AI-generated image
Shoyu chicken
Hawaiian plate-lunch chicken braised in soy, ginger and sugar
Shoyu chicken is the home-cooked comfort of Hawaii's plantation families, a Japanese-influenced braise of chicken thighs in soy sauce (shoyu), sugar, ginger and garlic, and a staple of the plate lunch: two scoops of rice, a scoop of macaroni salad and chicken with plenty of sauce. Chef's tip: simmer uncovered at the end and spoon the sauce over until it turns glossy and coats the chicken.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (5)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Put the ½ cup soy sauce, ¾ cup water, 2 ⅞ oz soft brown sugar, 4 cm piece fresh ginger, 4 cloves garlic and ½ onion in a wide pan and bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
3 minStep 2: Add the 2 ¼ lb bone-in chicken thighs, skin on skin-side down, cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes, turning the pieces halfway.
30 minStep 3: Uncover and simmer for 10 minutes more, spooning the sauce over, until the chicken is tender and reaches 165°F at the bone.
10 minStep 4: Lift the chicken onto a plate. Stir the 1 tbsp cornflour into the sauce and simmer 1 minute until glossy. A common mistake is boiling hard, which makes the sugary sauce burn and taste bitter.
2 minStep 5: Pour the sauce over the chicken, scatter with 2 spring onions and serve with the 1 ⅓ lb steamed white rice.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- Protein
- 38 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
- Fat
- 23 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does shoyu chicken take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of soy sauce?
- Tamari, same amount (gluten free).
- What can I use instead of soft brown sugar?
- White sugar + 1 tbsp molasses or treacle per 200g.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Chicken kdra with almonds
Kdra takes its name from the tall copper pot it was cooked in, and in Fez it is a festive dish for weddings and family gatherings rather than an everyday tagine. The sauce is the point: kilos of onion melted down with smen, saffron, white pepper and cinnamon until it turns pale gold and creamy, with no tomato or paprika at all. Soft chickpeas and almonds simmered until tender go into it, and the whole thing is scooped up with bread. Expect a mellow, perfumed, buttery richness rather than heat. Chef's tip: soak and simmer the blanched almonds with the chicken; they lose their crunch and become creamy like the chickpeas, which is how Fassi cooks like them.
Moroccan
Mar i muntanya
Sea and mountain: the cooks of the Empordà, between the Pyrenees and the Costa Brava, have long put chicken and seafood in one pot, and this version with prawns is the one most families make for a celebration lunch. The sauce is a dark sofrito finished with a picada of almonds, hazelnuts, garlic and a little dark chocolate, which adds depth rather than sweetness. It uses wine; the alcohol-free option is in the ingredient list. Chef's tip: cook the prawns only briefly at the start and return them at the end, so they stay juicy while the chicken braises.
Spanish
Chicken tikka masala
Marinating the chicken in spiced yoghurt keeps it tender, and a few minutes under a hot grill gives it the smoky char of a tandoor. The sauce is rich but not heavy, finished with a little cream and dried fenugreek leaves.
Indian