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Yields:
4 serving(s)
Prep Time:
15 mins
Total Time:
45 mins
Cal/Serv:
674
A saucy glazed chicken thigh is typically pretty hard to beat, but this Hawaiian shoyu chicken is really something special. Featuring a ridiculously simple soy and brown sugar sauce, this easy one-pot meal will become your new go-to weeknight dinner. Keep reading on for all of my top tips on how to make this chicken dinner the best it can be.
The roots of shoyu chicken:
Shoyu chicken is a classic Hawaiian dish, typically made with bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, which are simmered in a mixture of brown sugar, soy sauce, and water with a little garlic and ginger for aromatics. It’s called “shoyu” after the type of soy sauce that is usually used: Aloha shoyu. While we recommend that you seek out this specific soy sauce for the truest shoyu chicken experience, another brand of low-sodium soy sauce will work in a pinch.
The chicken:
Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs are a key ingredient here for me, since they bring additional richness to the sauce that boneless, skinless chicken thighs do not have. Starting them skin-side-down in a cold pan allows the fat just underneath the chicken skin enough time to render out as the skin browns, resulting in a thinner, better browned chicken skin. Please note: If for some reason you don’t have bone-in, skin-on thighs, you can substitute boneless, skinless thighs in a pinch; skip the browning step and go straight to sautéing the garlic and ginger and adding the sauce ingredients. Just be aware that the cooking time might be slightly different.
Serving ideas:
Because of the wonderful sauce, I highly recommend serving this chicken with rice or some carby thing to soak it up as you eat.
Storage:
Just like any saucy braised dish, shoyu chicken is excellent left over. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
Did you try making this? Let us know how it went in the comments!
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Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp.
neutral oil
- 2 lb.
bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 tsp.
kosher salt
- 1
(2") piece ginger, peeled, thinly sliced
- 3
garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup
(107 g.) packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup
reduced-sodium soy sauce (preferably Aloha)
- 1/2 cup
plus 1 Tbsp. water divided
- 2 tsp.
cornstarch
- 1
scallion, light and dark green parts only, thinly sliced (optional)
Directions
- Step 1In a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven, swirl oil to coat. Season chicken all over with salt and arrange in cold skillet skin side down. Cook over medium heat, undisturbed, until skin is golden and crispy and easily releases from skillet, about 10 minutes. Flip chicken and cook just until browned on the bottom, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to a plate.
- Step 2In same skillet over medium heat, cook ginger and garlic, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add brown sugar, soy sauce, and 1/2 cup water and stir until sugar is dissolved. Return chicken to skillet skin side up.
- Step 3Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a simmer, then cover and cook until chicken is cooked through and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 165°, 13 to 18 minutes.
- Step 4Transfer chicken to a clean plate. Bring sauce to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and deep brown in color, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Step 5Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk cornstarch with remaining 1 Tbsp. cold water. Add to sauce and stir until thickened to a glaze, about 1 minute. Return chicken to pot and toss to coat in glaze. Top with scallions (if using).
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