Indonesian Style Sweet Soy Chicken
This Easy One-Pot Sticky Chicken is sweet, juicy, and tender. It is so comforting and delicious that you will have to add it to your weekly rotation. Gluten-free of course.
Servings: 4 serves
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 :)
