Indonesian Style Sweet Soy Chicken
If you cook only one recipe from this blog, let it be this Indonesian-style sweet soy chicken. Tender chicken thighs are simmered in a luscious blend of sweet soy sauce and coconut milk, then served with fluffy basmati rice and a refreshing Asian pickled cucumber salad. This dish is a true keeper, perfect for impressing guests at a small dinner party or making your little ones beg for more.
The post has extra tips to make sure the recipe comes out amazing on your first try. If you're in a rush, use the link above to jump to the recipe card at the end! 👩🍳🔝
Why You Will Love This Recipe:
- Easy to Prepare: With straightforward steps and a short ingredient list, this dish is quick and simple to make.
- Family-Friendly: It’s a hit with both kids and adults, making it perfect for a cozy family dinner.
- Budget-Friendly: Crafted with affordable, everyday ingredients, this recipe delivers big flavor without a big cost.
- Ideal for Meal Prep: This dish stores well, allowing you to prepare it in advance for convenient, delicious meals during the week.
We made this chicken for dinner last night and it was amazing! Easy to prepare (love easy meals) and full of flavor. I used liquid aminos for the soy sauce (it’s what we use for soy sauce) and served it with rice. The whole family loved it, we had no leftovers so you know it was good.
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Recipe Ingredients
To make this Indonesian-style sweet soy chicken recipe, you’ll need just a few simple ingredients:
- Chicken: I used bone-in chicken thighs for this recipe, but you can easily substitute with drumsticks, marylands, chicken wings, or even a whole chicken (just ask your butcher to cut it into small pieces). The bone-in chicken keeps the meat tender and flavorful, perfect for absorbing the sweet soy sauce.
- Shallots: Shallots add a delicate sweetness to the dish. If you don’t have them on hand, a regular onion will work as a substitute, though shallots are preferred for their subtle flavor.
- Fresh Garlic Cloves: Fresh garlic is key to this dish. Do not substitute with garlic powder, as fresh garlic cloves provide the bold flavor that makes this dish stand out.
- Fresh Ginger: Use fresh ginger for its vibrant, spicy warmth. Ground ginger won’t deliver the same depth of flavor that’s essential for an authentic Indonesian chicken dish.
- Coconut Milk: High-quality coconut milk is crucial. It should be rich and creamy, made from coconut extract or cream and water—nothing else. This ingredient adds a smooth, tropical richness that pairs perfectly with the sweet soy sauce.
- Kecap Manis: This is the star ingredient of the dish. I prefer to make my own kecap manis to ensure it’s free from high-fructose corn syrup and preservatives. The recipe is simple and provided below.
Kecap Manis Ingredients
- Organic brown sugar: This adds the essential sweetness to the kecap manis, creating that signature rich and sticky glaze.
- Soy sauce: The soy sauce provides the salty, umami base for the kecap manis. If you’re following a gluten-free diet, tamari is a perfect substitute.
Variations & Substitutions
- Soy Sauce: If you’re gluten-sensitive, use tamari instead of regular soy sauce. For a lower sodium option, opt for low-sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos.
- Spice Level: This is not a spicy dish, but if you enjoy a bit of heat, add some chopped chili peppers or a dash of cayenne pepper to the sauce.
- Coconut Milk: For a lighter version, you can use light coconut milk.
- Additional Vegetables: Feel free to add more veggies like snow peas, bok choy, or snap peas. These can be cooked alongside the chicken.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients 👇
How To Make Kecap Manis
As I mentioned earlier, I prefer to make my own kecap manis, and once you try it, you’ll see why. The homemade version is far superior to what you typically find in stores, which often contain high-fructose corn syrup, caramel color, and preservatives. Unless you’ve found a brand with all-natural ingredients, I highly recommend making your own. It’s incredibly easy and well worth the effort.
Step 1: In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar and soy sauce (or tamari). Bring the mixture to a simmer over low heat.
Step 2: Let it gently boil for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly into a rich sweet soy glaze. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Make to watch it closely—it can burn quickly if left unattended.
Once it’s done, remove the sauce from the heat and let it cool while you prepare the chicken.
How To Make Sweet Soy Chicken
This kecap manis chicken recipe is incredibly easy to make, but it’s important to have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go.
Step 3: Start by finely chopping the shallots, garlic, and ginger. You can use a small food processor to speed up the process. Set aside in a small bowl until needed.
Step 4: In a deep frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Place them skin-side down in the hot pan and season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the skin is golden brown and crisp. Flip the chicken and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes on the other side. Once browned, remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
Step 5: n the same pan, add a little more olive oil if needed. There’s no need to clean the pan unless the chicken has burned. Add the chopped shallots, garlic, and ginger. Cook for a few minutes until fragrant and the shallots have softened. Stir often to prevent burning. If you like spicy food, add the cayenne pepper at this stage.
Step 6: Pour the kecap manis and coconut milk into the pan with the sautéed aromatics. Stir well to combine, creating a rich sweet soy sauce.
Step 7: Remove the fried chicken pieces from the pan and set them aside.
Step 8: Place the browned chicken thighs back into the frying pan, coating them with the sauce. Cover the pan with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for about 25-30 minutes, allowing the chicken to cook through and absorb the flavors.
Step 9: Remove the lid and continue cooking on low heat until the sauce thickens slightly and the chicken is fully cooked, reaching an internal temperature of 165°F (75°C).
- Now, all that’s left to do is serve this delicious Indonesian chicken dish and enjoy!
