Braised Local-Style Comfort Food – The Ultimate Easy Chicken Dinner!
Shoyu Chicken is one of my all-time favorite comfort foods and a truly iconic local Hawaiian meal. If it’s new-to-you, you’re in for such a treat!
It’s a Japanese-inspired braised chicken dish made with chicken thighs that simmer in a shoyu-based sauce with brown sugar, garlic, and ginger.
The chicken braises on the stovetop until it’s fall-apart tender and has soaked up all of the salty-sweet and rich umami flavor of the sauce.
This particular shoyu chicken recipe comes from my Mom’s kitchen and is so simple!
It’s a one-pot and 6-ingredient chicken dinner that relies on humble bone-in chicken thighs for maximum flavor and a stovetop preparation (with slow cooker and InstantPot directions provided) making it super quick and clean up a breeze.
Serve your shoyu chicken plate lunch-style, alongside rice and mac salad – it’s pure local-style comfort food and a true taste of Hawai’i at home!
Craving more local-style comfort food? ⇢ Be sure to try Loco Moco, Mochicko Chicken, or Grilled Huli Huli Chicken. Each reflects the flavors of Hawai’i are total comfort food classics!
What is Shoyu?
Something important to understand about Hawaii is it’s a melting pot of people, cultures, and traditions from all around the Pacific Rim. This is very much so reflected in Hawaii’s local food scene and the staple ingredients you’ll find on the island.
Shoyu is a perfect example of this – a staple in Hawaiian kitchens, and the star ingredient in this easy chicken recipe! In Hawaii, soy sauce is commonly called shoyu, the Japanese word for soy sauce. Aloha Shoyu is my go-to. If you’d like to keep things gluten free, feel free to swap the shoyu for tamari.
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The thing you’ll love most about this recipe is it’s incredibly easy to make. There’s minimal prep involved, just 6 straightforward ingredients, it’s a one-pot wonder, and the cook time is entirely inactive.
Seriously – the easiest weeknight dinner ever!
Mix the shoyu sauce. Whisk together the shoyu, brown sugar, green onions, garlic, and ginger, diluting it a little bit with water. Plain and simple! Meal prep tip ⇢ For even more flavorful shoyu chicken, you can soak the chicken thighs in the shoyu sauce up to 3 days ahead of time.
Braise the chicken. Add the shoyu sauce to a pot with the chicken thighs, submerging them in the sauce as much as possible. Simmer over low heat for 30-35 minutes. Why? ⇢ A low and slow braise gently cooks the chicken thighs until they’re succulent and fall-apart tender.
Optional! Broil for texture. Pop the chicken under the broiler for 4-5 minutes. Meanwhile, thicken the shoyu sauce by boiling for 5-10 minutes, until reduced as desired. Why? ⇢ I picked up on this trick a few years back from Alana Kysar’s Aloha Kitchen. It’s not traditional, but broiling gets the chicken skin gloriously crispy and caramelized!
That’s it! Seriously simple, right? You’ll be serving the most insanely flavorful comforting local Hawaiian meal less than 1 hour later…and there will only be 1 pot to wash! 🙌🏼
Alternate Cooking Methods
I love braising this shoyu chicken in the oven, but you can also prepare this recipe in a slow cooker or Crockpot, or an electric pressure cooker like the Instant Pot. Check the Recipe Notes, below, for step-by-step guidance!
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Step-by-Step Video
Serving Suggestions
Once the shoyu chicken is tender, simply serve plate lunch-style, alongside rice and mac salad. You can also serve with your favorite stir-fried veggies like cabbage or bok choy (pictured!).
It’s pure local-style comfort food and a true taste of Hawai’i at home!
I can’t wait for you to try this easy Shoyu Chicken recipe! It’s pure island-style comfort food and I know you’ll love it as much as we do.
If you do give it a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo and tag @playswellwithbutter on Instagram. We LOVE seeing your PWWB creations! ♡ Happy cooking!
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Fall-Apart Tender Shoyu Chicken (Hawaiian Family Recipe)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: serves 4-6 1x
- Category: Main Dish, Chicken Recipe
- Method: Stovetop, Braised
- Cuisine: Hawaiian
Description
Hawaiian Shoyu Chicken is pure local-style comfort food! Chicken thighs slowly simmer in a garlicky, gingery shoyu sauce until fall-apart tender. Savory-sweet goodness, best served with a scoop of rice & mac salad. Baked, slow cooker & Instant Pot instructions provided in the Recipe Notes.
Ingredients
- 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2–3 pounds)
- 1 cup water
- ⅔ cup shoyu
- ⅔ cup dark brown sugar
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced
- 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 3-inch piece ginger, finely chopped or grated
- optional: cornstarch slurry
- for serving, as desired: rice, Hawaiian mac salad, sautéed cabbage or bok choy, etc.
