Master the classic Cantonese Soy Sauce Chicken (豉油鸡) with this easy, restaurant-quality recipe. Perfectly tender, aromatic, and glistening with a savory-sweet glaze. Ideal for family dinners or impressing guests. Includes step-by-step photos, pro tips, and full nutrition facts.
Soy Sauce Chicken, or 豉油鸡 (shì yóu jī), is a cornerstone of Cantonese cuisine. This isn't just boiled chicken in soy sauce—it's a meticulous process of poaching and basting in a fragrant "master sauce" that results in incredibly juicy meat infused with deep, savory-sweet flavors and a signature mahogany-red, glossy skin. This recipe breaks down the traditional technique into simple steps, perfect for home cooks and food content creators alike. Save the master sauce—it gets better every time you use it!
Thoroughly pat the chicken dry inside and out with paper towels. This is crucial for even coloring. Rub the exterior with 2 tbsp of Shaoxing wine. Stuff the cavity with half of the green onions (cut into 3-inch pieces) and half of the sliced ginger.
In a pot large enough to submerge the chicken (like a Dutch oven), combine all Master Sauce ingredients: water, light and dark soy sauces, 1 cup Shaoxing wine, rock sugar, star anise, cinnamon stick, five-Spice Powder, bay leaves, and the remaining ginger and green onions. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes to let the flavors meld.
First Lowering: Carefully lower the chicken into the simmering sauce, breast-side up. Lift it out immediately and let the liquid drain from the cavity. This equalizes temperature.
Final Lowering: Lower the chicken back into the pot. The sauce should almost cover it. Maintain a gentle simmer (small bubbles, not a rolling boil).
Baste Continuously: Using a ladle, continuously pour the hot sauce over the exposed breast and top of the chicken for 15 minutes.
Flip & Finish: Carefully flip the chicken breast-side down. Continue simmering and basting for another 15 minutes.
Turn off the heat. Flip the chicken breast-side up again. Cover the pot and let the chicken rest and finish cooking in the residual heat for 40 minutes. The internal temperature at the thickest part of the thigh should reach 165°F (74°C).
Remove the chicken to a cutting board. Bring the sauce to a boil and reduce by about one-third until slightly syrupy. Stir in maltose or honey to create a glossy glaze. Brush this glaze generously all over the chicken. Let it rest for 10 minutes, then chop Chinese-style through the bone into pieces. Garnish with fresh scallions and cilantro. Serve with steamed rice and a small bowl of the reduced master sauce for dipping.
Servings 6
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.