Soy Fried Chicken

Soy fried chicken is a dish in Chinese cuisine and with its rich umami taste and crispy texture, this dish has become a popular favorite among chicken lovers and enthusiasts of Asian flavors. The dish typically features chicken leg quarters that have been marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and other aromatic ingredients. What sets Chinese-style soy fried chicken apart is the meticulous attention to flavor balance and the skillful use of soy sauce, a staple ingredient in Chinese cooking. Soy sauce brings depth and complexity to the dish, infusing the chicken with its signature umami taste. The result is a mouthwatering Chinese-style soy fried chicken that satisfies both the palate and the senses.

Chinese-style Soy Fried Chicken Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 pieces chicken leg quarters
• 3 cups water
• salt for seasoning
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 thumb ginger (chopped)
• 1 stalk onion leeks
• 3 pieces star anise
• 3/4 cup soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons vinegar
• 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns
• oil (for frying)

Directions:

1. Wash and prepare the chicken leg quarters. Sprinkle some salt and rub on all sides. Let them sit for around 15 minutes.
2. Pour 3 cups of water in a pot and then add the soy sauce, onion leeks, ginger, whole garlic, peppercorns, star anise, and brown sugar. Mix well. Heat the mixture until boiling.
3. Submerge the chicken leg quarters into the mixture. Cover the pot and let it simmer for 15 to 20 minutes using low heat. Baste the exposed part of the chicken from time to time to have an even color.
4. Transfer the cooked chicken quarters to a cooling rack. Air dry for a few minutes until ready to cook.
5. Heat a lot of oil in a pan. Shallow fry the chicken until golden brown and crispy. Flip to cook the other side. Once all sides are golden brown, transfer the chicken quarters to a strainer or paper towel to drain excess oil.
6. Transfer the chinese style soy fried chicken to a serving plate. Enjoy this with a lot of steaming rice and with your favorite dipping sauce. Yum!

How is Chinese-style Soy Fried Chicken Different?

Originating from China, where culinary traditions date back thousands of years, Chinese-style soy fried chicken combines the art of marinating with the skillful use of seasonings to create a harmonious blend of flavors.

Chinese-style soy fried chicken, also known as “gan shao ji” or “soy-braised chicken,” has a long history deeply rooted in Chinese culinary traditions. The dish can be traced back to the Guangdong and Fujian provinces of southern China, where it originated and gained popularity.

Chinese cuisine is renowned for its emphasis on flavors, balance, and the art of stir-frying. The history of soy fried chicken can be linked to the ancient cooking methods of braising and marinating, which were widely practiced in Chinese kitchens.

The use of soy sauce, one of the fundamental ingredients in Chinese cuisine, plays a pivotal role in the creation of this dish. Soy sauce, made from fermented soybeans, adds a savory and umami-rich flavor that enhances the taste of the chicken. The combination of soy sauce, along with other seasonings like ginger, garlic, and spices, creates a distinct and delicious flavor profile.

In Chinese culture, soy fried chicken has long been appreciated as a home-cooked comfort food. Families would gather around the table to enjoy this hearty dish, which is often served with steamed rice and vegetables. It is also a popular street food in many Chinese cities, where vendors offer freshly fried chicken pieces seasoned with soy sauce and other aromatic ingredients.

Over time, Chinese-style soy fried chicken has gained popularity beyond China’s borders and has become a beloved dish in Chinese restaurants around the world. Its appeal lies in the perfect balance of flavors, the crispy texture of the chicken, and the aromatic notes of soy sauce and spices.

Chinese-style Fried Chicken

I have been sharing a lot about my partner in my recipe blogs but I think I havent shared with you that he is part Chinese. With that information, knowing how to cook different dishes was an important part.

My partner knows how I love fried chicken because of its simplicity. During the very first time that I went to his house, he requested tito (his dad) to make me some fried chicken. Of course, tito would make it the traditional way! Tito was not actually done cooking as I arrived in their house so I took time to look at their kitchen. And there were so many aromatics and spices and herbs and everything! Maybe this is the reason why all Chinese dishes are so flavorful! They dont tipid the seasonings!

Of course I asked tito about his recipe and he jokingly told me to give him apo muna before he gives the recipe. Well, still no apo but here’s the recipe and I will be sharing it with you!

If you wanna know how to make some Chinese-style soy fried chicken, simply read and follow the easy steps below. Happy cooking!

How to make Chinese-style Soy Fried Chicken

Chinese-Style Soy Fried Chicken is definitely not your regular fried chicken. Instead of the usual crispy fried chicken with a very crunchy coating, preparinf this version of chicken is different. What sets this recipe apart from the usual way of cooking fried chicken is the part where the chicken is simmered in a broth made with a mixture of the best Chinese aromatics before frying.

To prepare this, start by making the broth on where the chicken quarters will be simmered. In this recipe, I used salt, garlic, ginger, onion leeks, star anise, soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar and whole peppercorns to make this very enticing broth. I bet you havent used some of these yet! For the soy sauce, I use dark soy sauce since I also want to incorporate some natural color in the chicken. While there is no marinating needed, the reason why this broth is so flavorful is to incorporate all the flavors into the chicken as it cooks.

Once the chicken is cooked, do not fry them right away. These chickens are still full of liquid and may cause a big splash when you put them into deep oil. My hack to prevent this is to air dry them first in a cooling rack.

The last step would be deep frying the chicken until the skin is brown and crispy. After frying, make sure to transfer the fried chicken into a strainer or paper towel to drain excess oils. These excess oils can make our chicken oily and soggy. If you want to use less oil, you can opt to air fry the chicken until crispy.

Serve the chicken whole or slice them into small serving pieces. I like to partner this with either pancit or hot steaming rice. No sauce needed! Yum!

Chinese-style Soy Fried Chicken Recipe (tagalog)

Mga Sangkap:

• 3 pirasong chicken leg quarters
• 3 tasang tubig
• asin
• 4 butil ng bawang
• 1 thumb ng luya (hiniwa)
• 1 tangkay ng onion leeks
• 3 piraso ng star anise
• 3/4 tasang toyo
• 3 kutsarang asukal na pula
• 3 kutsarang suka
• 1 kutsarang buong pamintang
• mantika (pang-prito)

Paraan:

1. Hugasan at ihanda ang chicken leg quarters. Budburan ng kaunting asin at pahiran ang lahat ng sides. Hayaan lang muna ito ng 15 minuto.

2. Lagyan ng 3 tasang tubig sa isang kaldero. Sunod na ilagay ang ang toyo, onion leeks, luya, bawang, paminta, star anise, at asukal na pula. Haluin ng mabuti at hintaying kumulo ang mixture.

3. Ilagay ang chicken leg quarters sa kawali. Takpan ang kawali at hayaang maluto ng 15 hanggang 20 minuto gamit ang mahinang apoy. Buhus-buhusan ng sabaw ang mga nakalutang na bahagi ng manok para maging pantay ang kulay.

4. Ilipat ang mga manok sa cooling rack. Hayaang matuyo ng ilang minuto bago iprito.

5. Magpainit ng maraming mantika sa kawali. Iprito ang mga manok ng ilang minuto hanggang maging golden brown at crispy. Baliktarin ang mga ito para maluto ang kabilang side. Kapag golden brown na, ilipat ang mga nalutong manok sa strainer o paper towel para tumulo ang sobrang mantika.

6. Ilipat ang chinese style soy fried chicken sa isang serving plate. Ienjoy ito kasama ng maraming mainit na kanin at kasama ang iyong paboritong sawsawan. Yum!