CANTONESE HOME COOKING
Cantonese Soy Sauce Chicken (Si Yau Gai)
豉油鸡
Cantonese soy sauce chicken, or si yau gai, gets its glossy brown glaze from light soy sauce, dark soy sauce and brown sugar. This home-style half-chicken version is browned first, then gently braised with ginger, garlic and scallion.
By Canto Hearth Editorial
Jump to ingredients & steps ↓
Let’s cook.
Pat dry and brown
Pat the chicken dry. Heat oil in a snug lidded pan over medium heat. Brown the chicken on both sides, taking care not to tear the skin. This builds color before the liquid goes in.
Add aromatics and sauce
Add scallion, ginger and garlic around the chicken and stir briefly. Add both soy sauces, cooking wine, sugar and water. Bring to a simmer, stirring the liquid to dissolve the sugar.
Braise and baste
Cover and gently simmer. Turn the chicken after about 10 minutes and spoon sauce over the skin several times. Continue until the thickest breast and thigh sections reach 74°C / 165°F away from bone; allow roughly 25–35 minutes of braising depending on size. Add hot water if the sauce reduces before the meat is cooked.
Glaze and rest
When the chicken is cooked, uncover and reduce the sauce until glossy. Keep basting and avoid letting the sugar burn. Lift the chicken to a clean board and rest for 5 minutes.
Cut and serve
Joint the chicken or carefully cut into serving pieces with suitable equipment. Spoon over the reduced sauce and serve with rice and a green vegetable such as blanched lettuce.
Small details, better cooking.
- The dark soy sauce provides color; adding extra is likely to make the glaze too dark and salty.
- Use the smallest pan that fits comfortably so the liquid can be spooned over the chicken.
- A half chicken varies greatly in size; the thermometer decides when it is ready.
Working with what you have
Half chicken
Use large bone-in chicken leg quarters of similar total weight.
Check each piece individually; the cooking time changes.
Brown sugar
Use rock sugar or ordinary white sugar.
Brown sugar gives a deeper caramel note; the sweetness can be adjusted after cooking.
Need a unit conversion? Open kitchen tools. For ingredients, visit the pantry.
Questions from the kitchen
What is si yau gai?
Si yau gai is Cantonese soy sauce chicken. Soy sauce is the main seasoning and provides the brown finish.
Do I need both light and dark soy sauce?
Light soy sauce seasons the chicken; dark soy sauce deepens the color. Using only light soy sauce gives a paler result.
Can I use chicken breast?
Boneless breast cooks much faster and will not behave like this bone-in half chicken. Use a thermometer and shorten the simmer instead of following the same timing.
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