Lu Jitui (Braised Soy Sauce Chicken)

This classic comfort dish often found in Taiwanese bento boxes features chicken legs cooked with soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and Shaoxing rice wine. A touch of sugar balances the salty, savory soy and lends the dish a subtle sweetness, while garlic cloves, scallions, star anise and bay leaf deepen the flavor of the braising liquid. The chicken legs are braised until the meat is juicy, tender and falling off the bone. You’ll be drizzling it all over your steamed rice.

Recipe developer Tiffany Chen has been making some version of this dish for years. She loves how tender and juicy the chicken gets as it cooks in the savory braising liquid, and suggests serving it with rice and vegetables so you soak up every bit of the sauce. She recommends using the dark meat parts of the chicken — the legs, drumsticks, and thighs — instead of the breast meat. “This is because you are braising it and you don’t want the chicken to go dry,” she explains. “It’s also preferable to use chicken with the skin on, as the skin will not only help provide flavor to the broth, but it will also help protect the meat, keeping it juicy and tender.”

This dish comes together in minutes. All the ingredients go into the pot at the same time, and with a cook time under an hour, it’s a fantastic weeknight dinner. This recipe serves two people but can be easily doubled as needed.