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Soy Sauce Chicken is a Chinese takeout classic – chicken (in my recipe, chicken drumsticks) is poached in an aromatic, salty, and sweet liquid and served with steamed rice and simple vegetables on the side. It’s so simple and SO delicious – and the best part is that it’s so easy to make and comes together in roughly 35 minutes!
Soy Sauce Chicken is a Chinese takeout classic, featuring exquisitely poached chicken that brims with incredible juiciness and flavor! The most renowned rendition of Soy Sauce Chicken actually hails from a famous restaurant in Singapore – Hawker Chan (Liao Fan Hawker Chan), which earned the distinction of being the first hawker stall to receive a Michelin star for its famous Soya Sauce Chicken Rice.
If you ever find travel to Singapore, I highly recommend you try this hawker stall because it really does live up to the hype. In the meantime, try this recipe because it’s so easy to make a delicious soy sauce poached chicken at home!
Watch the Soy Sauce Chicken Recipe Video Below!
I love braising recipes like this one, where you cook your protein in a delicious sauce until it’s super juicy and flavorful – the cooking method is simple but the end result is always incredible! If you want to make something similar, try my 3 Cup Chicken or Red Braised Pork! For a date night or special occasion, make my Braised Short Ribs and serve it over my creamy Mashed Potatoes – I guarantee you will impress! If you want something a vegetarian option, make Korean Braised Potatoes or Korean Braised Tofu (a reader favorite!)
Table of Contents
Ingredients for Soy Sauce Chicken
You only need a few ingredients to make tender, delicious chicken and a sauce that you’ll love so much, you’ll be spooning it over your rice!
- chicken drumsticks – in my recipe, I am using chicken drumsticks. I like how chicken drumsticks are almost foolproof and impossible to dry out. If you prefer another part of the chicken, you can use chicken thighs (bone-in) or chicken quarters.
- neutral oil – my go-to neutral oil is avocado oil; you can also use canola or vegetable oil. Do not use olive oil or sesame oil – the flavors are too strong and will clash with this dish.
- ginger
- scallions
- star anise
- bay leaves
- Shaoxing wine – This is one of my favorite Chinese pantry staples. It adds a depth of flavor and complexity to the sauce and truly one of my “secret ingredients” for making restaurant quality Chinese food. If you can’t find it, you can substitute with mirin, sherry, or even chicken broth.
- light soy sauce – You will need “light” (not “low sodium”) or “all-purpose” soy sauce. Do NOT use dark soy sauce, as it is too intense for this recipe.
- dark soy sauce – Dark soy sauce is thicker, darker, and sweeter (as well as has a higher sodium content) than all-purpose soy sauce. I don’t recommend using one as a substitute for the other.
- sugar – I used white granulated sugar; you can substitute with honey or brown sugar.
- water – this does not have to be exact; the point is that you have enough water to cover the chicken completely. You want to avoid any part of the chicken not being covered, as this means it won’t be poached in liquid.
Soy Sauce Chicken: Recipe Instructions
1. Make the Poaching Liquid
To begin making Soy Sauce Chicken, first, slice ginger into rings and scallions into 3-inch pieces. Set aside.
In a heavy-bottomed pot, such as a dutch oven, heat 1/2 tablespoon of neutral oil over medium high heat. Add sliced ginger and scallions and saute for about 30 seconds, or until it becomes fragrant.
Deglaze the pot or dutch oven with Shaoxing wine (leave the ginger and scallions in the pot). As soon as the alcohol has cooked off, approximately 15 seconds, add the soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, star anise, and bay leaf. Stir the mixture thoroughly with a wooden spoon until the sugar has completely dissolved.
Add chicken to the pot and add 2 cups of water or until the water covers the chicken completely. We don’t want any bald spots!
2. Simmer and Poach the Soy Sauce Chicken
Turn the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to gently bring the liquid down to a simmer. Cover the pot and maintain a steady simmer for 10 minutes, or until the chicken’s internal temperature registers 165°F. Once the chicken has reached 165F, turn off the heat and allow the chicken to rest in the cooking liquid for an additional 15 minutes before serving with steamed rice. OPTIONAL – add poaching liquid on top of rice for additional flavor.
