If you’re craving something warming, gingery, and truly comfort-bowl worthy, this Taiwanese Sesame Oil Chicken Soup (Ma You Ji / 麻油雞) is exactly what you need. It’s a slightly heartier, stew-style version of the classic sesame oil chicken you’ll find across Taiwan.
Chicken is gently simmered with ginger, dried shiitake mushrooms, and Taiwanese rice cooking wine, creating a broth that’s rich and aromatic. A final drizzle of toasted sesame oil right before serving ties everything together with a beautiful nutty aroma.
What Is Ma You Ji (麻油雞)?
In Taiwan, Ma You Ji (麻油雞) is more than just a winter favourite—it’s a deeply traditional dish often served to women during postpartum recovery and to those healing after surgery, as it’s believed to nourish the body, support recovery, and promote circulation and warmth. In Taiwanese food culture, sesame oil, ginger, and rice cooking wine are considered “hot foods” (熱性食物), while chicken is viewed as a “warm food” (溫性食物). These terms don’t refer to the actual temperature of the dish, but to how the ingredients are thought to affect the body from the inside. Because of this, Ma You Ji is especially cherished during colder months or whenever you feel your body needs gentle, restorative comfort.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Deeply warming and aromatic – Perfect for chilly days, cold nights, or whenever you’re feeling under the weather.
- Built on essential, traditional flavours – The base is simple but powerful: sesame oil, ginger, rice wine, and chicken.
- Customisable broth strength – Easily adjust the rice wine-to-water ratio to suit your preference.
- Quick, nourishing, and comforting – Straightforward steps and wholesome ingredients make this ideal for weeknights or easy recovery meals.
Tips for Making the Best Taiwanese Sesame Oil Chicken Soup
Sauté the Ginger Slowly for Maximum Flavour
Gently heating ginger in oil unlocks its essential aroma, creating the flavorful foundation for the entire soup. This process also softens the ginger’s sharp edge, transforming it into a warm, aromatic, and subtly sweet base—ideal for a deeply comforting broth. The key is to sauté it until the slices curl and the edges turn a light golden brown.
Full Rice Wine vs. Half Rice Wine (This recipe uses the half version)
Full Rice Wine Version (全酒麻油雞)
- Deep, robust broth
- Alcohol cooks off, leaving natural sweetness
- Preferred by traditionalists
Half Rice Wine Version (半酒麻油雞) (used in this recipe)
- Milder, more balanced taste
- Great for kids or anyone sensitive to alcohol
- Ratio is flexible—add more rice wine for a stronger flavour, or more water for a gentler one
Substitute for Rice Cooking Wine for Ma You Ji
If you don’t have Taiwanese rice cooking wine on hand, you can still make a delicious Ma You Ji. For the closest flavour, shaoxing wine or Japanese sake can be used as substitutes, though each will add a slightly different aroma.
If you’re living in a place where these are harder to find—a small splash of a mild, unsweetened white cooking wine can work in a pinch to add depth and light sweetness. It won’t taste the same, but it adds a gentle depth and sweetness to the broth.
Alcohol-free Ma You Ji
If you prefer an alcohol-free version for dietary, cultural, or family reasons, you can replace the rice wine with hot water, chicken stock, or vegetable stock. While the flavour will be milder without the wine’s natural sweetness, the ginger, shiitake mushrooms, sesame oil, and chicken still create a wonderfully comforting soup. Simply adjust the seasoning to taste and increase the ginger or sesame oil slightly if you’d like to boost the aroma.
When to add the sesame oil
Because sesame oil can taste bitter when overheated, I prefer to add it right before serving to maintain its nutty aroma and enhance the broth.
Final Thoughts & Serving Suggestions
For serving, you can enjoy Ma You Ji simply as a nourishing soup, or pair it with rice or thin vermicelli noodles for a heartier meal. This Taiwanese Sesame Oil Chicken Soup is the kind of recipe you’ll come back to whenever you need something warming and comforting!
Taiwanese Sesame Oil Chicken Soup (Ma You Ji) 台式麻油雞
Ingredients
- 2 skin-on chicken thighs (about 400g), cut into pieces
- 6 dried shiitake mushrooms
- Vegetable oil for cooking
- 10 thinly slices of ginger
- 200 ml Taiwanese rice cooking wine
- 100 ml mushroom soaking water
- 200 ml hot water (more if needed)
- A small handful of goji berries
- ½ tsp sea salt adjust to taste
- ½ tsp ½ sugar adjust to taste
- 1 tsp seasoning powder optional, enhances the flavour
- 30 ml sesame oil
Instructions
- Prepare the mushrooms: Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in cold water for 2–4 hours, or until softened. Drain well and reserve 100ml of the soaking water.
- Render the chicken: Heat a little vegetable oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the chicken pieces and cook until the skin is lightly browned and the chicken fat renders out. Remove the chicken and set aside.
- Sauté the ginger and mushrooms: In the same pan, add the ginger slices and softened shiitake mushrooms. Stir-fry until the ginger curls at the edges and the mushrooms are slightly browned and fragrant.
- Flambé with wine: Return the chicken to the pan and pour in the rice cooking wine. Allow it to flambé for about 30 seconds to burn off the alcohol. Carefully cover with a lid to extinguish the flame.
- Simmer the soup: Pour in the reserved mushroom soaking water (about 100ml), then add enough hot water to cover the ingredients. Add the goji berries, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Finish the soup: Stir in the sesame oil. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt, sugar and seasoning powder (optional).
- Serve: Enjoy the soup on its own, or serve it with rice or noodles.
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Notes
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