Bitter gourd chicken (苦瓜闷鸡) is a classic home-cooked dish popular among the Chinese households in Malaysia.

Bitter gourd chicken is simple to prepare and pairs well with steamed rice. Although bitter melon (bitter gourd) and chicken have contrasting flavors, the bitterness of the gourd blends seamlessly with the tender chicken. I will cook this dish in the classic Cantonese style with yellow and black bean sauce. Below are the detailed steps to prepare braised bitter gourd with chicken.

Note: This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my privacy policy for more info. I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Main ingredients for making braised chicken with bitter gourd

• Chicken. I always love using bone-in chicken chunks because the bone adds extra flavor during braising. Boneless chicken breast works, too, but the flavor will be less intense. It can be easily compensated by adding chicken broth while braising.
• Bitter gourd. When purchasing bitter gourds, look for medium-sized gourds that feel firm and have a slight taper at both ends. The skin should be bright green with evenly spaced ridges. Younger bitter gourds tend to have a lighter color and a milder taste. In contrast, those that are darker green are more mature and usually have a stronger bitter taste.
• Black bean paste and yellow bean paste. I use two flavoring ingredients in this bitter gourd recipe. The first is yellow bean paste (taucu), and the second is black bean paste. Both are commercially available, although getting outside of Asia might be a little challenging. You can purchase online from Amazon if you have difficulty to obtain from the local Asian grocery store. Each has its unique flavor, and together, they create a delicious taste for this dish.
• Other seasoning for braising. Other ingredients required for braising are light soy sauce, oyster sauce, ground white pepper, and some water.

Steps to prepare bitter gourd chicken

1. Cut the chicken into small chunks. Marinate the chicken with light soy sauce, ground white pepper, Shaoxing wine, and cornflour for at least half an hour. Please keep it in the refrigerator should you want to marinate longer.

2. Remove both ends of the bitter gourd. Cut it crosswise into 2-inch sections, then cut it lengthwise into two. Remove the seeds and pith. I scrape them away with a stainless steel spoon, which is very efficient. Please remove them completely, as the pith and seeds are more bitter than the flesh. Finally, cut the bitter gourd into 1/4-inch strips.

3. Add a teaspoon of salt and let it sit for ten minutes. Next, transfer the bitter gourd to a pot of boiling water and blanch it for two minutes. This method effectively reduces the bitterness of the gourd. When it is done, remove and drain it in a colander.

4. Pan-fry the chicken with oil in the wok/saucepan until both sides turn slightly brown. (Note: .We deep-fry the chicken in the restaurant as it browns evenly, and the process is fast. However, this method is inconvenient at home, as you may not want to waste the leftover oil.)

5. Cut the ginger into thin slices and prepare a tablespoon of minced garlic. Heat the vegetable oil in the wok/saucepan. Saute the ginger and garlic until they turn aromatic. Keep the heat low as garlic can burn quickly,

6. Add the yellow bean paste and black bean paste. Saute over low heat until fragrant.

7. Add the bitter gourd, chicken, and the seasoning for braising as specified in the recipe. Braise over low heat for twenty minutes. If you prefer the bitter gourd to remain vibrant, add the chicken first and then include the bitter gourd later. Please add more water if it starts to dry out. After twenty minutes, the chicken should be fully cooked.

8. Do a taste test to adjust the flavor. Some gourds are more bitter than others. You can add some sugar at this point if it is too bitter or more bean paste if it is not salty enough. Once you are satisfied with the taste, transfer it to a serving plate to serve.

More about the Yellow and Black Bean paste

In my recipe, the ratio of yellow bean paste to black bean paste is 1:1. You can adjust this ratio by changing the amounts or omitting the yellow bean paste and using black bean paste only. Both pastes are savory, so no additional salt is needed.

Do I need to thicken the gravy with cornstarch slurry?

You can thicken the gravy with a cornstarch slurry, but I prefer to reduce the gravy further for a more intense flavor.

How to reduce the bitterness of the gourd

Bitter gourd is bitter, as the name implies. However, the bitterness is a little too intense in most cases, and we can reduce the bitterness by the following methods:

1. Remove the pith and the seeds thoroughly. The bitterness from the pith and seeds is more intense than the flesh.
2. After cutting the bitter gourd, please place it in a bowl and add a large teaspoon of salt. Combine well and let it sit for ten minutes.
3. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Place the bitter gourd in the water and blanch for 2 minutes. Then drained.
4. Salt has the effect of removing the bitterness compound (called alkaloid) through osmosis from the bitter gourd. Blanching will further release this compound from the gourd.

Salt also has the counter bitterness effect on our taste buds, which works better than sugar. You can check out this article if you want to know more about the effect of salt related to bitterness.