Shoyu Chicken Recipe
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
10 mins
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Cook Time
1 hr
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Total Time
1 hr 10 mins
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Servings
4 people
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Calories
387 kcal
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Course
Main Course
Shoyu Chicken Recipe
Description
The Shoyu Chicken Recipe highlights tender chicken thighs cooked in a savory sauce made from soy sauce, honey, dark brown sugar, fresh ginger, and garlic. The chicken combines with sweet and salty notes, mellowed by onion and green onions simmered together. Simmering the chicken slowly allows the flavors to soak in and the meat to become soft and easy to pierce with a fork. The final step involves broiling the chicken skin to develop a lightly crisp exterior. The reserved sauce is thickened with cornstarch to create a glossy glaze that clings to the chicken, enhancing each bite. Served alongside steamed rice, this dish balances richness and sweetness with the aromatic depth from ginger and garlic.
The recipe suits meals where a comforting, richly flavored chicken entrée is desired. Its combination of broth and glaze makes it suitable to serve with plain rice to soak up the sauce. The sauce and texture provide enough interest on their own, requiring minimal accompaniment.
For convenience, the recipe adapts to the Instant Pot by cooking the chicken and sauce ingredients under pressure for 8 minutes with a quick release before thickening and broiling. This reduces the cooking time while maintaining tenderness. Use a heavy pot for slow simmering to avoid scorching and a broiler-safe pan for crisping the chicken skin. Turning the chicken halfway through cooking helps ensure even tenderness.
Ingredients
Shoyu Chicken:
- 3/4 cup soy sauce shoyu
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar packed
- 1 (2-inch knob) ginger peeled and thinly sliced, fresh
- 3 whole garlic peeled and crushed, cloves
- 2 pounds chicken thigh bone-in, skin-on
- 1/2 onion peeled and cut into 3/4-inch wedges, Maui onion or yellow onion
- 3 whole green onions white and green parts, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 cups rice steamed, for serving
Instructions
- In a heavy Dutch oven or pot, mix the soy sauce, water, honey, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic together. Nestle the chicken thighs in the sauce, skin side up, submerging the meat as much as possible. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. When the sauce comes to a boil, add the Maui or yellow onion wedges and green onion pieces and turn the heat to medium-low. Cover the pot with a lid and let simmer for 30 minutes. Using a pair of kitchen tongs, gently turn all the chicken pieces over. Cover the pot again and simmer for another 30 minutes.
- Check the tenderness of the meat with a fork; if you can easily insert the fork into the meat, the chicken is done. Remove the cooked thighs from the sauce, reserving it, and place them on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Preheat the broiler.
- In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with 1/4 cup of the sauce until smooth, then add the cornstarch mixture back to the pot with the remaining sauce and cook over medium-low for 4 to 5 minutes, until the sauce has thickened. Broil the chicken thighs for a minute or two, watching carefully to make sure you do not burn the skin. The goal is to just quickly brown the skin.
- Serve the chicken with the thickened sauce and rice.
Notes
- The recipe can be quickly prepared using an Instant Pot by pressure cooking all the sauce ingredients and chicken for 8 minutes followed by a quick release, then proceeding with sauce thickening and broiling.
- Using bone-in, skin-on thighs enhances flavor and texture with tender meat and crisp skin after broiling.
- A heavy Dutch oven or pot is recommended to prevent burning during the simmering step.
- Be sure to turn the chicken gently halfway through cooking to cook evenly without tearing the skin.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 387 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 6g | |
| Calories | 387kcal | 19% |
| Carbohydrates | 23.6g | 8% |
| Protein | 46g | 92% |
| Fat | 11.3g | 17% |
| Saturated Fat | 3.1g | 16% |
| Cholesterol | 135mg | 45% |
| Sodium | 19544mg | 814% |
| Potassium | 502mg | 11% |
| Fiber | 0.8g | 3% |
| Sugar | 18.6g | 37% |
| Calcium | 490mg | 49% |
| Iron | 0.5mg | 3% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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