend and storing for later- just like my spicy chili garlic oil.
Recipe Ingredients
Chicken: Start with boneless, skinless chicken breasts. It is best to choose chicken that has little or no fat here.
Green onions: Fresh, green onions, for that beautiful flavor.
Soy sauce: For that umami depth.
Brown sugar: For the color, and to balance the flavors.
Ginger: For the warmth. If you don't have fresh ginger, you can use some Air Fryer ginger powder instead.
Salt and pepper: To season.
Oil: Any cooking oil will do. Sometimes, I use my lemon infused olive oil to bring a bit of citrusy freshness to the chicken floss.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- If you want to make this gluten-free, you can use coconut aminos or tamari instead of soy sauce. Sometimes, I end up just skipping soy sauce altogether and just adding a bit of turmeric instead.
- You can also use a spoonful of ginger garlic paste instead of just fresh ginger- I do that sometimes and the broth is SO flavorful, I end up using it for my Tom Yum Gai soup too!
How to Make Chicken Floss
Step 1: Add the chicken, ginger, green onions, salt and pepper in a pot with water. Bring it to a boil.
Step 2: Cover and cook until the chicken is tender. Remove the chicken into a bowl and shred using two forks.
Step 3: Transfer to a pan with oil, soy sauce and brown sugar.
Step 4: Cook on medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
Step 5: Take off heat, allow to cool down and shred a bit more using your fingers.
Step 6: Serve immediately or store for later.
💭Top Tip
Don't get rid of the poaching liquid- it is actually quite flavorful, and you can use it as a base for your soups.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- I really love the texture that I achieved by shredding the chicken with two forks. If you prefer a finer texture, you can use a stand mixer to shred the chicken.
- Keep stirring the pan as you start to see the liquid dry up- you don't want the chicken to burn.
- You can make the chicken floss more flavorful by using an infused salt like garlic parsley salt or mixed herb salt to season the poaching liquid.
- A dash of fish sauce can also lend a beautiful flavor and aroma to the chicken floss.
- If you're reserving the poaching liquid, consider adding a chicken stock cube or my homemade vegetable bouillon cube to make it more flavorful.
How to Serve Chicken Floss
Chicken floss is really versatile. You can serve it as a topping over your soups- like I do when I make my cilantro chicken soup or Napa cabbage soup, or even on some rice.
When I'm serving it with some steamed rice, I usually also have a veggie side like my favorite spicy Asian cucumber salad or some classic crunchy cucumber salad, or even just some Teriyaki cauliflower. I personally love teaming it up with some Pa Muchim and a nice drizzle of my Prik Nam Pla.
Troubleshooting and FAQs
Allow the chicken floss to cool down completely, then transfer to an airtight jar and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks, if not longer.
Yes, you can. Chicken floss is freezer-friendly too. Just make sure you use a freezer-safe container and it should stay fresh for up to 3 months.
More Asian Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried this chicken floss or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Chicken Floss
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts boneless and skinless
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 ginger sliced
- 1 green onion
- 1 teaspoon oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Add the chicken, ginger, green onions, salt and pepper in a pot with water. Bring it to a boil.
- Cover and cook until the chicken is tender. Remove the chicken into a bowl and shred using two forks.
- Transfer to a pan with oil, soy sauce and brown sugar.
- Cook on medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
- Take off heat, allow to cool down and shred a bit more using your fingers.
- Serve immediately or store for later.
Notes
- Don't get rid of the poaching liquid- it is actually quite flavorful, and you can use it as a base for your soups.
- I really love the texture that I achieved by shredding the chicken with two forks. If you prefer a finer texture, you can use a stand mixer to shred the chicken.
- A dash of fish sauce can also lend a beautiful flavor and aroma to the chicken floss.
