Shoyu Chicken

A popular Hawaiian chicken recipe, this Shoyu Chicken consists of chicken thighs that are cooked in a soy sauce mixture and served over rice.

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If you love Hawaiian recipes, make sure you also check out my Hawaiian Sweet Bread Recipe!

You all know that I love to travel. But for some reason, I have never actually been to Hawaii. Sad, right? (And hopefully that will change soon!)

But that doesn’t mean I can’t love Hawaiian food, right?

The first time I ever made Shoyu Chicken was nearly 10 years ago, as part of a cookbook project. I was cooking from a book full of Hawaiian recipes. I liked that original shoyu chicken recipe, but I wasn’t totally in love with it. Maybe it’s because it had five-spice powder in it, and I wasn’t the biggest fan.

So I set out to make a shoyu chicken recipe that I was totally in love with, and after making this one several times now, I can say this is it.

What is Shoyu Chicken?

Shoyu chicken is a chicken recipe that is made in Hawaii. “Shoyu” is soy sauce in Japanese, so not surprisingly, soy sauce is the number one ingredient. This is a recipe that is reminiscent of a teriyaki chicken.

There are many, many versions of shoyu chicken out there. Traditionally, it is made on the stove top – although oven, instant pot, and grill recipes are easy to be found these days. But one thing I love about this recipe is its simplicity. A single pan, and only a few minutes to make the sauce. It really is my idea of a great weeknight meal, and it is packed with flavor.

I do think more traditional recipes use bone in chicken thighs, but after making it both ways, we all prefer the boneless version. It’s easier to eat, especially when you have kids.

Ingredients

• Soy Sauce: I use low-sodium soy sauce. It’s easy to find, and I always have it on hand. But if you want to go more authentic, look for Hawaiian shoyu. I know this Aloha Shoyu is a popular choice.
• Brown Sugar: You need light brown sugar, although I’m sure dark brown would work, as well.
• Garlic: I highly suggest using freshly minced garlic.
• Onion: I just use a white or yellow onion, although I’m sure a sweet onion would work.
• Ginger: Again, I highly suggest using freshly grated ginger. You could also use the fresh ginger that comes in a tube (find it in the produce section in the grocery store). If you are set on using ground ginger, only use about 1 teaspoon.
• Oregano & Pepper: These are both for flavor.
• Chicken: Although you could use chicken breasts, I highly recommend using chicken thighs. The flavor is so much better, and you don’t have to worry as much about the meat drying out.
• Cornstarch: This is an optional step, but I like for the sauce to be nice and thick, especially over the rice.
• Rice: I just use a long-grain rice for serving.

How to Make Hawaiian Shoyu Chicken

Here is how you make this version of Shoyu Chicken:

1. Start by making the sauce recipe – combine your soy sauce, brown sugar, water, garlic, onion, ginger, oregano and pepper.
2. Place your chicken in a 12-inch skillet. I like to use cast iron because it holds heat well and keeps the temperature even.
3. Pour the sauce over the chicken.
4. Turn the heat on to medium and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer.
5. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. I like to turn it over once during the cook time, as well.
6. When the chicken is done, remove it from the skillet.
7. Whisk together the cornstarch and water and add to the sauce. Stir for a minute or two until slightly thickened.
8. Add the chicken back to the skillet and turn to coat in the sauce.
9. Serve over rice with some of the sauce.

Tips and Tricks

• You can use bone in chicken thighs instead of boneless. You’ll need to cook them a little longer, about 10 minutes longer, and I would suggest removing the skin before cooking.
• If you only have regular soy sauce and not low sodium, I would suggest cutting back on the soy sauce by about 1/4 cup, and substituting it with water.
• If desired, you can place your chicken under the broiler to crisp it up a bit. When you remove it from the skillet, place it on a baking sheet and place it under the broiler. Watch it carefully, as the sweet, sticky sauce will burn easily if it stays too long.
• Serve alongside a hearty helping of Hawaiian Macaroni Salad.

More Chicken Thigh Recipes

Garlic Paprika Instant Pot Chicken Thighs
Easy Lime Baked Chicken Thighs
Roasted Chicken and Vegetables
Chicken and Rice
Pressure Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken
Garlic and Herb Skillet Chicken

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Shoyu Chicken

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Author: Deborah Harroun

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Hawaiian

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A popular Hawaiian chicken recipe, this Shoyu Chicken consists of chicken thighs that are cooked in a soy sauce mixture and served over rice.

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Ingredients

• ▢ 1 cup low sodium soy sauce
• ▢ 1 cup light brown sugar
• ▢ 1 cup water
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 1 medium onion chopped
• ▢ 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• ▢ 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• ▢ 1 teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• ▢ 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• ▢ Prepared rice for serving

Instructions

• In a bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, water garlic, onion, ginger, oregano and pepper.
• Place the chicken in a 12-inch skillet. Pour the sauce mixture over the chicken and turn the stove to medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
• Cook the chicken, turning over once halfway through the cook time, until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.
• When the chicken is done, remove it to a plate.
• In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch with about 1 tablespoon of water, then add the cornstarch slurry to the sauce in the skillet. Whisk to combine and cook until slightly thickened.
• Return the chicken to the skillet and turn the chicken to coat in the sauce.
• Serve over rice, if desired.

Recipe Notes:

Nutrition information provided as an estimate only. Various brands and products can change the counts. Any nutritional information should only be used as a general guideline. Nutrition information does not include rice for serving.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1/6 of recipe, about 2 thighs, Calories: 427kcal (21%), Carbohydrates: 39g (13%), Protein: 39g (78%), Fat: 14g (22%), Saturated Fat: 4g (25%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 180mg (60%), Sodium: 2084mg (91%), Fiber: 1g (4%), Sugar: 33g (37%)

Keywords: shoyu chicken, shoyu chicken recipe