• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Norecipes - Elevating Everyday Meals

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Ingredients
  • Cuisine
  • Type
  • Start Here
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Ingredients
    • Cuisine
    • Type
    • Start Here
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Lunch

    Updated: Apr 23, 2023 by Marc Matsumoto · 2 Comments

    Crispy Chicken with Scallion Salad

    With a fresh mound of tamed onions and seri atop tender pieces of crisp-skinned chicken, this simple meal strikes the perfect balance between effort and taste.
    Recipe Pin

    This crispy pan-fried chicken with a scallion salad is an easy weeknight recipe and yet it's impressive enough to serve for a dinner party.

    A culinary fireworks display of textures, tastes, and flavors, the chicken is simply seasoned with salt and pepper before being pan-fried until the fat in the skin has rendered out, and it's crackling-crisp. The salad on top is a crisp julienne of tamed scallions with seri, which is tossed with a simple soy sauce and rice vinegar dressing. Together, the fresh, vibrant salad balances out the rich, juicy flavor of the chicken, making for a complex, yet balanced dish that belies its simple preparation.

    Topped with a crisp flavorful scallion this crispy pan-fried chicken is easy and delicious!

    There are a few kitchen tricks that make these ordinary ingredients extraordinary. The first thing is that I use a weight on top of the chicken while it's cooking. This increases the chicken's contact patch with the pan, which not only helps it cook more quickly, it also ensures that every bit of skin ends up golden brown and crisp. This also eliminates the need to add oil to the pan, while rendering out most of the excess fat from the chicken.

    For the scallions, I like using the white parts for this dish, because they are more tender than the green parts. Slicing the scallions into thin ribbons and then taming them in a baking soda solution, breaks down the volatile sulfur compounds (which make raw onions spicy). This leaves the pleasant sweet flavor of the scallions along with their crisp texture, that adds both complementary and contrasting flavors and textures to the savory chicken.

    Seri, also known as Minari, Chinese Celery, and Java Dropwort is a delicious herb.

    The green herb in the salad is called seri in Japanese, but it's also known as Minari (Korean), Chinese Celery or Java Dropwort. It's an Asian herb that grows in wet areas such as along streams and around lakes and can usually be found in Asian grocery stores. If you can't find it locally, you can substitute watercress, arugula, or cilantro in the salad.

    Whether you decide to serve it topped with the salad or not, the crispy skinned chicken works with all sorts of sauces and toppings and it's a great addition to Chinese Chicken Salad. If you decide to forgo the salad, try the crisp chicken with teriyaki sauce, korean fried chicken sauce, or even by itself, with a sprinkle of lemon zest and a splash of lemon juice.

    Crisp chicken thighs topped with a tangy scallion salad.

    📖 Recipe

    Topped with a crisp flavorful scallion this crispy pan-fried chicken is easy and delicious!

    Crispy Chicken and Scallion Salad

    Not enough ratings yet
    Print Pin Discuss
    Prep Time 20 minutes mins
    Cook Time 10 minutes mins
    Total Time 30 minutes mins
    Yield 2 small servings

    Units

    Ingredients 

    • 2 teaspoons baking soda.
    • 60 grams scallions white part only
    • 10 grams seri *see headnotes for substitutes
    • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
    • ½ tablespoon rice vinegar
    • ½ teaspoon evaporated cane sugar
    • 250 grams boneless skin-on chicken thighs
    • Salt to taste
    • Black pepper to taste

