Soy-braised Chicken

Author: Nicole

Servings:

Calories: 823kcal

This Soy-braised Chicken recipe is an easy one-pan chicken dinner made with tender chicken thigh cutlets slowly simmered in a savoury soy sauce, garlic and ginger broth. With minimal prep, simple pantry ingredients and plenty of sauce for spooning over fluffy rice, it's the perfect family-friendly comfort food recipe for busy weeknights.

Prep Time15

Cook Time1 15

Total Time1 30

Ingredients

Soy-braised Chicken

1 tbsp light olive oil or neutral oil of choice
1.2 kg chicken thigh cutlets (bone-in thighs), skin on or off (see note 1 for using boneless thighs or drumsticks)
3 spring onions (scallions), cut into 3 cm (1¼ inch) lengths, plus extra finely sliced spring onion to serve
1 tbsp freshly minced garlic
1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
500 ml water
125 ml light soy sauce
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp Shaoxing wine (substitute with mirin or dry sherry)
2 tbsp brown sugar
¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper or ground white pepper
2 star anise
2 bay leaves (fresh or dried)
1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch), mixed with 2 tbsp water

To serve

Steamed jasmine rice
Toasted sesame seeds
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 red chilli, finely sliced (optional)

Instructions

Brown the chicken – Heat the oil in a large heavy-based deep pan or casserole dish with a lid over medium heat. Cook the chicken skin-side down (if using skin-on cutlets) for 6–8 minutes or until golden brown. Turn and cook for a further 3–4 minutes. Transfer to a plate. The chicken will still be raw in the centre and will continue cooking later.
Add the spring onion, garlic and ginger – To the same pan, add the spring onion, garlic and ginger. Cook, stirring, for 30–60 seconds until fragrant.
Build the braising liquid – Add the water, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, brown sugar, pepper, star anise and bay leaves. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer.
Braise the chicken – Return the chicken to the pan. Reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid and simmer for 1 hour, turning the chicken once halfway through cooking.
Reduce the sauce – Remove the lid and simmer, uncovered, for a further 15 minutes. This step allows the sauce to reduce slightly and intensifies the flavour.
Thicken the sauce – Add the cornflour and water slurry, then simmer for 3–4 minutes or until the sauce is glossy and slightly thickened.
Serve – Serve the chicken over steamed jasmine rice with extra sauce spooned over the top. Finish with sliced spring onion, toasted sesame seeds, a drizzle of sesame oil and fresh chilli, if using.

Notes

Note 1 – If you’d prefer to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs, use the same quantity by weight and reduce the covered cooking time to 35–40 minutes, followed by 10 minutes uncovered to reduce the sauce slightly. Chicken drumsticks also work perfectly. Use up to 10–12 medium drumsticks and cook for the same time as the bone-in thigh cutlets until the meat is tender and pulling away from the bone.

Make Ahead

Soy-braised Chicken is a fantastic make-ahead meal because the flavours continue to deepen as it sits. Prepare the recipe completely, allow it to cool, then refrigerate for up to 3 days before reheating gently on the stovetop or in the microwave. Add a splash of water when reheating if the sauce has thickened too much.

Leftovers

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The chicken will continue to absorb flavour as it sits, making leftovers especially delicious served over freshly steamed rice or noodles.
This recipe is also freezer-friendly. Allow to cool completely, then freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Recipe source

Thank you to Kim Coverdale for your help developing this recipe.

Nutrition Facts

Soy-braised Chicken

Serving Size

515 g

Amount per Serving

Calories

823

% Daily Value*

Fat

Saturated Fat

113

Trans Fat

0.31

Polyunsaturated Fat

Monounsaturated Fat

Cholesterol

247

Sodium

3820

166

Potassium

852

Carbohydrates

Fiber

Sugar

Protein

Calcium

Iron

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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