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Hawaiian Shoyu Chicken

Name: Hawaiian Shoyu Chicken
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs; 1 cup soy sauce; 1/2 cup brown sugar; 1/2 cup water; 6 cloves garlic, smashed; 2-inch piece fresh ginger, sliced; 4 green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces; 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil; 4 cups steamed rice, for serving

Hawaiian shoyu chicken recipe: fall-off-the-bone chicken thighs simmered in a sweet-salty soy and ginger glaze, the classic island plate lunch staple.

⏱ 15 minPrep time

🔥 30 minCook time

🍽 4Servings

🏷 DinnerCategory

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Shoyu chicken is the home-cooked cousin of the plate lunch, born in Hawaii’s Japanese immigrant kitchens where soy sauce, sugar, and ginger were always on hand. It is the dish simmered on nearly every local stove, served over a mound of steamed rice with mac salad on the side.

What makes it great is how little effort it takes to get so much flavor: chicken thighs braise low and slow in a shoyu-ginger broth that reduces into a sticky, caramelized glaze. The meat comes out so tender it practically falls off the bone.

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Step by stepInstructions

Trim the chicken of excess fat and place it in a large pot.
Add the soy sauce, brown sugar, water, garlic, ginger, and half of the green onions. Bring to a boil over high heat.
Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook, uncovered, for 45 minutes, turning the chicken occasionally so it colors evenly.
Continue simmering until the sauce has reduced to a glossy syrup and the chicken is fork-tender, about 15 more minutes.
Stir in the sesame oil and finish with the remaining green onions. Serve hot over steamed rice.

💡 Chef tips & storage

Skim the fat as it rises for a cleaner glaze. This dish tastes even better the next day, when the chicken has soaked up the sauce overnight.

Recipe details

Prep15 min

Cook30 min

Servings4

CategoryDinner

PublishedAugust 17, 2026

Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →

Hawaiian Shoyu Chicken

Step by stepInstructions

💡 Chef tips & storage

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Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

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Hawaiian Shoyu Chicken

Step by stepInstructions

💡 Chef tips & storage

Rate this recipe

Recipe details

Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

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