Taiwanese Chicken Soup Ingredients and How to Use Them

Taiwanese sesame oil chicken soup, often called ma you ji, is a warming Taiwanese dish made with chicken, ginger, toasted sesame oil, and rice wine. This version balances the wine with water so the broth stays fragrant rather than overpowering, and it is served hot as a meal with rice or noodles. Family recipes vary, including versions with more rice wine or extra ingredients such as goji berries.

Ingredients

3 lb bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks (1.36 kg), cut into serving-size pieces if large. Bone-in pieces give the broth body and stay moist during simmering.
⅓ cup toasted sesame oil (80 ml), preferably Taiwanese black sesame oil. It supplies the soup’s characteristic nutty aroma; use toasted sesame oil rather than mild, untoasted sesame oil.
5 oz old ginger (140 g), scrubbed and sliced into coins about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick. Older, fibrous ginger has a bold flavor that stands up to the broth.
1 cup Taiwanese rice wine (240 ml), also called mijiu. It gives the soup its rounded, rice-like fragrance.
5 cups water (1.2 L), or low-sodium chicken stock for a fuller, less traditional-tasting broth.
1 teaspoon fine salt (5 g), plus more to taste. The amount needed depends on the rice wine and whether you use stock.
2 tablespoons dried goji berries (18 g), optional, rinsed briefly under cool water. They add gentle fruitiness and a little color, but the soup is good without them.
2 scallions (about 30 g), optional, thinly sliced for serving.

Instructions

Prepare the chicken and aromatics. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels; drying helps it brown instead of steaming. Trim away any loose bits of excess fat, but leave most of the skin in place for flavor. Slice the ginger, measure the wine and water, and set everything beside the stove. Allow about 20 minutes for this preparation.
Warm the sesame oil and soften the ginger. Set a heavy soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat and add the sesame oil. When it is warm, add the ginger in a single layer. Cook for about 2 minutes, turning the pieces once, until fragrant and just beginning to curl at the edges. Keep the heat moderate: toasted sesame oil can turn bitter if it smokes or the ginger scorches.
Brown the chicken. Raise the heat to medium and add the chicken skin-side down, working in batches if the pot is crowded. Brown for about 5 minutes on the first side and 5 minutes on the other side. The pieces do not need to cook through yet. If the pot looks dry, avoid adding extra oil immediately; the chicken will release some fat as it browns.
Add the rice wine. Return all the chicken to the pot, if you browned it in batches, and pour in the rice wine. Let it come to a gentle boil for 2 minutes, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. This brief boil blends the wine into the cooking liquid; it does not guarantee that all alcohol evaporates.
Simmer until tender. Add the water and salt, then bring the liquid just to a boil. Lower the heat, cover the pot, and simmer gently for about 40 minutes. Keep the liquid at a quiet bubble rather than a rolling boil, which can make the meat tough and cloud the broth. If using goji berries, stir them in for the final 10 minutes.
Check doneness and season. Check the thickest part of a thigh with a food thermometer, avoiding the bone. The USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperature for poultry is 165°F (74°C). If a piece has not reached that temperature, continue simmering and check again after a few minutes. Taste the broth and add salt if needed; scatter scallions over the soup just before serving.

Tips

Choose the right rice wine. Taiwanese mijiu is a useful traditional choice, but it may be hard to find. Dry Shaoxing wine can stand in, though its flavor is deeper and more pronounced; dry sherry works in a pinch but tastes less rice-like. Avoid seasoned cooking wine if it is heavily salted, and reduce the added salt if you use it.
For an alcohol-free version, replace the rice wine. Use 1 cup (240 ml) low-sodium chicken stock in its place and keep the 5 cups (1.2 L) water. The broth will lack the wine’s distinctive aroma, so taste carefully and consider adding a little more ginger rather than using rice vinegar, which makes the soup sour.
Use gentle heat for the ginger and oil. The goal is to draw out fragrance, not fry the ginger until dark brown. If the oil smokes, take the pot off the heat briefly and lower the burner before continuing.
Keep the pot roomy. A crowded pot makes browning difficult, so brown the chicken in batches. If you prefer a clearer broth, skim off surface foam during the first few minutes of simmering; this is optional and does not affect safe cooking.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the soup in deep bowls with a few pieces of chicken and plenty of broth in each portion. Steamed white rice is a simple companion: spoon a little broth over the rice as you eat. For a more filling bowl, place cooked wheat noodles or rice vermicelli in each serving bowl, then ladle the hot soup over them. Cook noodles separately according to their package directions so their starch does not make the soup cloudy.

