Instant Pot Soy Sauce Chicken 豉油雞

Chinese New Year is one of the most joyous time of the year – packed with week-long fun & delicious celebratory festivities!

Including kids’ favorite customs – Lai See 利是 (Red Envelopes)! hehe~ Reunion Dinner 團年飯, Lunar New Year Fair 年宵花市, Lion Dance 舞獅, red & gold decoration everywhere, gifts, and oh so much yummy food!! 😀

Definitely a precious time to gather with our loved ones to celebrate and give thanks. It’s somewhat like Thanksgiving + Christmas in the west combined!

My family is not strict on following all the customs, but whole chicken is always a must! So every year, we’d either serve White Cut Chicken 白切鷄, Drunken Chicken 醉鷄, or Soy Sauce Chicken 豉油雞 (油雞).

Ever since we published our Pot-in-Pot Shortcut Version of Soy Sauce Chicken & Rice (made with chicken legs), many readers have been asking…

So, time to combine our Game-Changing Instant Pot Poaching Technique to recreate the traditional whole chicken version!

Super easy family comfort food you can make even on a weeknight. yaasss!

3 Super Easy Steps to Make Instant Pot Soy Sauce Chicken:

• Step 1: Pressure cook Master Stock
• Step 2: Pressure cook whole chicken in Master Stock
• Step 3: Chop & Eat! 😀

What is Poaching?

If you’ve enjoyed Poached Eggs before, then you’ve savored the heavenly deliciousness of Poaching. 🙂

The Deep Poaching Method involves cooking food submerged in liquid at a relatively low temperature.

This method allows the proteins to denature without pulling out too much moisture out of the food. That’s why poached food comes out so moist and tender!

Poaching is most commonly used for cooking delicate or fragile food that might easily fall apart or dry out using other cooking methods, such as eggs, fish, or poultry.

Cooking Tips for Instant Pot Soy Sauce Chicken

1. Ensure Master Stock Covers At Least 90% of the Chicken.

5 cups (1250ml) of Water is not a typo!

In this recipe, we’re using the deep poaching method in the Instant Pot to cook the whole chicken. So it’s critical to ensure your whole chicken is fully submerged in the Master Stock.

2. Pressure Cook at High Pressure 0 Minute

Also not a typo! 🙂 How can this be?!

We’re setting the pressure cooking time to 0 (zero) minute because we’re using the heat generated during the “coming up to pressure” stage AND the “depressurizing” stage (i.e. during natural release) to cook the chicken.

Just remember to have your food thermometer ready to make sure the chicken’s internal thickest part reaches at least 165°F (74°C).

3. Master Stock Storage Tip

Don’t throw away the Master Stock – it’s liquid gold! The stock’s taste & aroma just get better and better each time you cook with it. Filter out all the solid ingredients from the Master Stock, then refrigerate or freeze it.

4. Reusing Master Stock

Since the Master Stock may get diluted during the cooking process, ensure to adjust the seasoning accordingly with more soy sauce or wine every time you reuse it.

Step-by-Step Guide: Instant Pot Soy Sauce Chicken

Prepare ingredients for cooking Instant Pot Soy Sauce Chicken:

2.8 – 3.6 pounds (1270 – 1633g) whole chicken

Master Stock 鹵水汁

• 5 cups (1250ml) cold water
• 1 cup (250ml) shaoxing wine
• 1 cup (250ml) regular soy sauce 生抽
• 1 cup (250ml) dark soy sauce 老抽
• 6 – 8 (5.5g – 7.5g) star anise 八角
• 6 (6g) black cardamom pod, crushed
• 2 (15g) Chinese cinnamon stick, crushed
• 4 (13g) garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tablespoon (15g) ginger, sliced
• 1 stick (80g) Chinese brown sugar in pieces 冰片糖 (or substitute with 2 tablespoons (30g) brown sugar)
• Optional: 1 – 2 teaspoons (2.5-5g) Sichuan peppercorn 花椒

Tools for Instant Pot Soy Sauce Chicken

• Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker
• Kitchen Tongs
• Food Thermometer
• Large mixing bowl

Pressure Cook Master Stock

First crack the dried black cardamom pods with your knife.

Then, place all the spices in Instant Pot and heat them up (Instant Pot: press Sauté button). The spices will slowly release their aroma.

Add in remaining Master Stock ingredients.

Close lid and pressure cook at

• Pressure Cooking Method: High Pressure for 10 minutes, then Natural Release for 15 minutes

Carefully release remaining pressure by turning the Venting Knob to Venting Position. Open the lid carefully.

*Note: you can skip this step if you have Master Stock on hand. Be sure to taste & adjust the seasoning accordingly with more soy sauce or wine.

Pressure Cook Whole Chicken

Use tongs to carefully lower the whole chicken into the Master Stock (chicken breast side down).

*Pro Tip 1: Ensure the stock covers at least 90% of the chicken.

Close lid and pressure cook at:

Pressure Cooking Method: High Pressure for 0 minute + Natural Release (19 – 23 minutes).

• For 2.8 lbs (1270g) Whole Chickens: 19 minutes Natural Release
• For 3.2 lbs (1450g) Whole Chickens: 21 minutes Natural Release
• For 3.6 lbs (1633g) Whole Chickens: 23 minutes Natural Release

*Pro Tip 2: We’re setting the pressure cooking time to 0 (zero) minute. Yes!! It’s not a typo! The whole chicken will be cooked during the “coming up to pressure” stage AND the “depressurizing” stage (i.e. during natural release).

Open the lid carefully.

Use tongs to carefully remove the chicken from Instant Pot.

*Pro Tip 3: Be very careful as there will be hot liquid in the chicken carcass.

Drain the hot liquid in chicken carcass.

Measure Temperature

Place the soy sauce chicken in a large mixing bowl and measure temperature of the thickest part. Ensure the temperature reaches at least 165°F (74°C).

*Pro Tip: If the thickest part is almost 165°F, you can rest the chicken in mixing bowl and the carryover heat will continue to cook the chicken. If the thickest part is below 160°F, place chicken back into the hot liquid and close the lid for another 5 minutes.

Cool Chicken

Use a fan or just air to chill the chicken to room temperature.

*Pro Tip: Since the whole chicken can’t be submerged 100% into the Master Stock in the Instant Pot, the chicken part that sticks out may not get enough color imparted from the Master Stock. Add some chilled Master Stock to the mixing bowl and submerge the side that needs color into the Master Stock as it cools.

Serve Instant Pot Soy Sauce Chicken

When the soy sauce chicken reaches room temperature, chop chicken to serve.

*Pro Tip: Soy Sauce Chicken is served in pieces with skin and bones. It may take some practices in the beginning to be able to chop the chicken beautifully like the Siu Mei Sifu 燒味師傅.

Start by chopping the chicken in half (as shown in photo below).

Cut the chicken legs as shown in photo below. Similar with the chicken wings. Then, proceed to chop the chicken in pieces.

Ta da! Enjoy your deliciously tender & juicy homemade Instant Pot Soy Sauce Chicken!! 😀

Time for cooking Soy Sauce Chicke in Instant Pot!

Other Instant Pot Chicken Recipes

Instant Pot HK Chicken (White Cut Chicken 白切鷄)

Instant Pot BBQ Chicken