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Home » Recipes » Asian + Hawaiian Recipes

Hawaiian Style Shoyu Chicken

Published: Jan 20, 2023 by Samantha Ferraro · This post may contain affiliate links · 5 Comments

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Local style Hawaiian shoyu chicken is Hawaii's comfort food! Chicken simmers in a flavorful shoyu base with garlic and ginger until incredibly tender with sweet and savory flavors. Serve shoyu chicken with white rice and creamy mac salad for a truly "ono" Hawaiian style plate lunch!

Hawaiian shoyu chicken served on top of rice with mac salad and salad.

Growing up in Hawaii, I ate my weight in shoyu poke and cucumber kimchi, but when I am craving Hawaiian comfort food, it's always sweet and savory shoyu chicken! For a sweet taste of Hawaii try my Lilikoi Cheesecake Tart.

Shoyu chicken is easy and quick and uses a handful of pantry staples. You'll find shoyu chicken all over Hawaii! Everywhere from local plate lunch spots and restaurants, to family recipes and potlucks and even in the hot food section of grocery stores. Shoyu chicken is truly a Hawaii local favorite!

Jump to:
  • 🤙 Why You'll Love This Recipe!
  • 🧄 Ingredients
  • ⏲️ Instructions
  • Variations
  • FAQ
  • How to Serve Shoyu Chicken
  • More Hawaiian style recipes to try
  • Even more Hawaiian inspiration
  • Hawaiian Shoyu Chicken

🤙 Why You'll Love This Recipe!

  • Shoyu chicken is quick to put together and easy enough to make on a weeknight!
  • Uses every day pantry staples, such as shoyu, brown sugar and garlic.
  • Simple with lots of flavors! Sweet, savory, salty and aromatic!
  • You can't really mess up shoyu chicken! Chopped or crushed garlic, sliced or chopped ginger, add it in and it will still be delicious or as we say, "ono"!

🧄 Ingredients

Shoyu chicken is one of those recipes where you use what you have. But if you want the real deal, use Aloha Shoyu! It's one of the popular shoyu brands used all throughout Hawaii and especially in shoyu chicken.

  • Chicken Thighs: Both skinless and skin on chicken thighs can be used and bone in or boneless thighs. If using boneless chicken thighs, reduce the cooking time by a few minutes
  • Shoyu: Shoyu is Japanese soy sauce and Aloha Shoyu is a brand of soy space that is often used in shoyu chicken. Shoyu is milder and a little sweeter than other styles of soy sauce.
  • Ginger: Not much prep is needed, just slice the fresh ginger and add it to the shoyu mixture.
  • Garlic: You can either chop, slice or smash the garlic cloves and add it right into the shoyu mixture to infuse.
  • Water: Because there is a lot of shoyu being used in the recipe, water is important so the sauce doesn't get too salty. As the chicken cooks in the sauce, it will reduce and become saltier, so water is an important ingredient in this recipe.
  • Brown Sugar: Shoyu chicken is known to have a sweet and savory flavor and a little brown sugar is added to add a layer of sweetness. You can also use honey or regular sugar is brown sugar isn't available.
  • Green Onions: Add 1 chopped green onion to the shoyu broth and another for garnish.
  • Corn Starch: This is optional, but if your sauce is too thin, add a teaspoon of cornstarch to thicken the sauce up a bit.

See recipe card for quantities.

⏲️ Instructions

Assemble and Cook

  1. In medium sized pot, add the shoyu, water, brown sugar, sliced ginger, chopped garlic and green onion and stir to combine. This is a good time to taste and adjust as needed.
  2. Add the chicken to the shoyu mixture and bring up to a low boil. Continue cooking the chicken for 35-45 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
Add skin on and bone in chicken pieces to the shoyu sauce.
Cook the chicken thighs in the shoyu sauce until the chicken is cooked through.

Broil Chicken (Optional)

  1. Once the chicken is done, remove the chicken to a foil lined baking sheet and place the chicken skin side up.
  2. Place the chicken under the broiler for 2-3 minutes to crisp up the skin. Keep an eye on it and make sure it's not burning too quickly.
Place the cooked shoyu chicken on a sheet pan and broil, skin side up to crisp the skin.
Broil shoyu chicken under the broiler to crisp up the skin.

Thicken Sauce

  1. If shoyu sauce is thin, whisk cornstarch and some of the hot shoyu broth in a bowl and add back to the shoyu mixture. Continue cooking on a simmer until the sauce slightly thickens.
  2. Once the chicken is done, spoon the chickened shoyu sauce on top of the chicken and serve.
Cook shoyu sauce with cornstarch until slightly thickened.

Variations

Shoyu Chicken is highly customizable. Here is a few ideas to change it up a bit.

  • Spicy: Add 1-2 teaspoons of sriracha or sambal for extra spice in the sauce or serve once it's cooked.
  • Grilled: Not exactly traditional, but use the same marinade and grill the chicken on a grill or in a grill pan.
  • Slow Cooker: Cook shoyu chicken in the slow cooker on low for 5-6 hours until the chicken is tender. Then place the chicken, skin side up under the broiler to crisp up the skin.
Easy Hawaiian style shoyu chicken served on top of rice with macaroni salad and green salad.

FAQ

What does shoyu chicken taste like?

Shoyu chicken has ingredients of ginger, garlic, brown sugar and shoyu, giving it both a salty, savory and slightly sweet flavor.

Can you make shoyu chicken in the slow cooker?

Yes, add the chicken and the shoyu mixture to the slow cooker and cook on low for 5-6 hours, until the chicken is cooked through. Then place the chicken, skin side up under the broiler to crisp up, if desired.

How to Serve Shoyu Chicken

In Hawaii, you'll find shoyu chicken just about everywhere! Serve chicken on top of cooked white rice, with macaroni salad on the side and a green salad.

More Hawaiian style recipes to try

  • Hoisin Pulled Pork Sliders on Hawaiian Rolls
  • Poke nachos is a fun twist of cultural flavors. Seasoned Ahi poke is layered onto of baked wonton chips and garnished with a drizzle of sriracha, Japanese mayo, cubed avocado, fresh cilantro leaves and thinly sliced jalapeno.
    Poke Nachos
  • Creamy Hawaiian macaroni salad with carrot, onion and Best Foods mayo.
    Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
  • Kalbi ribs served with rice, kimchi and fried egg.
    Kalbi Ribs with Kimchi (Korean Beef Short Ribs)

Even more Hawaiian inspiration

  • Passion Fruit Margarita with Li Hing Mui
  • Chicken Katsu
  • Homemade Taro Chips
Sticky Hawaiian shoyu chicken thighs with rice and mac salad.

Hawaiian Shoyu Chicken

Samantha Ferraro

LittleFerraroKitchen.com

Hawaiian shoyu chicken is flavored with garlic and ginger and simmered until incredibly tender. Serve with cooked white rice and mac salad.
5 from 11 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
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Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 45 minutes mins
Broil 5 minutes mins
Total Time 55 minutes mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian, Hawaiian
Servings 4 servings
Calories 582 kcal

Equipment

  • Dutch Oven

Ingredients
 
 

  • 2 pounds chicken thighs bone in, skin on
  • ¾ cup shoyu
  • ½ cup water
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 1 inch piece of ginger sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves chopped
  • 1 green onion chopped + more for garnish
  • Cooked white rice for serving
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch

Instructions
 

  • Pat the chicken dry very well and remove any excess fat or skin, if necessary.
  • In medium sized pot, add the shoyu, water, brown sugar, sliced ginger, chopped garlic and green onion and stir to combine. This is a good time to taste and adjust as needed.
  • Add the chicken to the shoyu mixture and bring up to a low boil. Continue cooking the chicken for 35-45 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
  • Once the chicken is done, remove to a foil lined baking sheet and place chicken skin side up.
  • Place the chicken under the broiler for 2-3 minutes to crisp up the skin. Keep an eye on it and make sure it's not burning too quickly.
  • Meanwhile, if shoyu sauce is thin, whisk cornstarch and some of the hot shoyu broth in a bowl and add back to the shoyu mixture. Continue cooking on a simmer until the sauce slightly thickens.
  • Once the chicken is done, plate the chicken on top of cooked white rice and spoon thickened shoyu sauce on top of the chicken. Garnish with chopped green onions and serve.

Video

Notes

Cooked shoyu chicken lasts in the refrigerator for up to 2 days and is great for leftovers. 
Keep this recipe easier by not chopping the garlic or peeling the ginger, just add it to the shoyu broth!
For lower sodium, use low sodium shoyu. 
Before adding the chicken, taste the shoyu mixture and add more brown sugar or other aromatics, if preferred. 

Nutrition

Calories: 582kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 41gFat: 38gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 222mgSodium: 2806mgPotassium: 716mgFiber: 1gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 207IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 53mgIron: 2mg
Did you make this recipe?Let us know by leaving a comment and 5 star rating!

More Easy Asian & Hawaiian Recipes

  • Vietnamese rice noodle salad with grilled lemongrass chicken.
    Rice Noodle Salad with Grilled Chicken
  • Classic loco moco with hamburger patty, white rice and decadent mushroom gravy.
    Loco Moco with Mushroom Gravy
  • Hawaiian plate lunch with kalua pork, rice and mac salad.
    Hawaiian Plate Lunch
  • Furikake ahi recipe served with rice and green onions.
    Seared Furikake Ahi

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. TAUFAOA Sami says

    November 13, 2023 at 11:45 am

    5 stars
    Loved it!!!

    Reply
    • Samantha Ferraro says

      November 13, 2023 at 3:35 pm

      Fantastic TAUFAOA, it really is on our new rotation list. Thank you for the Feedback. Samantha.

      Reply
  2. Skylar says

    June 17, 2023 at 4:18 pm

    5 stars
    This is my second Hawaiian recipe we love it. My family wanted to try a Hawaiian dish before our Vacation in October. It was WONDERFUL. We go to Little Ferraro Kitchen for the Mediterranean recipes but thought I should try something different. We are waiting for her latest cookbook that we ordered yesterday. The first cookbook is Wonderful.

    Reply
  3. Laurel says

    February 25, 2023 at 3:28 pm

    5 stars
    Really delicious and hands off meal! Whole family loved it!

    Reply
  4. Coley says

    February 01, 2023 at 8:58 am

    5 stars
    Really tasty recipe. And easy, too. I didn't chop the garlic or ginger - just threw it in whole. Great flavor - another keeper!

    Reply
5 from 11 votes (7 ratings without comment)

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