Taiwanese · lunch, dinner

Ma You Ji (Taiwanese Sesame Oil Chicken Soup)

麻油雞

Ma You Ji (Taiwanese Sesame Oil Chicken Soup) — from 莊師傅的廚房's cooking video Watch how it’s made · 5:51

Video by 莊師傅的廚房 on YouTube, in Chinese · Open on YouTube

45 minServes 3807 kcal a serve
  • Gluten-free ingredients
  • Dairy-free
  • Nut-free

Contains: Sesame. Check labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.

Chicken simmered with ginger and rice wine: about 52 g protein and 11 g net carbs a bowl, with about 3 g added sugar and no added salt; rich in selenium and zinc. It is rich in fat too (about 53 g a bowl, half of it from the sesame oil).

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Ingredients 7

Method

The cook speaks Chinese; every step is written here in English. Tap a time to watch that step in the video. For subtitles, tap CC in the video, then Settings › Subtitles › Auto-translate › English.

  1. Have the chicken chopped into large pieces so it stays juicy. Rinse it and pat it completely dry with paper towels so it won't spatter, and slice the ginger. 0:45
  2. Heat 3 tbsp sesame oil, add the 100 g ginger slices and fry over medium heat until golden and fragrant. Lift the ginger out and keep it. 1:32
  3. Put the chicken into the same oil over medium-high heat and pan-fry rather than stir: leave it until one side is golden, turn, and fry until browned all over. 2:34
  4. Turn the heat to low, return the ginger, pour in 300 ml rice wine and 3 tbsp black sesame oil and let it bubble briefly so the alcohol cooks off and leaves a sweet aroma. 3:23
  5. Transfer to a soup pot, add 1 litre water, bring to the boil, then simmer on low for 15 minutes. 4:24
  6. After 10 minutes add 10 g rock sugar and simmer 5 minutes more. Serve hot. 4:54

Tip. Serves 2–3. A Taiwanese winter and post-partum classic, often served over mee sua noodles; on its own it stays low in carbs. Pour off some of the oil before serving if you want it lighter.

The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.

One serve gives you 1 of 3

Energy807 kcal3,380 kJ
Protein52 g103% of a day
Fibre0.7 g2% of a day
Carbohydrate12 g11 g net · 4.5 g sugars4% of a day
Fat53 g11 g saturated68% of a day
Sodium160 mg7% of a day

Where the energy comes from one serve

  • Net carbs 6%
  • Protein 29%
  • Fat 65%

Very low carb: under 10% of the energy is from carbs.

Vitamins & minerals % of a day, one serve · tap for more

Selenium High82%

45 µg a serve, mostly from free-range chicken (99%). Part of the body's antioxidant enzymes and needed for thyroid hormones. Seafood, eggs, meat and Brazil nuts are rich sources.

Vitamin B6 High51%

0.9 mg a serve, mostly from free-range chicken (87%). Helps turn food into energy and make brain messengers. Chickpeas, fish, poultry, potatoes and bananas are good sources.

Zinc High34%

3.7 mg a serve, mostly from free-range chicken (95%). Needed for immunity, wound healing, taste and growth. Meat, seafood, legumes, seeds and whole grains supply it.

Vitamin B12 High23%

0.6 µg a serve, mostly from free-range chicken (100%). Keeps nerves and blood cells healthy. Found almost only in animal foods and fortified foods (some plant milks, nutritional yeast), so vegans need a reliable source.

Iron Source17%

3.1 mg a serve, mostly from free-range chicken (78%). Carries oxygen in your blood. Iron from plants absorbs better with vitamin C in the same meal — lemon, tomato or capsicum.

Omega-3 Source17%

0.3 g a serve, mostly from free-range chicken (67%). Omega-3 fats support the heart and brain. Oily fish give EPA and DHA; walnuts, flax, chia and canola give ALA, which the body converts only a little.

Magnesium Source16%

69 mg a serve, mostly from free-range chicken (62%). Takes part in hundreds of reactions — energy, muscles, nerves, blood sugar and bones. Nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are good sources.

Potassium Source15%

680 mg a serve, mostly from free-range chicken (61%). Balances sodium to help control blood pressure and keeps muscles and nerves working. Beans, potatoes, leafy greens and fruit are rich sources.

Vitamin A Source10%

88 µg a serve, mostly from free-range chicken (100%). Keeps eyes, skin and the immune system healthy. Orange vegetables and dark greens give beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A.

Show the other 6
Vitamin E7%

1 mg a serve, mostly from free-range chicken (55%). An antioxidant that protects cell membranes. Nuts, seeds and plant oils such as olive oil are the main sources.

Vitamin K7%

8.2 µg a serve, mostly from free-range chicken (55%). Needed for blood clotting and bones. Leafy greens and herbs are very rich in it. If you take warfarin, keep your intake steady and talk to your doctor.

Folate4%

14 µg a serve, mostly from free-range chicken (67%). Needed to make DNA and new cells — especially important before and in early pregnancy. Legumes and leafy greens are rich sources.

Calcium3%

41 mg a serve, mostly from free-range chicken (68%). Builds bones and teeth and helps muscles and nerves work. Dairy, calcium-set tofu, sardines with their bones and some greens supply it.

Vitamin C2%

1.7 mg a serve, mostly from old ginger (100%). An antioxidant needed for collagen, immunity and iron absorption. Long cooking destroys some, so raw herbs, citrus and capsicum help.

Vitamin D1%

0.2 µg a serve, mostly from free-range chicken (100%). Helps you absorb calcium for bones and supports muscles. Few foods have much — oily fish, eggs, UV-exposed mushrooms, fortified milks. Sunlight is the main source.

Estimated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central values; % of a day uses the food-label daily values. How this works

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Recipe and video by 莊師傅的廚房; the method summary, nutrition estimate and diet notes are Notbroken’s. General information about food, not dietary advice.