A lightly dressed vegetable side, such as blanched greens with a little soy sauce, balances the rich sesame aroma without competing with it. You can also add sliced scallions at the table so each person can choose how much to use. If serving the soup as part of a larger meal, keep the portions modest and offer rice and vegetables separately.

Variations

More wine-forward soup: Some Taiwanese home-style versions use a larger proportion of rice wine, sometimes with little or no added water. For a first batch, keep the recipe’s 1-to-5 ratio of wine to water; once you know the flavor you like, replace up to 1 cup (240 ml) of the water with additional rice wine. The broth will taste more aromatic and assertive, and its alcohol content may remain higher.

Boneless chicken: Boneless thighs are convenient, but they cook faster and contribute less flavor to the broth. Simmer them for about 20 to 25 minutes, then check that the thickest piece has reached 165°F (74°C). Bone-in pieces are a better choice if you want a fuller, longer-simmered soup.

Add mushrooms: Add 4 oz (115 g) sliced fresh shiitake mushrooms during the final 15 minutes of simmering. They bring a savory, earthy note and make the soup feel more substantial. Dried shiitakes can also be used; soak them separately until pliable, strain the soaking liquid through a fine sieve, and use some of it in place of an equal amount of water.

Use a milder sesame flavor: Reduce the toasted sesame oil to ¼ cup (60 ml) if you prefer a lighter broth. This changes the dish’s signature aroma, but the ginger, chicken, and rice wine will still make a flavorful soup. Avoid adding sesame oil at the end as a substitute for cooking with it; that gives a sharper, less integrated flavor.

Storage and Reheating

Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate them within 2 hours of cooking. Store the soup in a covered, shallow container so it cools more quickly, and keep the chicken submerged in broth where possible. Refrigerated soup keeps for 3 to 4 days. If you will not eat it within that time, freeze it in meal-size airtight containers for up to 2 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 directly from frozen over low heat, stirring as the broth loosens. Warm only the amount you plan to serve, bringing it to a gentle simmer. Reheat leftovers to 165°F (74°C), checking the center with a food thermometer. Avoid repeatedly cooling and reheating the entire pot; dividing it into smaller portions makes serving and safe reheating easier.

Frequently Asked Questions

What gives Taiwanese chicken soup its distinctive flavor?
The combination of toasted sesame oil, plenty of ginger, and rice wine is the defining flavor profile of this version. Bone-in chicken adds savory depth, while a gentle simmer lets the ingredients blend without boiling the broth aggressively.

Can I make this soup without Taiwanese rice wine?
Yes. Dry Shaoxing wine or dry sherry can substitute, though each changes the aroma slightly. For a no-alcohol option, use low-sodium chicken stock instead of the rice wine. The result will be less fragrant and more like a ginger-sesame chicken broth, but it is still satisfying.

Can I use chicken breast?
You can, but breast meat is lean and can become dry during a long simmer. Use bone-in breasts if available and start checking their temperature earlier, or cook boneless breasts separately in the broth until they reach 165°F (74°C). Thighs and drumsticks are more forgiving for this recipe.

Should the chicken skin stay on?
Skin-on chicken gives the broth more flavor and helps the pieces brown. You can remove the skin before cooking if you prefer, but the soup will be less rich. Skim excess fat from the surface after simmering if you want a lighter bowl.

Why is my broth bitter?
The most common cause is sesame oil or ginger that became too dark over high heat. Start the ginger over medium-low heat, and do not let the oil smoke. A small amount of browning is useful, but burnt ginger can flavor the whole pot, so remove it and start again if it scorches before adding the chicken.

More recipes to cook

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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