Chicken Steam BBQ Recipe

Chicken steam BBQ (چکن اسٹیم بی بی کیو) is Pakistani-Chinese cooking’s healthiest anchor. It’s also its least-known one outside Pakistan — unlike chow mein or spring rolls, it has almost no global keyword footprint, which means the people searching for it are almost entirely Pakistani. This chicken steam BBQ recipe serves 4, takes 90 minutes (including the 1-hour marinade), and lands at 251 kcal a serving — the lowest calorie main on the Chinese hub and the one to reach for when you want the full BBQ experience without the tikka calorie load.

The technique is dim sum logic applied to Pakistani-Chinese: steam the protein first to lock in moisture and cook it through, then hit it with direct heat — grill or coal — for the char and smokiness. The result is chicken that is simultaneously juicy all the way through and caramelised on the outside, which is the thing a pure direct-flame BBQ struggles to do with boneless pieces.

Why this Chicken Steam BBQ recipe works

Steaming before charring (steps 2 and 3) is the core technique and the reason the calories are as low as they are. Because the chicken is fully cooked by the time it hits the grill or coal, it only needs a short burst of high heat for colour and char — which means very little oil is required and the chicken doesn’t dry out. A direct-flame tikka with this much yogurt marinade often burns on the outside and stays wet in the middle because you’re trying to cook and char at the same time; here, those two jobs are separated.

The marinade cornflour (step 1) helps the yogurt coating cling during steaming rather than sliding off into the steam basket.

Chef’s tips for the perfect Chicken Steam BBQ

• The marinade time matters. One hour is the minimum; overnight in the fridge is better, especially for 600 g of boneless chicken. The yogurt tenderises and the soy-vinegar combination adds the depth that plain yogurt tikka doesn’t have.
• Boil the reserved marinade before basting. Raw marinade that has sat with chicken needs to be boiled before it touches the cooked meat — safety first, and the brief boiling thickens it slightly so it glazes better.
• Coal is best, grill is fine. Coal smoking adds a layer of flavour you simply cannot get from an electric grill. If you have an outdoor BBQ setup, use it. If not, a cast-iron grill pan on high heat with the extractor running delivers a reasonable result.
• Don’t overcrowd the steam basket. The pieces need to cook through, not steam each other in a crowd. Leave space around each skewer so the steam circulates.

How to serve Chicken Steam BBQ

Serve directly off the skewer — the presentation is part of the dish. Scatter spring onion rings over the top, arrange lemon wedges on the side, and put the green chutney in a small bowl. This is one of the few Pakistani-Chinese dishes that genuinely benefits from being eaten outside at a proper BBQ gathering rather than off a takeaway container, because the coal smoke is as much part of the experience as the food itself. Alongside a bowl of chicken yakhni soup it makes a complete, surprisingly lean meal for a Chinese spread.

Common Chicken Steam BBQ recipe mistakes to avoid

1. Skipping the steam. Going straight to direct heat with boneless chicken in a yogurt marinade almost always results in uneven cooking — burnt outside, raw or rubbery inside. The steam step is not optional.
2. Basting with raw marinade. Always boil the marinade before brushing it back on. Raw poultry marinade on cooked meat is a food-safety issue.
3. Too long on the grill after steaming. The chicken is already cooked; the grill is only for char and colour. Two to three minutes on each side is enough. More and it dries out.
4. Using chicken breast only. Boneless thigh and breast work here; breast alone tends to dry out more noticeably once it’s been steamed and then charred. A mix is ideal.

Chicken Steam BBQ recipe variations

• Spicier version: add a teaspoon of red chilli powder and a pinch of black pepper to the marinade.
• Without coal/grill: use a cast-iron grill pan on the highest heat your stove allows, or the oven broiler at maximum. You’ll lose the coal smoke but retain the technique.
• Dim sum-style table version: keep the steamed pieces in the steam basket and serve them unseared, with the dipping sauces alongside. This is the closest you’ll get to a proper Chinese dim sum steamed chicken piece — and at this point the calories drop even lower.

Storing and reheating leftover Chicken Steam BBQ

Chicken steam BBQ keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Reheat in a hot pan or under the grill for 3–4 minutes — the char revives better with dry heat than with a microwave. The steamed-but-un-charred version freezes well for up to a month; thaw in the fridge overnight and char just before serving.

FAQ: Chicken Steam BBQ recipe

What is chicken steam BBQ?

Chicken steam BBQ is a Pakistani-Chinese preparation in which boneless chicken pieces are marinated in a yogurt-soy-spice marinade, skewered, steamed until cooked through, and then charred briefly over coal or a hot grill. It combines the dim sum technique of steaming with Pakistani BBQ culture and Chinese-restaurant seasoning. It’s almost exclusively found in Pakistan — the dish has no real equivalent in Chinese menus outside the desi-Chinese tradition.

How many calories in chicken steam BBQ?

251 kcal per serving — the full breakdown is on our calories in chicken steam BBQ page. It’s the lowest-calorie main dish on the Pakistani-Chinese menu because steaming requires almost no added fat and the char step uses only 1 tablespoon of oil across the full batch.

Is chicken steam BBQ the same as dim sum?

Not exactly, but the steam step borrows from dim sum logic. Dim sum steamed chicken dumplings and siu mai use steam as the primary cooking method for exactly the same reason — it keeps the protein moist and the fat content low. Pakistani steam BBQ adds the yogurt marinade and the coal/grill char on top, which is more Pakistani BBQ than Chinese dim sum, but the technique overlap is real.

Why does it take 90 minutes?

The 90 minutes includes a mandatory 1-hour marinade. The active cooking time is around 30 minutes: 15 for steaming and 15 for charring in batches. You can marinate overnight and the actual cooking goes faster.

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