    Instructions

    • Dissolve 2 teaspoons baking soda in 4 cups of water, and stir to dissolve.
    • Cut the scallions into 2-inch lengths.
    • Cut a slit halfway through the scallions lengthwise to their core.
      Slice the scallion lengthwise to the core.
    • Unfurl the scallion, spreading it out flat. If the scallion has a solid core, remove it and use it for something else. 
      Lay the scallion flat.
    • Slice the scallion into very thin ribbons lengthwise (with the grain). Drop the scallions in the baking soda water and let it tame for at least 15 minutes.
      Slice the scallion lengthwise into thin ribbons.
    • For the seri, use just the leaves and tender stems.
    • When the scallions are no longer overwhelmingly pungent, drain them and wash them thoroughly with cold water. Spin the scallions and seri in a salad spinner to dry.
      Spin the scallions and seri in a salad spinner to remove any excess water.
    • Make the dressing by whisking together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sugar and set aside. 
      Make the dressing for the scallion and seri salad.
    • For the chicken, salt, and pepper both sides to taste. 
      Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
    • Put the chicken skin-side down in a non-stick pan and then set a heavy pan on top of the chicken to press it down. Turn the heat on to medium-low and fry until the skin-side is well browned and crisp (7-10 minutes). 
      Pan-fry the chicken, skin-side down until the skin is very crisp and browneed.
    • Remove the weight and flip the chicken over, frying the second side until the chicken is just cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest. 
      When the skin-side of the chicken has browned, flip it over and cook the chicken through.
    • Toss the scallions and seri with the dressing. 
      Toss the scallion and seri salad with the dressing.
    • Slice the chicken and plate, topping with the scallion and seri salad. 
    Recipes in your inboxDon't miss out SIGN UP!

    Nutrition

    Calories 293kcalCarbohydrates 4gProtein 21gFat 20gSaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 122mgSodium 1700mgPotassium 358mgSugar 1gVitamin A 555IUVitamin C 7.8mgCalcium 38mgIron 1.5mg

    More Lunch

    • Salmon Onigiri split in half showing tender salted salmon flakes wrapped in a fluffy layer of Japanese short grain rice.
      Salmon Onigiri
    • Hunan chicken is an easy weeknight stir fry featuring juicy hunks of marinated chicken and a vibrant medley of peppers in a spicy sauce with a bright tang.
      Hunan Chicken
    • Side-view of a bowl of Pasta Pomodoro, showing the depth and layers of spaghetti intertwined with chunks of ripe tomatoes and basil leaves.
      Pomodoro Sauce with Spaghetti
    • Homemade seaweed salad with a nutritious blend of Japanese seaweed and crunchy cucumbers, just like at sushi restaurants.
      Seaweed Salad (Wakame Salad)

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Drew says

      March 19, 2020 at 3:35 am

      Def a go to when I need something simple and tasty. And Cilantro works perfectly for the seri. I subbed a truffle honey I was gifted for the sugar and it gives it a boost.

      Reply
      • Marc Matsumoto says

        March 20, 2020 at 9:03 am

        Great idea with the truffle honey, I'll have to give that a try next time!

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Marc Matsumoto, a retired chef living in Tokyo, and I founded No Recipes to empower home cooks of all levels by sharing essential techniques and my kitchen secrets.

    Start Here →

    Trending Recipes

    • Omurice is a mashup of savory sweet chicken fried rice with a creamy omelette.
      Omurice (オムライス)
    • Crisp juicy fried chicken glazed in a sweet and sour orange sauce that's redolent of fresh citrus thanks to a triple dose of orange.
      Orange Chicken
    • Dipping coconut fried shrimp in a orange chili sauce.
      Crispy Coconut Shrimp
    • Crispy panko chicken tenders served with lemon wedges and lettuce in a basket.
      Panko Chicken Tenders
    • Luxuriously smooth scoop of homemade matcha ice cream.
      Matcha Ice Cream (No-Churn)
    • Edamame

    Trending Categories

    • Fall
    • Japanese (Modern)
    • Japanese (Traditional)
    • Japanese (Chinese)
    • Stir Fry
    • Easy Weeknight

    Footer

    About

    • About
    • Help Me
    • Hire Me
    • Photography
    • FAQs

    Connect

    • Email Updates
    • Contact

    Legal

    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy

    Copyright © 2023 Marc Matsumoto. All rights reserved