Shoyu Chicken
Shoyu chicken, a straightforward dish made with bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs cooked in a savory-sweet mix of soy sauce and sugar, is a favorite in Hawai’i. Typically served with white rice and macaroni salad, it’s a popular choice at plate lunch spots, potlucks, and dinner tables throughout the islands.
Ingredients
1 cup
water
3/4 cup
shoyu (soy sauce)
1/4 cup
packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup
mirin
1/4 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper
4 cloves
garlic
1 (3-inch) piece
fresh ginger
4
medium scallions
8
bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
Cooked white rice, preferably short grain, for serving
Directions
Place 1 cup water, 3/4 cup shoyu (soy sauce), 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar, 1/4 cup mirin, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a large pot or Dutch oven. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.
Meanwhile, prepare the following, adding each to the pot as you complete it: Peel 4 garlic cloves. Smash a 3-inch piece of ginger with the flat side of a knife. Halve 4 medium scallions.
Add 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs to the pot skin-side down in an even layer (they can overlap). Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 30 minutes.
Uncover and flip the chicken thighs so that they are skin-side up, arranging them into a single layer. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain a simmer so that the sauce bubbles between but not up and over the pieces of chicken. Simmer uncovered until the chicken is tender, about 30 minutes more.
Transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Spoon off any fat from the surface of the sauce if desired. Serve the chicken and sauce with cooked white rice.