The Easy Soy Sauce–Braised Chicken Dinner
Super easy
Cheap
This may not be my grandmother’s chicken, but it’s a close enough rendition that’s delicious and easy enough for me to whip up on a weeknight without requiring me to babysit my chicken on the stove. I serve it with stir-fried bok choy to round out the meal, though the dish really doesn't need anything more than bowls of rice on the side
Prep
5m
Cook
45m
Wait
8h
| Category: | Chicken & Poultry |
| Seasons | |
| Tags: |
Ingredients
Chicken
| 1 Tablespoon kosher salt |
| 1/4 teaspoon MSG |
| 1 1/2 teaspoons five spice powder, divided |
| 6 Tablespoons dark brown sugar |
| 1/4 teaspoon white pepper, ground |
| 2 pounds skin on chicken thighs (I use breasts, its drier, but still delicoius) |
| 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil |
| 8 scallions |
| 1 2-ich piece ginger, pelled and thinly sliced |
| 5 medium cloves garlic |
| 3 star anise |
| 1 2-inch piece cassia bark or cinnamon stick |
| 1/4 cup light soy sauce |
| 1/4 cup Shoxing wine |
| 1 1/2 cups water |
The Easy Soy Sauce–Braised Chicken Dinner Directions
- In a small bowl, whisk together salt, MSG, 1/2 teaspoon five spice powder, 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar, and ground white pepper to combine. Set aside.
- Using a paper towel, pat chicken thighs dry. Season chicken generously on all sides with salt mixture. Transfer to a wire rack set in a rimmed 13- by 18-inch baking sheet and refrigerate, uncovered, at least 8 hours and up to 72. (If skipping dry brine, rub chicken with spice mixture in step 1 and proceed with step 3 of recipe.)
When ready to cook, adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 300ºF (150ºC). Using paper towels, pat chicken dry.
In a large cast iron or carbon steel skillet set over medium heat, heat vegetable oil until shimmering. Working in batches if necessary, add chicken, skin-side-down, and cook without moving until well-browned and crispy, 4 to 6 minutes. Flip chicken and cook lightly on second side, about 2 minutes. Transfer chicken to a large plate and set aside. - Reduce heat to medium-low. Add scallions, ginger, garlic, 1 teaspoon five spice powder, and 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar and cook, stirring, until vegetables are softened and starting to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add star anise, cassia bark or cinnamon stick, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and water, and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- Return chicken to pan skin-side-up, leaving the skin above the liquid but submerging most of the meat. Transfer skillet to oven and cook uncovered until chicken is cooked through and tender and registers at least 175ºF (79ºC), about 30 minutes.
- Remove pan from oven. Serve with rice and vegetables, if desired.
Notes
The cooked chicken can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days, but the skin will lose its crispiness. Once cooled, the cooked chicken and the sauce can be frozen together in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Let thaw in the fridge overnight.
To reheat chicken, microwave until warmed through, about 1 1/2 minutes.
Nutrition facts
Per Serving
| Kcal: | 848 kcal |
| Fibers (g): | 33.4g |
| Sodium (mg): | 6741mg |
| Carbs: | 104.4g |
| Sugar (g): | 5.7g |
| Fat: | 46g |
| Saturated fat (g): | 8.1g |
| Cholesterol: | 30mg |
| Proteins: | 29.6g |
