Chinese Braised Soy Sauce Chicken

Chinese braised soy sauce chicken is an easy home recipe that's sure to impress. Juicy chicken thighs (or drumsticks, if you prefer) slow simmered in a rich, slightly sweet soy sauce mixture can done in under an hour!

Chinese soy sauce chicken is always one of those restaurant dishes that come out glistening with soy glaze. It's hard not to dig in immediately. With a heavy-bottomed pot, this recipe is easy to replicate at home with the most simple of ingredients.

If you're looking for more recipes with delicious glazes, try my Honey Sesame Pan-Fried Tofu or Baked Teriyaki Tofu and Broccoli.

Ingredients

• Chicken drumsticks, skin-on and bone-in: You can also use chicken thighs (bone-in, skin-on). I always recommend cooking meats with bone-in because the protein will maintain more moisture and you'll get a juicier end result.
• Light soy sauce: If you can, use low-sodium soy sauce so as not to overwhelm the dish.
• Dark soy sauce: There tends to be a misconception that because dark soy sauce is dark that it is saltier than light soy sauce. Dark soy sauce is sweeter and thicker.
• Shaoxing wine: In China, seafood or poultry dishes always include Shaoxing wine to help mellow out any of the game-y flavors associated with these proteins. Personally, I find this to be my secret ingredient for many of my Chinese recipes.
• Sesame oil
• Brown sugar
• Star anise
• Bay leaves
• Garlic: Smash the garlic cloves. Smashed garlic cloves release fragrance that is great for slow-cooked meals.
• Scallions: Chop scallions into 2-3 inch sections, separating the whites from the greens.
• Ginger

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

1. Remove chicken from package and pat dry with a paper towel. You will get the best crisp when there is less moisture on the outside of the chicken.

2. Add a neutral oil to a heavy-bottomed pot (such as a dutch oven) and sauté sliced ginger, garlic cloves, and the white parts of the scallion on medium heat.

3. When the garlic cloves start to lightly brown (about 1-2 minutes), add the chicken. Ensure that each piece of chicken gets its own surface area and that there is little to no crowding. None of the chicken should be overlapping.

4. When the bottom side is light golden brown, flip to brown the other side.

5. When both sides are browned, add both soy sauces, sesame oil, Shaoxing wine, brown sugar, and water. Let brown sugar dissolve into the liquid and add star anise and bay leaves.

6. Allow the liquid to come to a bubbling simmer and turn the heat to low. Place lid on the pot and let simmer for 35 minutes. Flip the chicken at around 15 minutes to ensure that both sides are simmered in the sauce.

7. Add in the green parts of the scallion and you're ready to serve.

8. Spoon some of the soy sauce mixture on top of a big bowl of rice before topping off with a serving of chicken.

Storage

Store the chicken and the sauce in the fridge in separate air-tight containers. The chicken will be good for another 2-3 days, but they won't last that long!

The sauce will congeal when cold. Simply scoop out the amount you want to use and heat it up in a pot with some extra broth. You can use this for soups or as topping for rice.

📖 Recipe

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4.93 from 56 votes

Chinese Braised Soy Sauce Chicken

Juicy chicken thighs (or drumsticks, if you prefer) slow simmered in a rich, slightly sweet soy sauce mixture can done in under an hour!

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine Chinese

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Julia

Ingredients

• 3 lbs chicken drumsticks (or thighs) skin-on and bone-in
• 3 stalks scallions
• 4 cloves garlic (lightly smashed)
• ½ inch ginger (sliced)
• ½ cup light soy sauce
• ¼ cup dark soy sauce
• ¼ cup Shaoxing wine
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup water
• 2 star anise
• 3 bay leaves

Instructions

• Remove chicken from package and pat dry with a paper towel. You will get the best crisp when there is less moisture on the outside of the chicken.
• Add a neutral oil to a heavy-bottomed pot (such as a dutch oven) and saute sliced ginger, garlic cloves, and the white parts of the scallion on medium heat.
• When the garlic cloves start to lightly brown (about 1-2 minutes), add the chicken. Ensure that each piece of chicken gets its own surface area and that there is little to no crowding. None of the chicken should be overlapping.
• When the bottom side is light golden brown, flip to brown the other side.
• When both sides are browned, add both soy sauces, sesame oil, Shaoxing wine, brown sugar, and water. Let brown sugar dissolve into the liquid and add star anise and bay leaves.
• Allow the liquid to come to a bubbling simmer and turn the heat to low. Place lid on the pot and let simmer for 35 minutes. Flip the chicken at around 15 minutes to ensure that both sides are simmered in the sauce.
• Add in the green parts of the scallion and you're ready to serve.
• Spoon some of the soy sauce mixture on top of a big bowl of rice before topping off with a serving of chicken.