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soy sauce chicken marinade
Victoria Haneveer

Chinese Chicken Marinade with Ginger

Marinated chicken thighs are browned, then gently simmered with onion and shiitake mushrooms. The cooking liquid reduces into a sweet, savory sauce with ginger, garlic and Chinese rice wine.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Marinating Time 5 hours
Total Time 6 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Marinade
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
 

For the Marinade
  • ⅓ cup (80 ml) light soy sauce
  • 2 ½ tablespoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 4 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 3 slices fresh ginger
  • 1 ½ green onions, finely chopped
  • ⅓ cup (80 ml) water
  • 3 tablespoons dark soy sauce
For the Chicken
  • 4 skinless chicken thighs
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 6 dried shiitake mushrooms
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • Black pepper, to taste
  • Salt, only if needed

Method
 

  1. Combine the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Chinese rice wine or dry sherry, garlic, brown sugar, ginger, green onions and water in a bowl.
  2. Make 2 shallow diagonal cuts on each side of the chicken thighs. Put the chicken in a large zip-top bag and pour in the marinade. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 5 hours, turning it once or twice.
  3. During the final 30 minutes of marinating, put the dried shiitake mushrooms in a bowl and cover them with hot water. Leave them to soften.
  4. Drain the mushrooms and squeeze out the excess water. Remove and discard the stems, then cut the caps in half.
  5. Remove the chicken from the bag. Pour the used marinade into a saucepan and bring it to a full boil. Boil for 5 minutes.
  6. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken thighs for about 5 minutes per side. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the boiled marinade and shiitake mushrooms to the skillet.
  7. Simmer uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes. Add a splash of water if the sauce reduces too quickly.
  8. The chicken's ready when the thickest part reaches 165°F (74°C). Taste the sauce, then add black pepper and salt only if needed.

Notes

  • Dry sherry can replace the Chinese rice wine.
  • Dried shiitake stems remain tough after soaking, so remove and discard them.
  • Add a little water during simmering if the sauce becomes too thick before the chicken is cooked.
  • Boneless thighs may cook sooner than bone-in thighs, so I'd begin checking them after about 15 minutes of simmering.
  • Taste the finished sauce before adding salt because both soy sauces are already salty.