Don Signature Crab - Singapore Food Guide

Paper Wrapped Chicken

Singapore-style Paper Wrapped Chicken — juicy marinated chicken parcels steamed/baked in parchment for tender, aromatic bites with wok-seared colour.

Paper Wrapped Chicken

About this dish

Paper Wrapped Chicken is a cosy, shareable dish that suits Singapore homes and hawker-inspired dinners — think heartland zi char vibes served at family evenings or a casual potluck in Tiong Bahru flats. Each parcel traps aromatic steam from ginger, garlic and light soy, giving tender, juicy chicken that's fragrant and comforting. The individual parcels make it a neat dish for guests, supper runs, or a fuss-free weekend family meal.

The flavour sits between home-cooked and hawker-style: savoury light soy, a touch of oyster sauce, sesame oil and Shaoxing wine (or mirin) with a hint of five-spice for depth. Many stalls in Kopitiams or zi char centres will finish protein parcels with a quick sear for colour — mimic that at home by briefly pan-searing before wrapping, or skip straight to steaming if you prefer a softer result. Texturally you get tender meat with pockets of fragrant steam plus optional shiitake for an earthy bite.

This recipe works for busy Singapore cooks: prep in 25 minutes, bake or steam in under 30 minutes, and serves 3–4 people with rice and simple sides like achar or cucumber salad. It’s also easy to adapt — swap chicken for tofu or prawns, adjust chilli for local heat tolerance, or make-ahead the marinated chicken for weekday dinners or lunchboxes.

Ingredients

  • 600 g boneless chicken thighs, skin-on, cut into 3–4 cm pieces
  • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine or dry sherry (or 1 tbsp mirin)
  • 1 tsp five-spice powder
  • 1 tsp white pepper
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar or palm sugar
  • 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1 thumb (20 g) ginger, julienned
  • 2 stalks spring onion, cut into 4 cm batons (reserve some for garnish)
  • 4 shiitake mushrooms, soaked if dried, sliced
  • 1 red chilli, thinly sliced (optional, adjust for Singapore heat tolerance)
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil (for searing)
  • 4 sheets parchment paper (approx 25 x 30 cm) or greaseproof paper
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
  • Lime or calamansi wedges, to serve (optional)
  • Optional: 50 g lap cheong (Chinese sausage), thinly sliced for extra umami

Step-by-Step Method

  1. Combine light soy, dark soy, oyster sauce, sesame oil, Shaoxing wine, five-spice, white pepper and brown sugar in a bowl to make the marinade.
  2. Toss the chicken pieces in the marinade so they are evenly coated. Add sliced garlic, ginger and sliced shiitake. Marinate for 20–30 minutes at room temperature or up to 4 hours in the fridge for deeper flavour.
  3. Preheat the oven to 200°C. If you prefer steaming, prepare a wok or steamer with boiling water and a heatproof tray.
  4. Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a wok or heavy skillet over high heat until smoking. Quickly sear the marinated chicken in batches for 1–2 minutes per side to get some colour (this adds hawker-style caramelised notes). Remove from heat.
  5. Lay a parchment sheet on the bench, place a portion of seared chicken in the centre with a couple of spring onion batons and optional lap cheong slices. Fold into a tight parcel and seal the edges (tuck and fold or tie with kitchen string). Repeat for remaining parcels.
  6. Place parcels on a baking tray and bake for 18–22 minutes until chicken is cooked through (internal temperature 74°C) and parcels are fragrant. If steaming, steam covered for 18–20 minutes until cooked through.
  7. Remove parcels and rest for 3–5 minutes. Carefully open each parcel away from your face to release steam. Garnish with remaining spring onion, toasted sesame seeds and chilli slices.
  8. Serve hot with steamed jasmine rice, achar or a simple cucumber salad — tear open parcels at the table for theatre and aroma.

Tips & Serving Ideas

  • Marinate longer (up to 4 hours) for deeper flavour; you can marinate overnight and bake the next day for an easy weeknight dinner.
  • If you don't have an oven, steam the parcels in a wok or steamer for 18–20 minutes — texture will be softer but still very fragrant.
  • For supermarkets in Singapore, look for chicken thighs and Shaoxing wine at NTUC FairPrice, Cold Storage or Sheng Siong; dried shiitake and lap cheong are widely available in the wet market or local supermarkets.
  • Adjust the chilli amount to your family's spice tolerance — remove seeds for milder heat or add sliced bird's eye chilli for a kopitiam-style kick.
  • To get a little 'wok' flavour, sear the chicken quickly on high heat before wrapping; use a hot wok and do not overcrowd the pan to avoid steaming the meat.
  • Make-ahead tip: prepare and marinate chicken, then keep in fridge. When ready to eat, quickly sear, wrap and bake for fresh parcels in under 30 minutes.

You might also like

More recipes to save for later.