Taiwanese Sesame Oil Chicken Soup with Ginger

Taiwanese sesame oil chicken soup, often called ma you ji, is a home-style soup of chicken, ginger, black sesame oil, and rice wine. The ginger is browned slowly to deepen its aroma, then the chicken simmers in a savory, warming broth; recipes vary, but this version keeps the flavors clear and balanced.

Ingredients

2½ lb (1.13 kg) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, about 6 pieces
5 oz (140 g) fresh ginger, scrubbed and cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) slices
⅓ cup (80 ml) Taiwanese black sesame oil
1 cup (240 ml) Taiwanese rice wine or michiu
4 cups (950 ml) water
1 tsp (6 g) fine salt, plus more to taste
¼ tsp (0.5 g) ground white pepper
2 scallions (about 30 g), thinly sliced, for serving

Instructions

Prepare the chicken and ginger. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels; drying helps the skin brown instead of steam. Trim away any loose excess skin or fat, but leave the skin attached to the thighs. Cut the ginger across the grain into sturdy slices about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick. Keep the pieces fairly large so they can flavor the broth without disappearing as they cook.
Warm the sesame oil and brown the ginger. Set a heavy 5- to 6-quart (4.7- to 5.7-liter) pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the black sesame oil and ginger. Cook for about 8 minutes, turning the slices occasionally, until they look glossy and their edges are lightly golden. Keep the heat moderate: black sesame oil is aromatic, and scorching it can make the soup taste bitter. If the ginger begins to darken too quickly, lower the heat.
Brown the chicken. Raise the heat to medium. Arrange the thighs skin-side down in the pot without crowding; work in two batches if needed. Brown the skin for about 5 minutes, then turn the pieces and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Allow about 12 minutes for this step, including handling a second batch. The chicken does not need to cook through yet. If the pot seems dry, do not add more sesame oil immediately; the chicken skin will release some fat as it browns.
Add the rice wine. Return all the chicken to the pot, if you cooked it in batches. Pour in the rice wine, taking care around the hot oil, and simmer for 2 minutes while scraping up browned bits from the bottom. This brief simmer blends the wine with the ginger and chicken juices; it does not guarantee that all the alcohol evaporates.
Simmer the soup. Add the water, salt, and white pepper. Bring the liquid just to a boil, then lower the heat so it simmers gently. Cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar and cook for about 33 minutes, turning the chicken once if the pieces are not mostly submerged. Avoid a hard boil, which can make the broth cloudy and the chicken less tender. Check a thigh in its thickest part without touching the bone: USDA FSIS gives poultry a safe minimum internal temperature of 165°F (74°C), checked with a food thermometer. If a piece has not reached that temperature, continue simmering and check again after 5 minutes.
Season and serve. Taste the broth and add a little more salt if needed. Lift out any loose ginger slices if you prefer a less intense ginger flavor, or leave them in for a bolder bowl. Ladle the chicken and broth into warm bowls and scatter scallions over the top. Serve while hot.

Tips

Choose the right sesame oil. Taiwanese-style black sesame oil is the traditional choice and gives the soup its distinctive toasted, nutty fragrance. It is not the same as mild, pale sesame oil. If black sesame oil is hard to find, use ¼ cup (60 ml) toasted sesame oil mixed with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) neutral oil. The result will still be savory, though less deeply roasted; do not use strongly flavored chili oil as a substitute.
Use ginger generously, but control the heat. The ginger is meant to stand out. Older, mature ginger gives a more assertive flavor, while younger ginger is milder. If you are sensitive to a strong ginger taste, start with 4 oz (115 g), but do not skip browning it. Keep the burner at medium-low for this step so the slices become fragrant without burning.
Rice wine substitutions change the broth. Taiwanese michiu is a good choice when available. Shaoxing wine can stand in, although it often tastes darker and more savory. For an alcohol-free version, replace the rice wine with 1 cup (240 ml) water or unsalted chicken broth; the soup will have less fermented-wine aroma. Avoid swapping in vinegar, which makes the broth sharp rather than fragrant.
Do not judge doneness by color alone. Chicken near the bone can remain pink even when safely cooked, and browned skin tells you little about the center. Use a food thermometer in the thickest part of each large thigh, avoiding bone. If you use boneless thighs instead, begin checking earlier because they may cook faster.

