Easy Soy Sauce Chicken in Rice Cooker
Easy Soy Sauce Chicken made in the rice cooker—juicy, savory, and easy, a flavorful whole chicken dish perfect for family meals or Lunar New Year celebration.
If you want a show-stopping dish with minimal effort, this soy sauce chicken made in the rice cooker is it. The chicken turns tender and juicy, coated in a rich, savory-sweet soy glaze that tastes like it simmered for hours — but the rice cooker does all the work.
For other easy rice cooker recipes, check out my Hainanese Chicken Rice, Garlic Butter Salmon, and Taiwanese Sesame Oil Chicken Recipe. If you don’t know what to cook for Lunar New Year, check out my Top 12 Favorite Dishes for Chinese New Year.
Why Whole Chicken Is Eaten During Lunar New Year
Serving a whole chicken during Lunar New Year symbolizes wholeness, unity, and family togetherness. A whole bird represents completeness — starting the new year with everything intact and nothing missing. In Taiwanese, the word for chicken “geh” sounds like “home,” so it’s an important dish to serve during family reunion on new year’s eve. Having both the chicken head and feet intact represents a good beginning and end to the year.It’s a meaningful dish that reflects harmony and prosperity for the year ahead.
Ingredients
You’ll need the following ingredients to make the Best Soy Sauce Chicken:
- Whole Chicken: Get a good quality chicken with the head and feet intact to symbolize unity and completeness during Lunar New Year. If you can’t find whole chicken, use thighs or drumsticks.
- Garlic, Ginger, and Green Onions: helps remove any poultry odor and adds aromatic depth to the dish.
- Soy Sauce: I used both light soy sauce and dark soy sauce for this recipe.
- Oyster Sauce: boosts umami and adds a subtle sweetness to the sauce.
- Shaoxing Wine: helps remove any gaminess and add aromatic complexity to the marinade.
- Honey: helps create a glossy, caramelized finish. You can also use brown sugar.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to Serve Soy Sauce Chicken
Chop the chicken into pieces and transfer them to a plate. Spoon the savory soy sauce over the chicken and garnish with green onions. Serve warm with rice or noodles.
Substitutions & Variations
- Chicken pieces: Use thighs or drumsticks if a whole chicken won’t fit.
- Shaoxing Wine: You can also use Taiwanese cooking wine (michiu), mirin, or sake.
- Extra flavor: Add star anise or a splash of sesame oil.
- Sweeter glaze: Add more honey.
- Spicy version: Add chili slices or chili oil.
Equipment
How to Store and Reheat
To Store: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for 3–4 days.
To Reheat: Steam or microwave until warm.
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Easy Soy Sauce Chicken in Rice Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken, make sure the chicken fits into the rice cooker pot, the chicken I used in this recipe was about 2.5 lbs
- 4 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 1 tbsp honey, or brown sugar
- ½ tsp white pepper
- 5-6 slices ginger
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and gently smashed
- 2 green onions, chop into 3-4 sections
For Garnish (optional)
- 1 green onion, chopped
- sesame seeds
Instructions
- Rinse and clean the chicken thoroughly. Then pour boiling water over the chicken to remove impurities and any odor. Pat dry.
- Mix light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, honey, and white pepper. Rub the mixture all over the chicken. Let it marinate for 20–30 minutes. (Add more sauce and seasoning if your chicken is bigger size)
- Add ginger slices, garlic, and green onions to the bottom of the rice cooker pot.
- Place the marinated chicken on top. Pour any remaining sauce over the chicken. Close the lid and cook for about 45 minutes to an hour, flipping the chicken halfway.
- Let rest a few minutes before cutting. Spoon the savory sauce over the chicken. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds if desired. Serve with warm rice and enjoy!
