Braised Soy-Sauce Chicken Legs

Name: Braised Soy-Sauce Chicken Legs
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 4 pieces chicken legs; 3 slices ginger; 2 stalks, cut into sections green onions; 1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns; 2 pieces star anise; 1 small piece cinnamon stick; 2 leaves bay leaves; 3 tablespoons light soy sauce; 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce; 1 tablespoon rock sugar or brown sugar; 1 tablespoon cooking wine; 1 teaspoon salt; enough to cover chicken water

Tender chicken legs slowly simmered in a fragrant soy-based broth until deeply flavorful. The meat falls off the bone while absorbing the aromatic spices.

55 min

Medium

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A beloved home-style Chinese dish where chicken legs are parboiled, then gently braised in a savory-sweet seasoning liquid. The spice bag infuses the broth with warming aromatics while the soy sauce creates that beautiful dark glaze.

Ingredients

chicken legs 4 pieces

ginger 3 slices

green onions 2 stalks, cut into sections

Sichuan peppercorns 1 tablespoon

star anise 2 pieces

cinnamon stick 1 small piece

bay leaves 2 leaves

light soy sauce 3 tablespoons

dark soy sauce 1 tablespoon

rock sugar or brown sugar 1 tablespoon

cooking wine 1 tablespoon

salt 1 teaspoon

water enough to cover chicken

Instructions

Blanch the chicken

Rinse chicken legs and make 2-3 shallow cuts on each piece for better sauce penetration. Bring a pot of water to boil, add ginger slices and green onion sections. Drop in chicken legs and cook for 3-4 minutes until slight foam appears. Remove, rinse clean, and drain.

Build the braising liquid

In a clean pot, combine light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, cooking wine, and salt. Add water to fill about 3/4 of the pot. Toss in the spice bag containing Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon, and bay leaves. Bring to a gentle simmer.

Braise until tender

Add the parboiled chicken legs to the simmering liquid. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 35-40 minutes. Turn the legs halfway through. The sauce should bubble gently, not vigorously.

Rest and serve

Turn off heat and let chicken sit in the pot for 10 minutes to continue absorbing flavor. Remove legs, slice or leave whole, and drizzle with a little braising liquid before serving.