Soy Sauce Chicken

Classic Chinese Soy Sauce Chicken recipe made with succulent, moist chicken, aromatic herbs and spices and savoury soy sauce. This recipe needs minimal ingredients, and the chicken is juicy, tender and slow-braised to perfection. 

If you are a fan of poached Hainanese chicken, I'm sure that you'll love this soya sauce chicken recipe too. Aside from this whole soy sauce chicken, Easy Char Siu Chicken and Chinese Five Spice Chicken are also well-received Chinese Recipes on my blog.

Jump to:

• What is Soy Sauce Chicken?
• Ingredients you'll need
• Cooking Instructions
• Serving Suggestions
• Expert Tips
• Storage & Reheating
• FAQs
• More Chinese Recipes
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

We’ve tried and tested this dish a few times, and this recipe is the most practical way anyone can recreate it easily without using gallons of soy sauce.

Soy sauce chicken was a regular on our family table, tender, juicy, and full of rich, savoury flavour. My mum would let it simmer while the aroma filled the house, and we’d always sneak one piece before dinner. We love serving it with rice and some steamed greens. It was simple but comforting, one of those nostalgic dishes that always felt like home. 

The real-deal soy sauce chicken doesn’t need to look pretty perfect. What is important is that the chicken should be poached to perfection, taste good, be cost-effective, and be less hassle.

What is Soy Sauce Chicken?

Soy sauce chicken is called ‘ See Yao Gai ‘ ( 豉油鸡 ) in Chinese, and it's a popular Cantonese chicken dish. You can find it on the menu in Chinese restaurants and on their kitchen window display.

Succulent whole chicken with appetising glossy brown skin is irresistible! The whole chicken is chopped into small slices just right before serving it with a delicious savoury dipping sauce. It goes really well with plain rice or noodles. 

This dish is perfect for celebrations like Lunar New Year, Christmas, family feasts and gathering dinner parties. 

Ingredients you'll need

Please scroll down and find detailed measurements on the recipe card.

Chicken: Use any good-quality large whole chicken; it doesn’t have to be free-range. 

Braising sauce: Use a good amount of light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and brown sugar.

Fresh herbs: I usually add ginger and spring onions/scallions for this recipe. You can also add fresh garlic cloves and shallots.

Dried aromatics:

• Star anise
• Bay leaves
• White pepper
• If you don't have whole spices, you can add Chinese five-spice powder.

Cooking Instructions

Prepare Chicken

• Rinse the whole chicken with water, including the cavity. If the cavity is clean, you can skip the washing chicken process. Blanch the chicken in boiling water to tighten the skin for 1-2 minutes. Then, remove it from the water and pat it dry with a paper towel. Set it aside.

Make Braising Sauce

• Heat the large, heavy-bottom pot or narrow stock pot to medium heat. Drizzle oil and saute the ginger, star anise, and bay leaves for a few seconds until fragrant. Next, add the spring onions ( scallions ) and continue sauteing for 1 minute. 
• Add water, dark soy sauce,  light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and white pepper and bring it to a boil.  Then, reduce the heat and simmer for 4-5 minutes. 

Slow Braise the Chicken

• Bring the sauce to a boil and gently add the whole chicken to the sauce. 
• Scoop the boiling sauce and pour it over the top part of the chicken that is not covered in the sauce. Let it boil for 4-5 minutes. 
• Then reduce the heat, close the lid and simmer for 30 minutes. Gently flip the chicken every 10 minutes. ( If the pot you use is narrow and the whole chicken is fully submerged in the sauce, you can skip the flipping process. )

Rest and Serve

• After simmering for 30 minutes, turn off the heat, close the lid and let the chicken rest in the sauce for 10 minutes. 
• Carefully remove the chicken from the pot and let it rest on the chopping board for 10 minutes. 
• Meanwhile, prepare the basting sauce. Scoop a small ladle of sauce from the pot, cornstarch water, and a teaspoon of sesame oil into the pot. Stir well and simmer until the sauce starts to get thick and glossy. Brush the dipping sauce over the whole chicken for a shiny glaze.

Serving Suggestions

Chop the whole chicken to your desired size and transfer it to a serving plate. Serve together with rice, blanched vegetables, and an extra dipping sauce of your choice. 

Serve it with plain rice, garlic egg fried rice or plain chow mein. Pair it with Chinese soups and salads like Egg Drop Soup or Chinese Cucumber Salad.

Add your favourite appetisers and dipping sauces, such as leftover cooking sauce, sweet chilli sauce, ginger scallion sauce, or chilli garlic sauce.

Expert Tips

It is easy to make ahead and fridge and freezer-friendly. Leftover chicken can be added to stir-fried dishes like Special Fried Rice, Singapore Fried Rice, etc. 

Do not over-braise the chicken. Trust me because I’ve done it! If the chicken is over-braised in the sauce, the skin can be too soft and easily torn apart. 

The chicken usually takes 20-30 minutes to cook in the sauce, but it depends on the size of the chicken you use. 

Using a food thermometer, you can check whether it is cooked. It is cooked when the internal temperature reaches 180°F ( 82°C ).

Storage & Reheating

Soy sauce chicken tastes best when freshly cooked. However, you can easily store leftovers for later use.

To store, cool the chicken thoroughly, then transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge. It usually lasts for up to 3 days in the fridge.

You can freeze it in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. 

To reheat, brush the basting sauce or leftover cooking sauce over the chicken and microwave it until hot.

FAQs

Do I need to marinate the chicken?

Marinating is not necessary for this slow-braised chicken recipe, as you are poaching the whole chicken in the sauce.

Can I reuse the leftover cooking sauce?

Yes, do not throw away the leftover cooking sauce. You can reuse this sauce to make soy sauce chicken again or reuse it in various other dishes.

This sauce is great for stir-fries, soups, and noodle dishes. I love to add it to my Chicken Chow Mein.

Let the sauce cool completely, and discard all the spices and fresh herbs using a mesh strainer.

Once the sauce is cool, transfer it to an airtight jar or container and keep it in the fridge for later use. It usually lasts in the fridge for up to one week. You can also freeze it for up to two months. 

Can I use chicken pieces instead of a whole chicken?

Yes, you can also try this recipe with chicken pieces instead of a whole chicken. Cut the chicken into large pieces, and you might want to reduce the simmering time as the chicken pieces get cooked faster than the whole chicken.

More Chinese Recipes

I’ve tried it with chicken pieces in my Soy Sauce Chicken Noodles and Braised Chicken Noodle recipes. The whole cooking process is similar, and the main difference is the use of chicken pieces and noodles. You can also try my Chinese Chicken Salad, which can be made with boneless chicken thigh or breast and mixed salad leaves.

If you've tried this easy soy sauce chicken recipe, please do share your feedback in the comments and give me star 🌟 ratings!

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