Of all the recipes we cook when we’re missing Hawaii, Shoyu Chicken is the heaviest in rotation. We don’t adore Haupia Pie or savor Saimin, but Shoyu Chicken is a recipe that works as well for a weeknight meal as it does for feeding a crowd.
Shoyu chicken is a beloved local dish from Hawai’i known for its rich, savory-sweet sauce and tender, fall-apart chicken. Simmered in a flavorful blend of soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic, this dish is easy to make and incredibly satisfying. Whether serving it for a weeknight dinner or a backyard gathering, shoyu chicken is a recipe you’ll want to keep on repeat.
As a chef, food expert, travel planner to Hawaii, and editor at Salt & Wind Travel, I’ve spent over a decade researching and writing about the intersection of food and travel. I am married to a Native Hawaiian and, via work and travel, have spent more than two years in the Hawaiian islands.
Why You’ll Love Shoyu Chicken
This simple shoyu chicken recipe requires just one pot and minimal prep yet delivers deep, comforting flavors. Combining soy sauce, garlic, and ginger creates a perfectly balanced, umami-rich sauce that coats each bite of tender chicken.
There are a few more reasons you’ll love making it. First, it’s a make-ahead meal that tastes even better the next day. Second, it’s easy to make, so that it can be a weeknight meal in a pinch. It helps that most of the recipe uses pantry ingredients we almost always have on hand. Oh, and we should say it’s a major crowd pleaser and is as popular with the keiki (kids) in our family as it is with the kupuna (elders).
Recipe Ingredients
Here are the ingredients to have on hand to make shoyu chicken:
- Low-sodium chicken broth or water – Provides a flavorful base for the sauce.
- Low-sodium soy sauce or tamari – The key ingredient that gives shoyu chicken its signature savory depth.
- Brown sugar or a honey-brown sugar mix – Adds the perfect touch of sweetness to balance the salty soy sauce.
- Garlic and fresh ginger – Essential aromatics infuse the sauce with warmth and depth.
- Jalapeño (optional) – Adds a mild heat for those who like a little spice.
- Sweet onion – Softens and adds a natural sweetness to the broth.
- Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs – The best cut for shoyu chicken, staying juicy and tender after simmering.
- Green onions and toasted sesame seeds (optional) – For a fresh finishing touch.
- Cooked white or brown rice – The perfect accompaniment to soak up the flavorful sauce.
How to Make This Recipe
- Prepare the broth – In a large pot, combine the chicken broth, soy sauce, and brown sugar, and boil over high heat.
- Add aromatics and chicken – Stir in the garlic, ginger, jalapeño, onion, and chicken thighs, then lower the heat to a simmer.
- Simmer until tender – Let the chicken cook for about 45 minutes, occasionally turning it to ensure it soaks up all the flavors.
- Reduce the sauce – Remove the chicken and aromatics, then boil the sauce until it thickens slightly, about 10 minutes.
- Coat the chicken – Return the chicken to the pot, turning it in the sauce for a final glaze.
- Serve and enjoy – Spoon the chicken over rice, drizzle with sauce, and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.
What to Serve With This
Shoyu chicken is best served over steamed white or brown rice to soak up the flavorful sauce.
You can also pair it with a simple cucumber salad, a green salad, sautéed bok choy, or Hawaiian macaroni salad (aka mac salad) for a complete meal.
Frequently Asked Questions About Shoyu Chicken
So that we're all on the same page, let's cover our bases. Shoyu Chicken is a local recipe found in Hawaii where chicken is simmered with shoyu, sugar, and a variety of flavorings, most commonly ginger, garlic, and chiles.
The dish is named after shoyu, the Japanese style of soy sauce that is rounder and sweeter than the Chinese style and made with a mix of soy and wheat.
Like so much local food in Hawaii, it has a basis in the plantation era when immigrant groups worked and cooked together. Since sugar was one of the main crops (along with pineapple), many dishes call for it.
It must be said that Shoyu Chicken is not Teriyaki Chicken (aka "Teri Chicken" in Hawaii), which is why you'll often see both listed on a menu.
They are indeed very similar, as they both have soy sauce and sugar, but they are different. Where Teri Chicken often adds in sake or mirin, is usually grilled or broiled, and has the sauce reduced to a glaze, Shoyu Chicken doesn't have alcohol, adds in ginger, garlic, and chiles, is simmered, and the sauce is spoonable and not a glaze.
