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Soy Sauce Chicken Recipe (a Chinese New Year Rooster Dish)

A whole glossy, dark mahogany soy sauce poached chicken chopped into pieces and arranged on a platter, garnished with scallions and a small bowl of reserved sauce alongside steamed rice.
Photo by Thu Huynh on Pexels

1993 falls under the Water Rooster in the Chinese zodiac's twelve-year cycle (the same animal governs 2005 and 2017), and whole poached chicken is the dish most commonly served at Lunar New Year to represent that year's animal and to symbolize family completeness. This version uses the Cantonese steeping method, boiling a spiced soy master stock, then cooking the chicken off the heat in the residual warmth, which keeps the breast meat juicy instead of stringy the way a hard boil would.

Prep
20 min
Cook
45 min
Total
75 min
Servings
6

Ingredients

Servings6
  • 3 1/2 lb whole chicken
  • 3 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp Shaoxing wine
  • 6 slices fresh ginger, sliced
  • 4 stalks scallions, whole
  • 3 whole pods star anise
  • 1 stick cinnamon stick
  • 2 tbsp rock sugar (or granulated sugar)
  • 6 cups water
  • 2 stalks scallions, minced (for garnish oil)
  • 3 tbsp neutral oil (for garnish oil)

Nutrition per serving

Calories
851
Protein
76g
Carbs
33g
Fat
45g

Based on the recipe as written, one serving. Recalculates if you swap an ingredient above. An estimate only, exact values depend on the specific ingredients used.

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Instructions

  1. 1In a pot just large enough to hold the chicken, combine the dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, water, ginger, scallions, star anise, cinnamon stick, and rock sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
  2. 2Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and let the spiced master stock steep for 10 minutes so the aromatics infuse the liquid.
  3. 3Pat the whole chicken dry inside and out. Holding it by the neck or with sturdy tongs, dunk it into the simmering liquid and lift it back out three times so the hot liquid flushes through the cavity and seasons it evenly.
  4. 4Lower the chicken into the pot breast-side down, submerging it fully. Cover and turn off the heat completely, letting it sit in the hot liquid for 20 minutes.
  5. 5Turn the chicken breast-side up, re-cover, and let it continue cooking in the residual heat of the liquid for another 20-25 minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F (74°C).USDA safe minimum for poultry: 165°F (74°C)
  6. 6Lift the chicken out of the pot and plunge it immediately into a large bowl of ice water for 5 minutes to stop the cooking and tighten the skin.
  7. 7Drain the chicken well and pat it dry, then brush the skin all over with a spoonful of the warm poaching liquid for a glossy finish.
  8. 8Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes, then chop it into pieces through the bone, Cantonese-style, or carve it as you prefer.
  9. 9While the chicken rests, stir the minced scallions into hot oil to make a quick garnish oil. Strain a few spoonfuls of the poaching liquid over the chopped chicken, drizzle with the scallion oil, and serve with steamed rice and the reserved sauce on the side.
How to Use a Meat Thermometer

Tips & variations

  • Choose a chicken no larger than about 4 pounds; a bigger bird won't cook through evenly using the off-heat steeping method without the breast overcooking.
  • Strain and refrigerate the leftover master stock; it can be reused two or three more times to poach chicken, and it deepens in flavor with each use.
  • Add a strip of dried tangerine peel to the poaching liquid for a more traditional, slightly bitter-sweet backnote.
  • For a milder color, cut the dark soy sauce back to 2 tablespoons and make up the difference with light soy sauce.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate the chopped chicken in an airtight container with a few spoonfuls of the sauce spooned over it for up to 3 days; the sauce keeps it from drying out. Reheat gently, covered, in a low oven or steamer just until warmed through, since high heat will toughen the meat. It's also good served cold, straight from the fridge.

Tips from the Tulo kitchen

  • A digital instant-read thermometer takes the guesswork out of the steeping time, since bird size and stockpot heat retention both affect how long it needs to sit off the heat.
  • Save the chicken feet, neck, and wing tips from a whole bird to poach alongside it in the same stock; they only need about 15 minutes and make good use of an otherwise full pot of seasoned liquid.

FAQ

What Chinese zodiac animal is 1993?

1993 is a Year of the Rooster, specifically the Water Rooster in the five-element cycle. The zodiac repeats every 12 years, so 2005 and 2017 were also Rooster years.

Why is a whole chicken served for Chinese New Year?

A whole bird, head and feet often left attached, symbolizes completeness and family unity for the year ahead, and chicken is the traditional stand-in dish for the Rooster year on the reunion table.

Can soy sauce chicken be made ahead of a Lunar New Year dinner?

Yes, and it often tastes better the next day once the meat has absorbed more of the sauce. Cook it a day ahead, refrigerate whole or chopped in the sauce, and bring to room temperature or reheat gently before serving.

What's the difference between soy sauce chicken and white cut chicken?

Soy sauce chicken is poached in a dark, sweetened soy master stock that colors and flavors the skin deeply, while white cut chicken is poached in plain seasoned water and served pale, usually alongside a ginger-scallion dipping sauce instead.

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