Description
Soy Chicken brings together simple ingredients for a mouthwatering dinner that comes together faster than takeout. Tender chicken pieces marinated in a savory blend of soy sauce and spices will have your family asking for seconds at the table.
Ingredients
Scale
Proteins:
- 6 chicken thighs (bone-in, skin-on)
Liquid Components:
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) soy sauce
- 4 cups (960 ml) chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) neutral oil
Flavor Enhancers:
- ¼ cup (50 g) brown sugar
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 piece ginger
- 1 bunch green onions
Serving Components:
- Cooked jasmine or basmati rice
- Optional: steamed bok choy
- Optional: steamed snap peas
- Optional: steamed carrots
Instructions
- Prep your chicken thighs by patting them completely dry with paper towels. Season each thigh with salt and pepper.
- Heat 1 tablespoon neutral oil (canola) in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, about 2 minutes.
- Arrange 6 bone-in chicken thighs skin-side down in hot skillet. Sear for 7-8 minutes until skin turns deep golden brown and crispy.
- Flip chicken thighs and cook additional 5 minutes on opposite side. Transfer browned thighs to clean plate.
- Reduce skillet heat to medium. Add 1 tablespoon sesame oil, minced garlic (4 cloves), and thin-sliced ginger. Sauté 45-60 seconds until fragrant.
- Pour ⅓ cup soy sauce, ¼ cup brown sugar, and 4 cups chicken stock into skillet. Scrape all caramelized bits from pan bottom.
- Return chicken thighs to skillet, nestling them into liquid. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 30-35 minutes until meat becomes fork-tender.
- Remove lid and let sauce reduce additional 5-7 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Plate cooked jasmine rice, arrange chicken thighs on top, and generously spoon pan sauce over meat.
- Garnish with chopped green onions. Serve immediately with optional steamed vegetables.
Notes
- Choosing chicken thighs ensures a more tender and flavorful result compared to chicken breasts, which can dry out quickly during cooking.
- Creating a deep golden sear on the chicken develops rich flavor compounds and helps the meat retain moisture during the simmering process.
- Using low sodium soy sauce gives better control over the saltiness, allowing personal seasoning preferences to shine through.
- Letting the chicken rest in the broth for a few minutes after cooking helps it absorb additional flavor and keeps the meat extra juicy.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 43 minutes
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Asian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 330 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 900 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg