Hawaiian Shoyu Chicken-- so flavorful you'll forget how easy it is to make! Filled with flavors of ginger, garlic and just a touch of red pepper, it's a meal you'll want over and over again!
There is a little hole-in-the-wall cafe where we used to live in Corvallis, Oregon that serves the best Hawaiian Shoyu Chicken you can get short of flying to Hawaii. The ribs are probably their claim to fame, but I'm a sucker for their shoyu chicken and macaroni salad. It's been a while in the making, but I think the recipe I've come up with makes for a pretty stinkin' good substitute when I have a hankering for big plate of sweet meat, rice, and mac-- which happens at least twice a week.
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Hawaiian Shoyu chicken is one of the simplest things to make. Seriously. Yet somehow the few, simple ingredients turn into deep flavors, tender meat and an all-around unforgettable meal. Shoyu is just another name for soy sauce, so as you might guess, we're using a lot of soy sauce here. Other ingredients include Worcestershire sauce, ginger, garlic, sugar, water, and a little red pepper.
What kind of chicken should I use for Hawaiian Shoyu Chicken?
You'll need about 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs. I know I'll have someone ask if they can use breasts, and the answer it yes, yes you CAN. But try it once with chicken thighs just for me, please? The thighs have so much flavor and really make this shoyu chicken what it's supposed to be.
Tips for Making Hawaiian Shoyu Chicken:
- This recipe can be made on the stove-top or in a slow cooker. Directions for both will be in the recipe below.
- My favorite way of eating it is with lots of steamed rice, macaroni salad, fresh-cut pineapple, and a little concoction our local cafe serves with all of its meats called "Da Sauce". It's basically more soy sauce and sugar and the recipe is included in the recipe card below.
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Want More Easy Chicken Recipes?
- Garlic Ranch Chicken Marinade
- Bacon Wrapped Pesto Chicken
- Sheet Pan Pesto Chicken and Veggies
- Sticky Sweet Chili Chicken
- One Pan Smothered Chicken Skillet
Tools used for Making Hawaiian Shoyu Chicken:
- Instant Pot : I use my Instant Pot as my slow cooker these days. This is the model that I have and LOVE. It’s been with me for over a year and I’ve definitely put it through the ringer, but still works like new! It’s changed the dinnertime routine at our house and helps me make meals in under an hour that used to take HOURS!
- Ninja 3-in-One Cooking System: When my Instant Pot is already in use (It makes the BEST rice) I still use my favorite slow-cooker. I've owned this slow cooker for about 6 years (when they were first introduced) and I still love it. The stovetop feature allows me to sear and cook meats before allowing them to slow cook (less dishes) and there's a bake feature as well.
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Hawaiian Shoyu Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 ½ cups soy sauce
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 ½ cups white sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 inch piece fresh ginger chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
For Da Sauce
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
Instructions
- Place chicken in a large pot on the stove top.
- Combine remaining ingredients and stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour over chicken and stir until all chicken is immersed in sauce.
- Bring to a low boil, cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Let cook for about 1 hour at a low simmer until the chicken is tender.
To Make in a Slow Cooker:
- Cook on LOW for up to 8 hours or HIGH for 4.
- Remove chicken from cooking liquid, shred and return to pan to soak up some more flavor. Serve over steamed rice with the sauce below.
- To make "Da Sauce": Combine and stir all ingredients until the sugar is dissolved and serve with the chicken and rice.
To Make in an Instant Pot
- Combine the soy sauce, water, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, red pepper flakes, ginger and garlic in the Instant Pot. Place the chicken in the sauce and spoon some sauce over the top of the chicken.
- Lock Instant Pot lid in place, making sure the venting valve is sealed.
- Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes.
- While chicken is cooking, combine the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.
- When the cooking time is up, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then do a quick pressure release and when the pin drops remove the lid.
- Serve the chicken and sauce over the top of steamed white rice alongside some macaroni salad.
OMG, thank you for this recipe! I used to live in Corvallis about 15 years ago and I know EXACTLY the place you are talking about! I am going to make this today!
Yes! Thank you! I searched "Hawaiian shredded chicken" because I want to recreate Local Boys!! We live in Corvallis but are trying to minimize our outside contact with all of this covid-19 stuff going on. I'm so glad I found your site! I will be making both the chicken and mac!!
Delicious!! I’ve made this 3 times and every time I’m soooo happy I did. Helps get me through the rainy days. Question though- I always have a LOT of cooking liquid left, any ideas/suggestions on how to re-use or store this delicious liquid gold? I thought about freezing in ice cube trays to be used later, maybe like bouillon?
Anyhoo thanks for this wonderful recipe 🙂
P.S. I live in Corvi! Go Beavs!
I went to OSU and looooved eating at Local Boys. My husband and I often take our family there when we are in town. I tried this recipe in my Instant Pot and it turned out great! I used a 2.5 bag of frozen thighs, mixed the ingredients together and poured it over the top of the chicken and used the poultry setting. I’d estimate it cooked 10-15 minutes before the 15 minute timer came on. When it was done I pulled the meat apart because the pieces were still fairly whole and let it sit another 15 minutes or so before serving. It turned out delicious and was even better the next day! There was a lot of liquid left so I may reduce the ingredients in the future. Thank you for sharing! The taste brought back great memories! Go Beavs!
The sodium is outrageous! Over 4000 grams - enough for 2 days.
Don't drink the sauce. And use low sodium shoyu. The recipe is great, your judgement is not. Most of the sauce is left in the pot at the end of the day.
I used low sodium Soy sauce to help cut back on the amount of sodium
I never leave comments but I love EVERYTHING about this post, the comments .. EVERYTHING! I moved away from Portland 2.5 years ago to Akron, OH and some days I’ll start thinking about Roxy’s Shoyu Chicken and Macaroni Salad, salivate and then actually get really sad. Akron doesn’t even have real bubble tea or Thai iced coffee.. if I opened a place that served Shoyu, macaroni salad, bubble tea and Thai iced coffee... I would make a KILLING. These people have no idea what they’re missing! Anyways thank you for this post and to the girl who linked the Macaroni recipe!!
Also no Dutch Bros :(.
I don't normally post on blogs, either, but THIS one, I had to! I'm a Portland girl too. I still live here. There are so many recipes out there for this, but how do I say... I feel like, when we're looking for Shoyu recipes, we're really looking for Roxy's Shoyu recipes, or ATE-Oh-ATE recipes. Nailed this one! I'll be checking in again! Thanks!
Was casually searching because I miss Local Boyz and started reading.... SO excited to try this!
How long in the instant pot? Have been using this recipe for a long time, love it!
For fresh, not-frozen chicken thighs I would cook for 7 minutes, high pressure, natural release.
How about frozen thighs?
I was thinking fondly of Local Boyz in Corvallis and searched Pinterest for shoyu chicken recipes. This was the only one with a photo of shredded chicken meat rather than whole thighs so I clicked. I haven't tried making it yet, but I am so excited to have found a recipe based on Local Boyz's delicious chicken!!
I added maple syrup and lemon, and used brown sugar instead of white, and li hing ginger [because that's all i had]... and omgasms! All the flavors popped! Had to keep the soup just because it was so flavorful! Mahalo nui loa for documenting a local favorite!
Can't wait to try this, as we live in Corvallis area & LOVE eating at LOCAL BOYZ! Thanks for sharing we always buy bottles of their DA SAUCE to bring home with us so this is great to have a recipe for when we don't want to drive to town! Thanks for sharing
Thank you for the recipe, I LOVE Local Boyz!!! Can't wait to try this. Would like to have the Instant Pot recipe too.
Wow, I'm sure local boys love you too! :*