☀️ Top Tips:
- Prep All Ingredients First: Before you start cooking, make sure all your ingredients are prepped and ready to go. This dish comes together quickly, so having everything chopped, measured, and within reach ensures a smooth cooking process.
- Cooking Time Varies: The cooking time can vary depending on the size of your chicken thighs. Thicker pieces may need a bit more time to cook through. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature, which should reach 165°F (75°C) for fully cooked chicken.
- Simmer on Low: Cook the chicken gently over low heat. This slow simmer ensures the chicken becomes tender while allowing the flavors to meld beautifully. Cooking on low heat also helps the sauce thicken into a rich sweet soy sauce, coating the chicken perfectly without burning or separating..
What To Serve With Sweet Soy Chicken?
For a cozy family dinner, serve the sweet soy chicken with steamed basmati rice or coconut rice to soak up the tasty sauce. Add a side of crisp Asian slaw or Asian smashed cucumber salad for a bit of crunch. Dinner tonight is sorted 😉
❄️ How To Store
If you happen to have any leftovers (which is highly unlikely!), you can refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
This recipe is also great for meal prep. Cook it on Sunday, and you’ll have a delicious dinner ready to enjoy later in the week—just prepare some fresh rice when you’re ready to serve. 🙂
It also freezes well; simply store it in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat gently before serving.
Recipe FAQs
I recommend using dark chicken meat for this recipe. However, if you prefer white lean meat, opt for cuts with the skin on. The skin helps preserve moisture, resulting in tender chicken.
The main difference between soy sauce and sweet soy sauce lies in their flavor and consistency. Soy sauce is a salty, savory condiment made from fermented soybeans and is thin in consistency. Sweet soy sauce, also known as kecap manis, is thick and sweet due to the addition of sugar, giving it a rich, syrupy texture that adds both sweetness and umami to dishes.
More Asian Recipes Recipes You’ll Love
If you tried this Indonesian Style Sweet Soy Chicken Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Indonesian Style Sweet Soy Chicken
Ingredients
- 6 chicken thighs bone-in and skin on
- 2 small shallots finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves grated or pressed
- 3 cm ginger grated
- 1 cup of coconut milk
- 7 tbsp of kecap manis use recipe in the recipe card
- salt and pepper to season
- 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Kecap manis:
- 1/4 cup of organic raw sugar
- 2/3 cup of gluten-free soy sauce I use Tamari
Instructions
- Make the Kecap Manis (Sweet Soy Sauce):In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar and soy sauce (or tamari). Bring the mixture to a simmer over low heat. Let it gently boil for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly into a rich sweet soy glaze. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- Prep Ingredients: Start by finely chopping the shallots, garlic, and ginger. You can use a small food processor to speed up the process. Set aside in a small bowl until needed.
- In a deep frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper, then place them skin-side down in the hot pan. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the skin is golden brown and crisp. Flip the chicken and cook for an additional 5 minutes on the other side. Once browned, remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
- In the same pan, add a little more olive oil if needed. There’s no need to clean the pan unless the chicken has burned. Add the chopped shallots, garlic, and ginger. Cook for a few minutes until fragrant and the shallots have softened. Stir often to prevent burning. If you like spicy food, add the cayenne pepper at this stage.
- Pour the kecap manis and coconut milk into the pan with the sautéed aromatics. Stir well to combine, creating a rich sweet soy sauce.
- Place the browned chicken thighs back into the frying pan, coating them with the sauce. Cover the pan with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for about 20 minutes, allowing the chicken to cook through and absorb the flavors.
- Remove the lid and continue cooking on low heat until the sauce thickens slightly and the chicken is fully cooked, reaching an internal temperature of 165°F (75°C).
Notes
- Prep Ingredients: Make sure all ingredients are prepped and ready before you start cooking to ensure a smooth process.
- Chicken Cuts: While the recipe uses bone-in chicken thighs, feel free to substitute with drumsticks, wings, or boneless cuts. Adjust cooking times as needed.
- Crisp Skin: Ensure the chicken skin is golden brown and crisp before adding it to the sauce for the best texture.
- Simmer on Low: Cook the chicken gently over low heat to ensure tenderness and to allow the sauce to thicken into a rich sweet soy sauce.
- Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: To reheat, warm the chicken gently in a pan over low heat, adding a splash of water or coconut milk if the sauce has thickened too much during storage.
- Do not use kecap manis from the shop, unless you find one with nothing artificial in it. If you do, please let me know 🙂
Love all of the flavors in this dish! We are adding to our rotation since everyone loved it.
I love cooking with chicken thighs, and the flavors in this recipe are perfect! Thanks!
We made this chicken for dinner last night and it was amazing! Easy to prepare (love easy meals) and full of flavor. I used liquid aminos for the soy sauce (it’s what we use for soy sauce) and served it with rice. The whole family loved it, we had no leftovers so you know it was good.
Wow this meal was so easy to prepare it was amazing. So juicy everyone went for seconds
This was delicious!! I tried swapping out the sugar for a stevia sweetener to make it sugar-free but it didn’t work out too well. The stevia made the sauce sweeter but it wouldn’t thicken (not really surprising I guess). I ended up adding just enough sugar to make it thicken but maybe next time I’ll try adding cornstarch to thicken it. Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you for trying out the recipe, Niamh! Cornstarch sounds like a good idea. So glad you enjoyed it!! x
I LOVE simple and easy recipes, and this one is certainly that. It tastes amazing and was super easy to make.
Thanks, Jenna, I love simple and easy recipes too!