The Soy Sauce Chicken should look like these photos! The skin should absorb the beautiful golden brown color from the soy sauce. The meat will be succulent and juicy – perfect with some freshly steamed rice and that poaching liquid!
PRO TIPS
Expert Tips for the BEST Soy Sauce Chicken
Chicken Should be Completely Submerged
When pouring water into the pot or dutch oven with the chicken and poaching liquid, make sure you are pouring enough to completely submerge the chicken. (In the recipe, I call for 2 cups or as much as you need.) You do not want to have any part of the chicken be exposed, as that means it will not be poached in the salt, sweet, aromatic liquid. Considering using a cartouche like I do in my Braised Beef Short Ribs Recipe to completely cover the meat in the braising liquid.
Let the Soy Sauce Chicken Rest
As much as you want to eat the Soy Sauce Chicken as soon as it is done (I get it, I’ve been there!), you need to let the Soy Sauce Chicken rest for an additional 15 minutes in the poaching liquid after it has reached an internal temperature of 165°F. (An internal temperature of 165F means the chicken is cooked well enough to be safe to eat.) This resting period will allow the chicken to continue cooking and soaking up all of the delicious poaching liquid. I promise, the Soy Sauce Chicken will taste so much better for it!
Storage
Store any leftover Soy Sauce Chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. You can store the Soy Sauce Chicken in the poaching liquid or separately – this is up to you!
The poaching liquid can be frozen and used again in the future – however, you may need to re-season it, so make sure to taste it once defrosted!
What to Serve with Soy Sauce Chicken
Soy Sauce Chicken is so flavorful and juicy that I love eating it with just a bowl of steamed rice (with extra poaching liquid spooned on top) and a simple vegetable side – something like my Garlic Bok Choy, Sesame Garlic Snap Peas, or Smashed Cucumber Salad would be perfect with it!
If you tried this Soy Sauce Chicken Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Soy Sauce Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2.5 pounds chicken drumsticks, you can use chicken thighs or chicken quarters if you prefer
- 1/2 tablespoon neutral oil, 7ml
- 3 inch piece ginger, sliced (7.5cm)
- 3 scallions
- 2 star anise
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/3 cup Shaoxing wine
- 1/3 cup light soy sauce
- 1/4 cup dark soy sauce, 60ml
- 1/4 cup sugar or honey
- 2 cups water or enough to cover chicken
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven or wide, heavy bottomed pot, saute scallions, ginger until fragrant in 1/2 tablespoon oil over medium high heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Once the aromatics are fragrant, deglaze with Shaoxing wine for 30 seconds, then add light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, star anise, bay leaf. Stir until the sugar has dissolved
- Add the chicken to the pot then add enough water to cover the chicken. Turn the heat to high and bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low to bring the liquid down to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until the chicken reaches a 165F internal temperature.
- Turn off the heat and let the chicken sit in the cooking liquid for another 15 minutes.
- Serve over rice along with the poaching liquid and enjoy!
Notes
Storage
Store any leftover Soy Sauce Chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. You can store the Soy Sauce Chicken in the poaching liquid or separately – this is up to you! The poaching liquid can be frozen and used again in the future – however, you may need to re-season it, so make sure to taste it once defrosted!Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi CJ, thanks for the recipe, my chicken came out moist and so flavourful! I have a question on how to get the nice colour on the chicken as mine came out looking rather pale. I used Lee Kum Kee dark soy sauce and increased the cooking time but it didn’t help. Are there any tips on how I could achieve the nice braised colour? Thanks so much!
Hi Poh – I’d suggest ensuring that the chicken is fully submereged (use a cartouse if necessary – check out my Braised Short Ribs recipe on how to do this). Otherwise just leave it soaking in the braising liquid for a few more minutes until you get your desired color. Hope that helps!
Made this and came out so good!!
Tried this recipe and it was absolutely delicious!
@dearcinddy
I have always struggled with cooking chicken i always overcooked it to the point where you are chewing till you can’t anymore. But when i made this i was so happy with how it turned out it just fell off the bone and it was super tasty i got my love back for making tasty food!
Absolutely love this recipe for my college life. Instagram handle is will_that_one_guy
This is like an elevated version of an east dinner my mom would make all the time when I was a kid. She would marinate chicken in Soy Vay and bake it. This is like that with a home-made freshness to it