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Soy Sauce Chicken (豉油雞 See Yao Gai) Recipe

Soy sauce chicken is a classic Cantonese dish made by braising a whole chicken in soy sauce based liquid. My EASY recipe uses leg quarters only and is complete in less than an hour (with minimal active cooking).
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Course: Dinner, Main Course, Sauce, Side Dish
Cuisine: Asian, Cantonese, Chinese
Keyword: chinese roast meat, see yao gai, soy sauce chicken, 豉油雞

Equipment

  • 1 wok or large pot

Ingredients

PREPARING THE CHICKEN

  • 3 leg quarters (weighing 1 to 1¼lb each)
  • 1½ tbsp dark soy sauce

MARINADE

  • 3 tbsp neutral oil
  • 1 large thumb of ginger sliced
  • 2 stalks scallions tied into a knot
  • 3 tbsp rock sugar
  • 1 star anise
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3½ cups water
  • ¼ cup dark soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp Shao Xing wine

CORN STARCH SLURRY

  • 2 tbsp corn starch
  • 2 tbsp water

Instructions

  • Wash and trim off any excess fat or skin on the leg quarters (optional). Pat them dry then place them in a large bowl or plate and coat with dark soy sauce thoroughly. Set aside for 15 minutes while you prepare the marinade.
  • Heat oil in a large wok or pot, over medium-high heat, then add the ginger and scallion and stir fry until aromatic (about 30 seconds).
  • Add the rock sugar, bay leaf and star anise and stir for another 30 seconds.
  • Add the water, Shao Xing wine, dark soy sauce and light soy sauce and mix until all ingredients are well incorporated.
  • Close the lid and bring the marinade to a boil.
  • Remove the lid, then place the leg quarters into the marinade, skin side down. Pour any remaining dark soy sauce used to marinate the leg quarters into the wok/pot.
  • Close the lid, turn the heat down to medium, then cook for 20 minutes. (Cook for less time if you are using smaller leg quarters.)
  • After 20 minutes, turn off the fire and allow the leg quarters to sit in the wok/pot for another 30 minutes.
  • After soaking for 30 minutes, transfer the leg quarters onto a plate, skin side up, and allow them to cool. Do NOT discard the sauce.
  • While the chicken is cooling, add the corn starch and water into a small bowl and blend thoroughly. Turn the fire back on to low, then gradually pour the corn starch slurry into the sauce, while stirring continuously. When the sauce has thickened to your liking, turn off the fire. See Note 1.
  • Cut the leg quarters into pieces (optional). Baste the skin with the thickened sauce, use the sauce as a dip for your chicken or drizzle the sauce over your rice. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

  1. When the sauce has cooled, I recommend storing them in a container for use in other dishes or as a drizzle over white rice. It is delicious!

PRODUCTS/INGREDIENTS USED: