Fall-Apart Tender Shoyu Chicken (Hawaiian Family Recipe)
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.
Directions
- 1
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.
- 2
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.
- 3
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.
- 4
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!