Shredded Sweet Soy Chicken Breast
Chicken breast simmered in a sweet and savory soy sauce, shredded, and tossed in a glossy reduced sauce.
Equipment
- Slow cooker, pressure cooker, or large saucepan
- Two forks
- Small saucepan
- Instant read thermometer
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast cut into pieces
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ yellow onion finely diced
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- ⅓ cup low sodium soy sauce
- ⅓ cup white vinegar or another vinegar except balsamic
- 3 tbsp fruit jam such as apricot, plum, or raspberry
- 1 tbsp whole black peppercorns or 1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- ¾ cup water
- 2 tsp cornstarch for thickening the sauce
- 1 tbsp water for the cornstarch mixture
Instructions
Cooking
- Slow cooker. Add the chicken, garlic, onion, oil, soy sauce, vinegar, jam, peppercorns, and 3/4 cup water to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 5 hours or on high for 2 1/2 hours. Pressure cooker option. Combine the same ingredients in the pressure cooker and cook for 35 minutes at high pressure.
- Stove option. Place the ingredients in a large saucepan and add 1/2 cup extra water so the chicken is mostly submerged. Cover and simmer 50 to 60 minutes, turning the chicken once or twice.
- Shred. Remove the chicken and shred it with two forks while warm. It should reach 165 degrees F.
- Reduce. Pour the cooking liquid into a saucepan and simmer until it reduces to about 1 1/4 cups.
- Thicken. Whisk the cornstarch with 1 tbsp water, stir it into the simmering sauce, and cook 1 to 2 minutes until thickened and glossy.
- Toss. Add the shredded chicken to the sauce, toss to coat, and serve over rice.
Notes
Substitutions: Chicken thighs work with the same timing. Use ground black pepper if you do not have whole peppercorns.
Tips: Shred while warm and reduce the sauce until it coats a spoon.
Storage: Refrigerate in the sauce up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.