Hainan Chicken Toast

Inspired by the popular Chinese shrimp toast, this version takes the original recipe and combines it with another popular dish. Hainan chicken toast with ginger garlic sauce and chili sauce is the ultimate party snack fit for any occasion!

Watch how to make this

Ingredients

• Ground chicken: The main protein of the toast is ground chicken which has a subtle flavor, allowing to absorb the seasonings well.
• Egg white: The egg white helps bind the ground chicken and forms it into a paste.
• Ginger: One of the key ingredients in the chicken and for making the ginger garlic sauce. This root gives a spicy, peppery flavor to both components.
• Garlic: Used in combination with ginger to season the chicken and sauce. Garlic compliments the spicy ginger, adding a unique and pungent flavor.
• White pepper: Used to season the ground chicken. You can also use black pepper.
• White sandwich bread: For the best results, use thick white sandwich bread to make the toast.
• Sambal: This Indonesian chili paste is the base for the chili sauce. If you can't find sambal, use another chili paste instead. You can also use Sriracha as the base, although the results will differ slightly.
• Chicken stock: Hainan chicken uses the broth that the chicken was cooked in to prepare the sauces. Since we're not poaching chicken, we're going to use store-bought chicken broth. However, if you have homemade, I highly recommend you use it for the chili sauce.

Substitutions and variations

• Gluten-free: Use your favorite gluten-free white sandwich bread.
• Spicy: The chicken spread on the toast is not spicy but you can add finely chopped chilies to add a kick.
• Protein: Try this recipe with another ground meat such as ground turkey or ground pork.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Make sauces

To prepare the Hainan chicken toast, begin by making the two sauces. If you ever had Hainan chicken, you are well aware that the accompanying sauces are just as important as the chicken. In fact, it's the sauces that add all of the flavor.

One of the most important sauces is the ginger garlic sauce. It's a simple sauce made primarily of ginger, but it adds a great spicy kick to the chicken. To make the sauce, in a food processor or using a microplane, combine the peeled and roughly chopped ginger with the garlic until they form a fine paste. If you're using a food processor, you'll need to scrape down the sides of the bowl several times to get everything properly chopped.

Transfer the ginger and garlic paste to a heat-safe bowl. Then, heat olive oil in a small sauté pan until shimmering, and pour it over the ginger and garlic mixture. The hot oil will help release the aroma and flavor of both the garlic and ginger. Season the mixture with salt, stirring to combine, and set it aside.

Next, prepare the chili sauce by combining sambal, grated ginger, grated garlic, warm chicken stock, lime juice, granulated sugar, salt, and dark soy sauce in a medium bowl. Stir until the sugar and salt are dissolved, then set the sauce aside. This sauce has a medium heat level. If you prepare a sweeter spicy sauce, you can use sweet Thai chili sauce instead.

Step 2: Prepare chicken

Now that we have the sauces ready, it's time to make the actual toast. Combine ground chicken with minced ginger, minced garlic, finely chopped scallion, egg white, salt, granulated sugar, and white pepper in a large bowl. Mix the ingredients until well combined, then use wooden chopsticks, a wooden spoon, or a stand mixer to thoroughly mix until the chicken mixture becomes sticky and tight.

The classic shrimp toast requires you to mix the shrimp until it becomes a paste which results in a chewy and firm texture. If you ever tasted shrimp balls or fish balls, the texture is similar. We want to mimic that same texture with the chicken so we're going to use the same technique.

Some may call me crazy but I discovered that you can achieve the same results with the help of a stand mixer. It's not conventional but it's much easier than mixing the chicken by hand.

Step 3: Assemble toasts and air fry

Cut the crusts off the thick white sandwich bread slices, then spread an even layer of the chicken mixture over each slice, ensuring it covers the entire surface. Sprinkle sesame seeds over the chicken layer and repeat with the remaining bread and chicken.

Arrange the prepared toasts in an even layer in the air fryer basket and spray them with cooking spray. Set the air fryer to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for about 10 minutes or until the toasts are golden and crispy.

Alternatively, if you don't have an air fryer, you can bake the toasts in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-10 minutes or pan-fry them on the stovetop until golden brown on both sides. Traditionally, shrimp toast is deep-fried but since we're leaving the toast open-faced, it's much easier to cook by pan-frying.

Once cooked, remove the toast from the heat and garnish with chopped scallions. Serve the Hainan chicken toast with the prepared ginger garlic sauce and chili sauce on the side for dipping. Enjoy the toasts immediately while they're still warm and crispy for the best taste and texture.

This dish makes a delicious appetizer or snack with its crispy exterior and flavorful chicken topping complemented by the tangy and spicy sauces. If you ever had the chance to enjoy Hainan chicken, I think you'll enjoy this savory appetizer. Even if you never have, I still think you'll enjoy this flavorful snack!

Make-ahead and storage

• Make-ahead: You can assemble the toasts and prepare the sauces ahead of time. I recommend making the sauces the day before and assembling the toasts no more than 12 hours ahead of time.
• Store: Keep leftover toasts in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Frequently asked questions

More toast recipes

Looking for more savory toast dishes? Try these:

Recipe

Print Recipe

Hainan Chicken Toast

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: chicken, sandwich

Servings: 12 toasts

Author: Christine Ma

Ingredients

Ginger garlic sauce

• 4-inch knob of ginger peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 garlic clove
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Chili sauce

• ¼ cup sambal
• 1-inch knob ginger peeled and grated
• 2 garlic cloves grated
• 2 tablespoons warm chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce

Hainan chicken toast

• 1 pound ground chicken
• 2 teaspoons minced ginger
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 scallion finely chopped
• 1 large egg white
• 1 teapoon salt
• ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
• ¼ teaspoon white pepper
• 6 slices thick white sandwich bread
• ¼ cup white sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon chopped scallions for garnish

Instructions

• Make ginger garlic sauce. In a food processor, combine ginger and garlic. Scrape down the bowl and process until they become a fine paste. Alternatively, use a microplane to grate the ginger and garlic. Transfer to a heat-safe bowl.
• Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a small saute pan over medium-high heat until oil starts to shimmer. Pour oil over ginger and garlic mixture. Season with salt, stirring to combine. Let sit.
• Prepare chili sauce. Combine sambal, grated ginger, grated garlic, chicken stock, lime juice, sugar, salt, and dark soy sauce in a medium bowl. Stir until sugar and salt are dissolved and set aside.
• Make chicken toast. Combine ground chicken, ginger, garlic, scallion, egg white, salt, sugar, and white pepper in a large bowl. Mix until well combined. Use wooden chopsticks, wooden spoon, or a stand mixer to thoroughly mix ground chicken mixture until it tightens and becomes sticky. If mixing by hand, this will take about 4 minutes. If using a stand mixer, it will take about 2 minutes.
• Cut the crusts from the sandwich bread. Spread chicken mixture in an even layer over the bread slices, making sure to cover the entire toast. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
• Arrange toast in an even layer in the air fryer and spray with cooking spray. Set the air fryer to 350 degrees for 10 minutes and cook.
• Remove from heat and garnish with chopped scallions. Serve with ginger garlic sauce and chili sauce.

Notes

Both sauces can be prepared the day before.

If you don't have an airfryer, you can bake the toasts at 400 degrees F for 8-10 minutes or until golden crispy. You can also pan-fry the toasts on the stovetop, using enough oil in the pan to cover the bottom. Fry the toasts over medium heat with the sesame seeds facing down until golden brown, flip and fry on the other side until browned.