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A ceramic clay pot filled with thin noodles, tender cut-up chicken pieces, and herbs in a rich sesame oil chicken soup broth, surrounded by chopsticks and a small plate on a blue surface.
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Sesame Oil Chicken Soup Recipe

Authentic Taiwanese sesame oil chicken soup made easy for home cooks. Balanced, aromatic, and meant to be served as a comforting main-dish soup.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: Taiwanese
Keyword: Sesame oil chicken soup, Taiwanese sesame oil chicken soup
Servings: 3 servings
Author: ChihYu Smith

Ingredients

  • 0.8 oz dry goji berries 3 tbsp
  • 1 ⅓ cup Taiwanese mijiu clear rice cooking wine, divided
  • 1 oz ginger sliced (about 8 slices, slightly under ¼-inch thick)
  • 0.5 tbsp neutral-flavored oil such as avocado
  • 1.5 lb bone-in & skin-on chicken drumettes cut-up wings, or cut-up drumsticks
  • 4 tbsp black sesame oil or toasted sesame oil
  • 3/4 tbsp sugar or 2 tbsp rock sugar
  • 2.5 cup water
  • ½+ ¼ tsp Coarse sea salt or to taste
  • 100 gram Chinese-style thin noodles (optional) 1 bundle, or Japanese somen noodles
US - Metric

Instructions

  • Soak the goji berries: In a small bowl, soak the goji berries with ⅓ cup mijiu to rehydrate. Set aside.
    Two ceramic bowls on a wooden surface; the left holds dried red goji berries soaked in rice wine, perfect for adding to sesame oil chicken soup, while the right displays sliced fresh ginger root in a yellow floral-patterned dish.
  • Prep the ginger: Slice the ginger into pieces slightly under ¼ inch thick. There’s no need to peel the ginger. If it’s dirty, rinse and pat dry before slicing. Trim away any dry ends.
  • Start with a cold pot: In a 4-quart soup pot, pat the chicken dry and add it directly to the cold pot. Add the neutral oil. Cook over medium heat in a single layer until both sides are lightly browned and the chicken has rendered fat, about 8–10 minutes per side. Do not flip or toss too often—this helps the chicken brown properly and render fat.
    Side-by-side images of a white clay pot on a stove: the left shows raw chicken wings and drumettes, while the right features wings seared and browned with spices, highlighting the making of sesame oil chicken soup.
  • Add the ginger: Once the chicken is lightly browned, add the ginger slices. Shift the chicken slightly so the ginger sits in contact with the rendered fat at the bottom of the pot.
  • Fry the ginger: Lower the heat to medium-low. Fry the ginger until lightly browned and slightly shriveled, about 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t burn.
  • Add sesame oil and sugar: When the ginger is fragrant, add the sesame oil and sugar. Stir-fry for 1 minute until aromatic.
    A hand pours toasted sesame oil over chicken drumettes in a pot for sesame oil chicken soup, then adds rice wine and water from a measuring cup into the same pot on a stovetop.
  • Add wine and water: Pour in the remaining 1 cup mijiu and the water. Cover and turn the heat to medium. Bring to a boil (about 8–10 minutes), then reduce to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes. Leave the lid slightly ajar to prevent boiling over.
  • Season the soup: After simmering, season with salt to taste.
  • Add goji berries. Pour in the soaked goji berries along with the soaking wine. Simmer for 30 seconds to round out the flavor.
    Two side-by-side images show a pot of sesame oil chicken soup cooking on the stove—first with salt being added, then a bowl of wine-soaked goji berries held above the simmering broth.
  • If adding noodles: Add the noodles directly to the soup and cook according to package instructions.
    A bowl of sesame oil chicken soup with cut-up chicken pieces, sliced ginger, dried goji berries, and a rich brown broth, served in a large ceramic pot with a wooden spoon.
  • To serve: Discard the ginger slices. Transfer the chicken, noodles, and broth into individual bowls. Serve hot.

Notes

  • Cuts of chicken to use: In Taiwan, this dish is traditionally made with bone-in, skin-on chicken cut into small pieces, most commonly drumsticks or leg quarters. The bones release more flavor, and cutting the chicken into smaller pieces helps extract flavor faster, creating a rich, savory, almost gelatin-like broth in a shorter cooking time compared to leaving the chicken whole.
  • Why we don’t use sesame oil to fry the chicken: Sesame oil burns easily, so it’s added later for aroma instead of used for searing.
  • Noodles note: Once noodles are added, they will continue to absorb the broth. If you plan to add noodles, it’s best to enjoy the soup right away. Alternatively, you can boil the noodles separately so they stay springy.
  • Types of noodles to use: Thin wheat-based noodles that cook quickly and hold their shape work best. For gluten-free noodles, I recommend cooking them separately, since most rice-based noodles soften and turn mushy more quickly in the soup.
  • Reheating: The flavor deepens overnight. Taste and adjust before serving. For a lighter broth, add more water or chicken stock. For a stronger flavor, add a small splash of rice wine.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 646kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 581mg | Potassium: 257mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 180IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg
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