Chicken Kut Teh

Name: Chicken Kut Teh
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 75 min
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Singaporean
Ingredients: 1 kg chicken pieces (thighs and drumsticks); 2 heads garlic, separated into cloves; 2 tbsp white peppercorns, cracked; 1 packet herbal mix (dong quai, dang shen, yu zhu, goji berries, cinnamon stick, star anise, cloves); 200g lettuce or watercress; 2 tbsp light soy sauce; 1 tbsp dark soy sauce; 1.5L water; Salt; You tiao (fried dough sticks) for serving

鸡骨茶 (CHEE kut TEH)

Peppery Herbal Chicken Soup

⏱ Prep Time 1 hour 30 min

📈 Difficulty Medium

👥 Servings

🔥 Calories 380 kcal

A peppery, herbal broth simmered with tender chicken pieces, garlic, and a proprietary blend of Chinese medicinal herbs including dong quai, cinnamon, and star anise — Singapore's beloved restorative soup.

Nutrition & Info

Protein 32.0g

Carbs 18.0g

Fat 20.0g

Protein Carbs Fat

Dietary

dairy-free gluten-free nut-free

Allergen Warnings

⚠ soy

Equipment Needed

clay pot or heavy pot ladle strainer

Presentation Guide

Vessel: clay pot

Garnishes: cilantro, fried garlic

Accompaniments: you tiao, steamed rice, soy sauce with chili

Ingredients

1 kg chicken pieces (thighs and drumsticks)
2 heads garlic, separated into cloves
2 tbsp white peppercorns, cracked
1 packet herbal mix (dong quai, dang shen, yu zhu, goji berries, cinnamon stick, star anise, cloves)
200g lettuce or watercress
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1.5L water
Salt
You tiao (fried dough sticks) for serving

Instructions

1
Blanch chicken pieces in boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain and rinse.
2
Place blanched chicken, garlic cloves, cracked peppercorns, and herbal mix in a clay pot with fresh water.
3
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook for 1 hour until the broth is fragrant and the chicken is fall-off-bone tender.
4
Season with light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and salt.
5
Add lettuce or watercress in the last 2 minutes of cooking.
6
Serve in the clay pot with you tiao, steamed rice, and soy sauce with sliced chili on the side.

💡

Did You Know?

This chicken version was developed for the significant portion of Singaporeans who prefer poultry, maintaining all the traditional herbal complexity of the original recipe.

Chef's Notes

Equipment Tips

clay pot or heavy pot
ladle
strainer

Garnishing

cilantro, fried garlic

Accompaniments

you tiao, steamed rice, soy sauce with chili

The Story Behind Chicken Kut Teh

This chicken adaptation of the classic herbal soup maintains the Hokkien-Teochew medicinal broth tradition that has been central to Singaporean cuisine since the early 20th century. Chinese labourers in colonial Singapore drank the peppery herbal broth as a restorative tonic. The herbal blend is believed to promote circulation and vitality, reflecting the Chinese medicine philosophy of food as healing.

🕐 Traditionally enjoyed breakfast or lunch, restorative meal 📜 Origins: Hokkien-Teochew heritage, early 20th century

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