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 a 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.
Conner says
I When I read that your local cafe serves a special sauce that they call "da sauce" I was intrigued because my favorite Hawaiian cafe calls their secret sauce "da sauce" as well. So I checked your link and was pleasantly surprised when I saw Local Boys come up. I'm glad that you are attempting to recreate their amazing shoyu chicken. I can't wait to try your recipe! Remember, don't steal "da sauce"!
Lisa says
Too bad you moved..I was gonna come over for dinner! Hehehe
Lisa says
I don't like kikkoman either. I take my packets of aloha shoyu with me in my purse for when I eat out and have rice it chow mein 😉
Heather says
@Lisa and Travis: I sure am talking about Local Boyz! Best, place, ever. We've since moved and I miss it!
Lisa says
You don't by any chance live in Corvallis and are talking about Local Boyz are you?
nate says
never use kikkoman....aloha brand better.....
Travis says
Just curious, is the Hawaiian restaurant you're talking about Local Boyz? From the description is sounds a lot like it.
Muir says
Loved this recipe, made it both in the pan and in the crock pot. I think the pan version turned out better. I may have cooked it too long in the crock pot. I was curious if you had posted the mac salad recipe yet?
Anders says
Hey! How long can I leave this in the slow cooker if it's on the "warm" setting?
Heather says
Once cooked it will keep on the warm setting for about 4 hours. Much longer than that and you'll lose some quality.
paola says
Would like to try this! But I dnt have a crock pot can a regular pot due?
Heather says
Yep! The direction for stove-top preparation are in the recipe at the bottom of the post!
Mandie Murk says
Do you remove the ginger, or is it supposed to cook down enough to eat? I bit into a chunk of ginger once in my shoyu chick and it was horrible (but not enough to make me stop ordering it-still my favorite). but it did scare me off from ever using fresh ginger.
Heather says
You can take it out at the end but I find it cooks down and is pretty mild in the end.
Michelle says
I love chicken thighs. They stand up to crock pot cooking way way WAY better then chicken breasts do. this looks wonderful. can't wait to see the mac salad recipe.
Heather says
It will be up next week, probably. 🙂
Linda says
Mac salad isn’t right?
Lindlindaa says
I’ve been making this for 40 years. Only thing I do different ido different I use brown sugar