Instructions
- Mix the shoyu braising liquid: Add the water, shoyu, brown sugar, green onions, garlic, and ginger to a bowl. Whisk to combine. Set aside or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Braise the shoyu chicken: Pour the braising liquid into a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven with a lid. Nestle the chicken thighs in the pot, submerging them in the shoyu braising liquid as much as possible. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low. Cover and simmer for 30-35 minutes, until the chicken is fall-apart tender and cooked through.
- Optional: Broil for texture: Preheat your oven’s broiler to its highest setting, ensuring an oven rack is positioned about 6 inches below the broiler. Transfer the chicken thighs to a small baking sheet. Place under the broiler for 4-5 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through, until the chicken skin is crispy and caramelized. As the chicken broils, you can also thicken the braising liquid. Increase the heat under the pot to high. Boil 5-10 minutes, until reduced as desired.
- Serve the shoyu chicken immediately alongside rice and mac salad. Spoon the thickened shoyu sauce over the chicken and garnish with thinly sliced green onion as desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Shoyu: In Hawaii, soy sauce is most commonly called shoyu, the Japanese word for soy sauce. It’s a staple ingredient in Hawaiian kitchens. Aloha Shoyu is my go-to. Feel free to swap it out with tamari for a gluten-free dish.
- Storage and reheating: Shoyu chicken stores incredibly well – it’s the type of recipe that gets even more flavorful as it sits! Transfer cooled shoyu chicken to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Easily reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through.
- 10-Minute Meal Prep: You can eliminate all of the active work involved in this shoyu chicken recipe by prepping the shoyu braising liquid in advance. To meal prep, complete the following tasks, and at dinnertime, all you have to do is get the shoyu chicken on the stove – easy!
- Mix the shoyu braising liquid according to Step 1 of Recipe Directions. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. (10 minutes active prep)
- Optional: Marinate the chicken thighs: For even more flavorful shoyu chicken, you can let the chicken thighs soak in the shoyu sauce. Pour your prepped shoyu braising liquid over the chicken thighs and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. At dinnertime, simply transfer to a pot and cook as directed in Steps 2-4 of Recipe Directions. Easy! (10 minutes active prep)
- Alternate Cooking Methods:
- OVEN-BRAISED SHOYU CHICKEN: Prep the recipe according to Steps 1-2, above. Rather than cooking on the stovetop, transfer the covered pot to a 350 degree F oven. Braise in the oven for 45 minutes – 1 hour, until the chicken is fall-apart tender. Complete the recipe according to Steps 3-4, above, and serve.
- SLOW COOKER SHOYU CHICKEN: Prep the recipe according to Steps 1-2, above, assembling the shoyu chicken in your slow cooker. Slow cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 5-6 hours until the chicken is fall-apart tender. Finish as directed in Steps 3-4. If your slow cooker has a searing/browning feature, you can use it to thicken the braising liquid in the slow cooker as described in Step 3.
- INSTANT POT SHOYU CHICKEN: Prep the recipe according to Steps 1-2, above, assembling the shoyu chicken in your Instant Pot. Cover and seal the Instant Pot. Cook the shoyu chicken on manual high pressure for 15 minutes. Carefully quick release by flicking the valve to its “venting” position. Switch the Instant Pot to its “Sauté” setting, and finish the shoyu chicken as directed in Steps 3-4.
Recipe & Food Styling by Jess Larson, Plays Well With Butter | Photography by Rachel Cook, Half Acre House.
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Would this work with regular kikkoman soy sauce?
Hi Vanessa! Yes. I suggest using a low-sodium variety, or diluting a little further so the salt isn’t overwhelming, but aside from that it’ll work just fine.
Let me know if you end up trying!
Jess
Loved it! What do you do with the leftover sauce?
We’ve had readers freeze and reuse the braising liquid to make another batch of chicken with fresh ginger and green onion! It would also be a great base for another dish or even a soup. Feel free to experiment if you’d like, and let us know what you decide to use it for! 🙂
So easy and so tasty! I used boneless skinless chicken thighs and it turned out great – I just took 5 min off the cooking time. I also saved and froze the braising liquid from the first time I made these and used it again for a second batch, just added fresh ginger and green onion.
Hi Amber, so glad to hear this chicken turned out great for you, and that the boneless thighs worked well, too! So smart to reuse the braising liquid! Thanks so much for the review!
