Boston Globe Ginger Recipes

Boston Globe Ginger Recipes

Meals with Ginger

Spicing Things Up

Use ginger in savory dishes to build bold flavors.

Ginger is a powerhouse ingredient, delivering a bright pepperiness that can announce itself with a punch or, instead, mellow during cooking to a savory richness. We rely on it often in our book COOKish, which limits recipes to six ingredients without sacrificing flavor. Cut into slivers, it provides crisp-tender pops of flavor in a sweet-savory beef stir-fry we serve with peppery watercress. Its bright pungency balances the depth of miso in a sauce for ground pork sautéed with scallions. In our take on West African suya, powdered ground ginger amps up a spice rub on chicken coated with finely chopped peanuts.


Ginger-Soy Beef With Watercress

This unusual cooking method skips browning the meat and instead builds flavor from reducing and concentrating a mixture of soy sauce, sugar, mirin, ginger, and the juices released by the beef. We serve the beef on a bed of peppery watercress. To simplify prep, look for prewashed baby watercress sold in bags; if not available, baby arugula is a good option. Serve with steamed rice.

Makes 4 servings

cup soy sauce

3 tablespoons white sugar

2 tablespoons mirin

3-inch piece fresh ginger (2 ounces), peeled, quartered lengthwise, and thinly sliced

1 pound boneless beef short ribs or flat iron steak, trimmed and sliced ¼-inch thick against the grain

4-ounce bag baby watercress or 5-ounce container baby spinach

Thinly sliced scallions, optional, for garnish

  1. In a 12-inch skillet, boil the soy sauce, sugar, mirin, and ginger, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

  2. Add the beef, reduce to low, and cook, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat to maintain a simmer, until the meat releases its juices.

  3. Increase to high and cook, stirring, until the liquid forms a light glaze that clings to the meat.

  4. Arrange the watercress on a platter and top with the beef. Garnish with the scallions, if using.


Ground Turkey With Ginger and Miso

Japanese nikumiso is considered a sauce, topping, or small dish to accompany steamed rice and vegetables. This is our riff, and it requires only a handful of high-impact ingredients and a few minutes of cooking to infuse ground turkey with deep, umami-rich flavor. White miso is sweeter and milder than bolder, more assertive red miso; use whichever you prefer, or mix them if you happen to have both. Serve on steamed short-grain rice, on simply cooked vegetables such as roasted eggplant, or even in lettuce leaves.

Makes 4 servings

3 tablespoons minced, fresh ginger

4 scallions, thinly sliced, whites and greens reserved separately

3 tablespoons neutral oil

3 tablespoons white or red miso or a combination

1½ pounds ground turkey

3 tablespoons mirin

2 tablespoons soy sauce

Toasted sesame seeds, optional, for garnish


  1. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat, cook the ginger and scallion whites in the oil, stirring, until fragrant.

  2. Add the miso and cook, stirring constantly, until it darkens slightly.

  3. Add the turkey, mirin, soy, and cup water, then cook, stirring to break up the meat, until the liquid evaporates and the meat begins to crisp.

  4. Remove from the heat and stir in 2 tablespoons water.

  5. Serve sprinkled with the scallion greens. Garnish with the sesame seeds, if using.


Ginger-Peanut Sautéed Chicken

The inspiration for this quick sauté of chunked chicken thighs is West African beef suya, or skewers of meat seasoned with spices and ground or chopped peanuts. Stir only occasionally while the chicken cooks so the pieces brown well, which results in richer, deeper flavor in the finished dish.

Serve the chicken with rice and braised greens, and perhaps with some fried plantains on the side.

Makes 4 servings

1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1-inch chunks

¼ cup roasted peanuts, finely chopped

1 tablespoon ground ginger

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

2 tablespoons neutral oil

1 teaspoon packed brown sugar

Juice of 1 lime or lemon

Fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped, or sliced scallions, to serve

  1. In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with the peanuts, ginger, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1½ teaspoons pepper.

  2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil until barely smoking.

  3. Add the chicken and cook, stirring infrequently, until well browned and opaque throughout, about 10 minutes. Off heat, add the sugar and lime juice, stirring until lightly glazed. Season with salt and pepper, then stir in the parsley.



Christopher Kimball is the founder of Milk Street, home to a magazine, school, and radio and television shows.