Don’t pay for chicken essence when it is this easy to make at home in the pressure cooker! It takes a few minutes to prepare and then allow the pressure cooker to do the rest of the work.
How to Make Chicken Essence Using a Pressure Cooker
Many cultures love chicken essence because it is easy to digest, flavorful and in China, it is thought of like Americans think of “Red Bull”.
In China, it is a medicinal drink to improve brain power and energy.
What Is Chicken Essence
Chicken essence is a broth like liquid that is created by steaming chicken under pressure (usually for hours).
In this recipe, we put the power of the pressure cooker to work to create a delicious distilled tonic that will keep you going for hours.
In fact, as I write this, my husband is preparing for a GI test and it requires a liquid diet. He will be drinking up the chicken essence and I’ll likely be making more as the day goes on.
You can read quite a lot about chicken essence and it’s amazing history over on Food 52
Here’s What You’ll Need
- Chicken Legs (remove skin as best you can) – the dark meat gives more flavor.
- Ginger – a fresh clean taste with added healthy benefits.
- Green onions – fresh and bright.
- Turmeric Powder – healthful and yellow color.
- Mirin or Cooking Sherry – Mirin is an Asian cooking wine but can be difficult to find in some local groceries so cooking sherry will work.
- Salt and Pepper
Here’s How You Do It
- Prepare the chicken by removing the skin, cutting slices in the meat and breaking the leg bone (I know, it’s brutal).
- If you are able to add the spices and marinate in the fridge for a few hours, that is best, but if not, just continue with the recipe.
- Arrange bowls and chicken in the pressure cooker as per the video then fill the pressure cooker with water half the way up the outside of the larger bowl.
- Pressure cook for 1 hour (59 minutes in an instant pot) and allow natural release.
- The essence will be in the bottom of the inverted bowl.
- You may need to strain it through a fine mesh strainer
PRO TIP
- Reserve the chicken to make a wonderful Chicken Fried Rice Recipe
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
It will last for about 5 days refrigerated and covered in the fridge.
It’s best to put it in a small jar with a lid, however storing in a cup with plastic or foil over the top will work too. After refrigeration, it will thicken like gelatin, just reheat on the stove or in the microwave and it will turn to liquid again.
Yes, you sure can! Place in a freezer safe container and seal the lid.
The Chinese use it for health purposes and believe it has a good effect on brain and body health.
Tips and Tricks
- Although it feels brutal, you’ll get the best results if you break the bones of the chicken and make some cuts through the meat. Legs lend themselves best to this procedure. Thighs will work too.
- There’s no need to peel the ginger or the garlic, simply cut through them before marinating the chicken.
- It’s best to marinate the chicken overnight 12-24 hours in the fridge, however, if you don’t have that kind of time, a few hours will work.
- Remove the chicken skin as best you can and this will help to make sure that you don’t have a lot of fat in your final chicken essence.
- If you do notice a lot of fat, allow the essence to completely cool in the fridge and then, using a spoon, scrape the fat off the top.
- You may note some small chunks of chicken, chicken goo or pieces of green onion or the other ingredients in your final product, simply pour the liquid through a fine mesh strainer or cheese cloth to remove. You can see me do this in the video.
PRO TIP: We like this essence with a little but of fresh green onion slices floating on the top when we serve it.
How Do I Store My Chicken Essence?
Once your Chicken Essence is done, you’ll want to use it right away or store it for later.
To store for later, you can refrigerate for up to 5 days or you can even freeze it for up to 3 months.
Upon cooling and refrigerating, the chicken essence will thicken like a gelatin. All you need to do is to reheat it and it will turn back to a liquid.
You can reheat in a microwave or on the stove top.
Watch Me Make This
If You Enjoyed This Chicken Recipe, You Might Also Enjoy…
How to Cook Chicken in the Pressure Cooker
Can You Give Me a Hand?
Please leave a 5 STAR comment in the comment section below. This helps others to find the recipes at Loaves and Dishes.
Pressure Cooker Chicken Essence
Ingredients
- 5 chicken legs remove skin
- 2 inch ginger fresh only, cut into disks or sticks
- 1 head garlic cut in half across the equator
- 3 stalks green onion chopped
- 1 tbs turmeric
- 2 tbs Mirin or cooking sherry
Instructions
- Remove the skin on the chicken, use a kitchen meat pounder to smash the chicken and to break the bone. Use a sharp knife to make several deep cuts to the meat throughout the piece.
- Add the chicken and the other ingredients to a bowl or a zip top bag and stir or massage the ingredients into the chicken. Place into the fridge for up to 24 hours. Allow to marinate for a minimum of 2 hours.
- Use a metal or glass bowl that fits into your pressure cooker turned right side up, be sure to leave enough of a gap between the larger bowl and the pressure cooker so that you can add water to the cooker. Invert a smaller bowl into the larger bowl. Place the chicken onto the smaller bowl. Avoid putting the herbs into the pressure cooker if possible.
- Carefully, so as not to splash water into the inside bowl, add water outside the large bowl into the pressure cooker pot. Fill to 1/2 way up the side of the larger bottom bowl.
- Apply the lid and pressure cook for 59 minutes. Allow a natural release. (if using instant pot, click the manual button and then set the time for 59 minutes. Do not release the pressure yourself, let the pressure come back to room pressure on it's own).
- When you remove the pressure cooker lid, you will find that most of the liquid is trapped in the inverted bowl. Be careful as the pans are likely still very hot. Use tongs to remove the chicken pieces, allow everything to cool or use hot pads to remove the bowls. If you note that there are chicken pieces in the essence, pour through a strainer to remove. Pour the essence into a lidded container to refrigerate.
Notes
- Although it feels brutal, you’ll get the best results if you break the bones of the chicken and make some cuts through the meat. Legs lend themselves best to this procedure. Thighs will work too.
- There’s no need to peel the ginger or the garlic, simply cut through them before marinating the chicken.
- It’s best to marinate the chicken overnight 12-24 hours in the fridge, however, if you don’t have that kind of time, a few hours will work.
- Remove the chicken skin as best you can and this will help to make sure that you don’t have a lot of fat in your final chicken essence.
- If you do notice a lot of fat, allow the essence to completely cool in the fridge and then, using a spoon, scrape the fat off the top.
- You may note some small chunks of chicken, chicken goo or pieces of green onion or the other ingredients in your final product, simply pour the liquid through a fine mesh strainer or cheese cloth to remove. You can see me do this in the video.
Nutrition
It’s all for the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
Tamira Houston
Sunday 19th of December 2021
I like all these recipes a lot and there so many I like learning about them that looks delicious so much I was wondering if a person doesn't have pressure cooker is there a way to modify the recipes for a old fashioned crock pot?❤ Ps I really like 👍 👌 😍 the backed potatoes recipes 😋, thanks for being a wonderful Blessing may God Bless You and Yours Always thanks for being such a good cook and so graciously sharing 😊 with everyone I really appreciate it always needing help in the food department department, th,tamira Houston I hope you don't mind I shared your recipes with my family🥰😋🤩💯💖🤗
Wendi Spraker
Monday 20th of December 2021
Hi Tamira, On most recipes, I would say "absolutely yes, there's a way to modify for the crockpot" however, on this specific recipe, I am just not sure. I'm tickled that you wanted to share Loaves and Dishes with your family! Share away! :) Food brings people together. :)
Wendi J Spraker
Wednesday 15th of September 2021
Aggregate ratings test
Tamira Houston
Sunday 19th of December 2021
@Wendi J Spraker,