Chinese Braised Chicken

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A savory Chinese chicken dish with bold umami flavors. Serve over rice or cucumber salad.

Course dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American, Chinese

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 50

Total Time 1 5

Servings servings

Calories 580kcal

Author Marlynn Schotland

Equipment

1 large braiser or wide Dutch oven

Ingredients

2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
4 slices fresh ginger
½ cup sliced onion
2-3 garlic cloves, minced

Sauce

½ cup soy sauce
½ cup water
¼ cup Shaoxing wine
2 Tablespoons oyster sauce
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
1 Tablespoon light brown sugar

Finishing ingredients

2 star anise
2 bay leaves
3 green onion stalks, sliced into 1" pieces

Instructions

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
In a large braising pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the vegetable oil. Once hot, add the chicken to the pan and brown on all sides, about 4 minutes per side. Once browned, transfer to a plate and set aside.
Add the ginger and onions to the pan, and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until softened.
Then add the garlic and sauté for another 1-2 minutes, just until the garlic is softened and fragrant. Be careful not to let the garlic burn, or it will add a bitter taste to the sauce.
In a medium or large bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients, and pour it into the pan, using a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan by scraping up the browned bits at the bottom of the pan.
Return the chicken to the pan and add the star anise and bay leaves. Bring the sauce to a boil, then lower the heat to low-medium, cover the pan, and simmer for 30 minutes. Flip the chicken over halfway through this time.
At 30 minutes, check the chicken for doneness. Chicken is fully cooked when an internal thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken meat reads 165°F. If it's not quite done, return the cover and return simmering for up to 10 more minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked.
Once the chicken is fully cooked, remove the star anise and bay leaves and discard. Note: sometimes a star anise will break apart during the cooking time. If this happens, do your best to find all of the separated parts of the star anise so that no one accidentally eats it.
Add the sliced green onions to the pan, stir, and serve.

Notes

Makes approximately 4 servings.

Storage: You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Important: remember to remove the star anise and the bay leaves before serving!

Substitutions:

You can substitute boneless, skinless chicken thighs and check for doneness starting at 25 minutes. You can also use a mix of chicken thighs and drumsticks. I do not recommend using chicken breasts; trust me: it just won't taste as good.
If you don't have star anise, you can substitute 1 teaspoon of Chinese Five Spice powder. You can also try to use ½ teaspoon of ground cloves plus ½ teaspoon of all spice. Neither substitution will give you the same rich depth of flavor, but will be somewhat close.

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