Shoyu chicken — Very comforting and ono grinds
Hi Sandy, it’s one of our favorite comfort foods, too! Thanks for the review! 🙂
I made this to go for a dinner for about 10 people. Two of the people that I had made it for one was located in Japan for a while and the other was Hawaiian. Not only was it the best show you chicken they had ever had but the mac salad was divine. I have made this several times and I enjoy it each and every time my son also served in Korea and made this for the first time for me and it just melted in my mouth I have made this for several occasions and I truly enjoy it thank you so much for the recipe.
This feedback means so much to us, thank you, Trudie! We’re thrilled to hear that the chicken and mac salad were a hit with you and your guests 🙂
Hey Jess, I only have light chinese soy sauce on hand, would that be an ok substitute for shoyu?
Hi Vicky! That should work just fine – let us know how it goes! 🙂
Thank you!!! Tried it with chinese soy and it turned out amazing paired with the mac salad. Both added to my recipe list. ❤️
I made this and it came out perfect!! Thank you
Hi Barbara! So glad to hear that you loved it & thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment!
I made this tonight and it was DELICIOUS!! Thank you!
Hi Deanna! So glad to hear that you loved it – thanks so much for leaving a comment!
This was DELICIOUS! The thighs really were falling of the bone. I did the stovetop preparation, but look forward to trying the other methods.
Thanks so much! So glad to hear that you loved it!
Another amazing yet easy dish for the perfect weeknight dinner. Marinating the chicken for two days was a must for me! The chicken was flavorful down to the bone. Impressive! I can’t wait to add this to my regular meals.
Awesome, thanks for letting us know about your marinade time! I’m glad it gave the chicken flavor throughout. Glad you enjoyed, Kristina! xx
I loved this chicken! I mixed the marinade in the morning in a large glass bowl, added the chicken and cooked it following the stovetop directions for dinner. I served it with brown rice, hawaiian mac salad and your slaw! It’s delicious! I will make this again.
So, so glad you loved this chicken, Stacey! Your side dishes all sound like the absolute PERFECT accompaniments!
This takes me back. Thanks for the hard work! Might I suggest using ponzu sake and red pepper flakes(if you don’t have a fresh chilly) It is wonderbra and add a nice fruity flavor an ma la to the dish. I give it a solid 9.5 out of 10. Only .5 off because I eat it too quick. Fall off the bone tender. Great for chopsticks if your felling authentic! Haha 😄
Hi Benjamin, glad to hear you loved the recipe!!
Hi! Excited to try this, how would you recomment cooking the bok choy I see in inr of the pictures? Should I just add it in the pot with the chicken?
Thank you!
Hey Nathalie! I’m excited you’re going to try this shoyu chicken! For the bok choy, really simple – just slice the baby bok choy in half lengthwise (as pictured), then saute cut side down in a smidge of oil. Takes about 3-5 minutes, depending how tender or crisp you like them. You can add ginger or garlic or drizzle with sesame oil if you’d like more flavor. Report back & let me know how you like it!! xx
I love shoyu chicken!!
And I love aloha shoyu! It’s the best!
I’ve tried many recipes and I’ve done some of my own too but I really want to try your recipe tonight so I’m following yours truly this time 😊
Well except the chicken is a bone in skin on drumstick.. but other than that I’m following yours. I’m marinating it in cold water in a Ziploc now because the chicken wasn’t thawed.. I’m excited to try the broil after its braised! My son usually doesn’t like the skin floppy because it’s so gooey he says but he likes the crispy chicken skin when I fry them on the pan, so I’m hoping he’ll like the broiled one 💖
Do you have the Mac salad recipe also?
And I don’t have boc Choi but I have cabbage, what’s your recommend cabbage recipe?
So excited for dinner tonight!!
It’s going to be like a time back home 😍
Can’t wait!!
Hey Meg! I’m so glad you found my recipe & that you’re giving it a try. It’s the one dish I make when I’m homesick for Hawaii, too. For Mac Salad – I use my mom’s recipe, which I’ll copy for you at the end of this comment. We have been meaning to share it here on PWWB & just haven’t gotten to it yet! For cabbage, I keep it pretty simple. Thinly slice, then sauté with a little olive oil & once it’s softened hit it with a little shoyu. Simple, simple, but amaaaazing over rice. Can’t wait to hear what you & your son think about the shoyu chicken! Enjoy! xx
Mom’s Mac Salad:
8 ounces dry elbow macaroni or short pasta of choice
1 small carrot, peeled & finely grated
1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
optional: up to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
kosher salt & ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, generously salt the water. Add in the pasta and cook to al dente, according to package directions. Drain the pasta, rinsing with cold water, and set aside. Add cooled elbows to a large mixing bowl with the grated carrot, mayonnaise, sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, turmeric, & cayenne (if using). Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt & ground black pepper, as desired. Stir to combine, seasoning with additional spices &/or salt as needed. Serve immediately & enjoy!