It's a subtle but distinct difference. The bottom line is that if you're traveling to Hawaii and want more charred soy flavor, go for Teri Chicken, or, for a more slow-cooked flavor, go for Shoyu Chicken.
Shoyu Chicken is a classic option when ordering a plate lunch. FYI, a plate lunch is a local meal in Hawaii akin to a bento or Southern meat and three with a meat element, rice, and a local style macaroni salad.
As such, you'll find Shoyu Chicken everywhere, from classic plate lunch spots to fundraisers and roadside stands. And, since locals like to get together in big crowds to hang, it often appears in homes since it's no fuss and can easily feed a crowd.
Tips To Make Shoyu Chicken
Before you start cooking, here are a few key tips for making Shoyu Chicken:
- Use Low-Sodium Soy Sauce: Most locals in Hawaii swear to use Aloha brand soy sauce for this recipe, but it’s hard to find on the mainland. We suggest using low-sodium soy sauce so it isn’t too salty.
- The Key Ratio: Our go-to ratio is two parts water and/or broth to 1 part low-sodium soy sauce for a final flavor that has lots of soy but isn’t too salty.
- Add Both Sugar And Honey: Traditionally only sugar would be used since they used to have tons of it growing in Hawaii. We like to do a mix of brown sugar and honey for a mix of deep flavor and so that the honey helps every so slightly thicken the sauce.
- Use Bone-In, Skin-On Chicken Thighs: Sure, you can use any cut of chicken you’d like but the classic cut are bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs because they have tons of flavor and get really tender.
- Let It Cook (Or Sit) For More Flavor: If you want to eat quickly, just cook the chicken until it’s cooked through (about 15 minutes). But, if you have more time, we suggest simmering it for a minimum of 45 minutes, which will result in maximum flavor and in chicken so tender it almost falls off the bone.
- Reduce The Sauce A Touch: Again, this isn’t Teriyaki Chicken so you’re not making a glaze. However, you can reduce the sauce a touch so that it better just coats the chicken. Also, when you’re reducing the sauce, be sure to diligently skim off the fat — that way you get minimal greasiness and max flavor in the final dish.
- Eat The Flavorings: Once everything is cooked, all the aromatics aside from the ginger are very much edible. We like to eat ours with a few garlic cloves, a spoonful of onions, and a chile!
- Add It To The Slow Cooker or Instant Pot: To make work of this even easier, add it all to your slow cooker or Instant Pot.
- Personalize It! Like so many recipes, there are no hard-and-fast rules here. Feel free to change the ratios of liquids, add less sugar, or add more chiles as you please!
That’s it! Go stock up on all your cooking essentials, head into the kitchen, make this, and share it with us by tagging @saltandwind and #swsociety on social!
Recipes Inspired By Hawai’i
Not heading to Hawai’i quite yet? Here are a few of our favorite classic local recipes to make at home to stoke your wanderlust for the Aloha State:
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Simmered Shoyu Chicken Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
For Cooking The Shoyu Chicken:
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water or a mix of the two
- 1 1/2 cups low-sodium soy sauce or tamari to make it gluten freeee
- 1 cup packed brown sugar or a mix of half honey half brown sugar
- 1 medium head garlic top cut off
- 1 (3 inch) piece fresh ginger halved lengthwise
- 1 medium jalapeño peppers halved lengthwise (optional)
- 1 medium sweet onion peeled, halved, and cut into half moon shapes
- 4 pounds skin-on bone-in chicken thighs (about 12 to 16 thighs)
For Serving The Shoyu Chicken:
- thinly sliced green onions (aka scallions) for garnish (optional)
- toasted sesame seeds for garnish (optional)
- Cooked white or brown rice for serving
Instructions
- Cook The Shoyu Chicken: Combine the water or broth and soy sauce with the sugar and/or honey in a large pot, bring to a boil over high heat. Add the garlic, ginger, jalapeño, onion and chicken then reduce to low heat. Simmer, turning occasionally, until chicken is fork tender and garlic cloves easily pop out of the head of garlic, about 45 minutes more.
- To Serve The Shoyu Chicken: Remove chicken to a serving platter. Remove ginger, garlic, jalapeños, and onions and set aside. Bring sauce to a boil, skim off excess fat, and cook until reduced slightly, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, add chicken and other ingredients back to the sauce and turn to coat. Serve chicken over rice with a spoonful of sauce, any of the garlic, jalapeño, or onions you'd like as well some sliced green onions and sesame seeds, if desired.TIP: Cook the shoyu chicken completely up to two days ahead then store refrigerated in the cooking liquid. Rewarm before serving.