Serving Suggestions

Serve this soup as the centerpiece of a simple meal, with steamed rice to soak up the fragrant broth. Plain short-grain or medium-grain rice works well; keep it unsalted so the soup remains the main source of seasoning. For a more substantial table, add a plate of blanched bok choy, Chinese cabbage, or gai lan, dressed lightly with soy sauce or a little sesame oil. The clean, green flavor of the vegetables balances the richness of the chicken.

For a comforting one-bowl meal, spoon rice into the bottom of a deep bowl and ladle the broth and chicken over it. You can also serve the rice separately so each person decides how much broth to add. Put extra sliced scallions and white pepper on the table for finishing. Because the soup is already aromatic and savory, strongly seasoned side dishes are not necessary; a crisp cucumber salad or lightly dressed greens are good contrasts.

Variations

Add mushrooms: Rehydrate ½ oz (15 g) dried shiitake mushrooms in warm water until tender, about 20 to 30 minutes, then slice and add them with the water. Strain the soaking liquid through a fine sieve and use it as part of the 4 cups (950 ml) water. The mushrooms make the broth earthier and more savory. If using fresh shiitakes, add 4 oz (115 g) sliced mushrooms directly to the pot with the water.

Make it with boneless chicken: Use 2 lb (900 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs and start checking them after about 18 minutes of simmering. The broth will be less rich because there are no bones or skin, so use unsalted chicken broth for some or all of the water if you like. Keep checking with a thermometer and cook the chicken to 165°F (74°C).

Make the broth lighter: Replace 1 cup (240 ml) of the water with additional water if you want a less concentrated soup, then adjust salt at the end. For a more ginger-forward bowl, add an extra 1 oz (30 g) of sliced ginger. These are flexible home-style adjustments; Taiwanese versions vary in their proportions of wine, water, oil, and ginger.

Storage and Reheating

Let leftovers cool briefly, then refrigerate them within 2 hours of cooking in shallow, covered containers. Store the chicken and broth together, and use refrigerated leftovers within 3 to 4 days. The ginger flavor may become stronger as the soup sits, so taste before adding more seasoning when you reheat it. If you do not expect to eat the soup within that time, freeze it in airtight, freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months for best quality. Leave a little room at the top because liquid expands as it freezes.

Thaw frozen soup in the refrigerator overnight, or reheat it from frozen over low heat in a covered saucepan, stirring carefully as the broth loosens. Reheat only the portion you plan to eat, bringing the broth to a steady simmer and heating the chicken throughout. USDA FSIS recommends reheating leftovers to 165°F (74°C); check the center of a large chicken piece with a thermometer. Avoid repeatedly cooling and reheating the full pot, which can reduce quality and make safe handling harder.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes this a Taiwanese sesame oil chicken soup?
The defining combination is chicken, ginger, black sesame oil, and rice wine, simmered together as a soup. It is often known as ma you ji. Home cooks and regional versions vary: some use more rice wine, some add mushrooms, and others keep the broth lighter. This recipe uses water as well as wine for a balanced, easy-to-serve broth.

Can I use regular sesame oil instead of black sesame oil?
Check the label and aroma first. If it is toasted sesame oil, it can work in the blend described in the tips, but it may be more delicate and less traditional in flavor. Light, untoasted sesame oil is mild and will not give the same toasted aroma. Avoid heating toasted oil over high heat, since it can scorch and taste bitter.

Can I make the soup without rice wine?
Yes. Use water or unsalted chicken broth in place of the rice wine. The soup will still have the ginger and sesame character, but it will lack the wine’s fragrant, rounded note. Simmering rice wine does not mean every trace of alcohol is removed, so choose the alcohol-free substitution if that matters for your meal.

Can I use chicken breast?
You can, but bone-in thighs are more forgiving during simmering and contribute a fuller broth. If using breast meat, choose bone-in pieces if possible and begin checking the temperature earlier, since lean breast can dry out if overcooked. Cook poultry to 165°F (74°C), measured at the thickest point, and remove each piece from the pot once it reaches that temperature.

Why is my soup oily?
Black sesame oil and chicken skin both contribute fat, so a light sheen is expected. If there is more oil than you want, let the soup settle briefly and skim some from the surface with a spoon. You can also refrigerate the soup and lift off the solidified fat before reheating, though doing so will make the broth less rich.

Should I remove the ginger before serving?
That is a matter of preference. The slices are left large so they are easy to spot and move aside in the bowl. Leave them in if you enjoy a strong ginger flavor, or remove them after simmering for a gentler broth. They are there mainly to season the soup, so there is no need to eat them.

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Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

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