Char Siu Chicken
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Andrea Nguyen’s char siu chicken proves you can get big flavor without any fuss—and that sticky, flavorful glaze makes it a surefire favorite for your dinner rotation.
Photo by Aubrie Pick © 2019
This easy char siu chicken recipe comes from Vietnamese Food Any Day: Simple Recipes for True, Fresh Flavors by Andrea Nguyen. Nguyen describes char siu as “savory-sweet and garlicky Chinese barbecued pork, called char siu in Cantonese and xá xíu in Vietnamese.” Since the classic pork version needs a long marinade—an hour or ideally overnight—her weeknight take uses chicken thighs for that wonderful old-school flavor.
Enjoy this char siu chicken with jasmine rice or a salad for dinner, then use leftovers for banh mi, noodle soup, or fried rice. The only tweak I made was doubling the sauce because it’s that good.
“I’ve had char siu pork but never chicken—it was fantastic! It tastes like chinese bbq. I’ll be adding this dish to my faves for sure!”
What You’ll Need To Make Char Siu Chicken
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs: Juicy and full of flavor, chicken thighs stay tender and juicy and soak up the marinade beautifully. If you’d rather use white meat, chicken tenderloins work too; keep in mind they cook in about half the time, and you’ll need a bit less since there’s no trimming needed.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic adds a savory kick and depth to the marinade.
- Chinese Five-Spice Powder: This fragrant blend (typically made up of star anise, cloves, Chinese cinnamon (or cassia), Sichuan peppercorns, and fennel seeds) brings warm, slightly sweet spice notes that pair perfectly with the sticky glaze.
- Honey, Hoisin Sauce, Soy Sauce & Ketchup: This combo creates a sweet, tangy, and salty marinade that caramelizes beautifully as the chicken cooks.
- Sesame Oil: Adds a subtle nutty richness that ties all the flavors together.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions For Char Siu Chicken
Step 1: Make the marinade. In a large bowl, mix together the garlic, five-spice powder, honey, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, ketchup, and sesame oil until smooth.
Step 2: Marinate the chicken. Set aside about half the marinade for glazing later. Add the chicken to the bowl and toss to coat well. Cover and marinate at room temp for 30 minutes or in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
Step 3: Cook the chicken. Lightly oil a cast-iron grill pan and set over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken for 6 to 10 minutes, turning a few times. Test for doneness by piercing with a knife—the juices should run clear. During the last 2 minutes, baste with the reserved marinade for extra flavor and shine. Alternatively, you can cook the chicken on the grill.
More Asian Chicken Recipes You May Like
Char Siu Chicken
Ingredients
- 2½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (see note if you prefer white meat)
- 2 large cloves garlic, put through a press or minced and mashed
- ½ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
- ¼ cup honey, preferably amber colored
- Brimming ¼ cup hoisin sauce
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- Scant 4 teaspoons sesame oil
Instructions
- Pat the chicken thighs with paper towels to remove excess moisture, then trim and discard any big fat pads. If the thighs are large or super-uneven in thickness, butterfly each one. Lay the thigh, smooth-side down, on your cutting board. Wielding your knife horizontally, slash the big mound of flesh to create a flap of meat, stopping just shy of cutting all the way through. Fold back the meat flap that you just created. The thigh should now be about 50 percent longer and relatively even in thickness. If the result seems awkwardly large, cut it crosswise into two smaller, square-ish pieces. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, stir together the garlic, five-spice powder, honey, hoisin, soy sauce, ketchup, and sesame oil. Remove about half the marinade and set aside for glazing the chicken. Add the chicken to the bowl, coating the pieces well. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes, or refrigerate up to 24 hours (return to room temperature before cooking).
- Lightly oil a cast-iron stove-top grill pan and set over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 6 to 10 minutes, turning several times. To test for doneness, pierce the flesh with the tip of a knife; the chicken is cooked when clear juices flow out. During the last 2 minutes, when the chicken feels firmish, baste with the reserved marinade to freshen flavor and add sheen. (Alternatively, prepare a medium charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill to medium and cook the chicken for 10 to 12 minutes, basting during the last 3 minutes.) Transfer to a platter and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I’m excited to make this, but am looking for suggestions of what to serve along side. Thoughts?
Hi Tracy, this would pair nicely with jasmine rice and a Thai Cucumber Salad. Hope that helps and that you enjoy!
Can you use with bone in chicken thighs?
Yes, Gail, bone-in thighs should work here. Cooking time will be longer; possibly up to double that of the current cooking time. You may want to lower the heat a bit though so that the skin doesn’t burn before the meat is cooked through. Please LMK how they turn out!
I made this chicken tonight and my 17 year old son inhaled it. I marinated it for about 24 hours. Thanks for all the great recipes. They show up on my dinner table often!
Made this tonight and it was amazing! Will definitely be making this again.
Made this last night on my grill pan. Absolutely melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
I would like to make this recipe. What is Chinese 5 spice powder? I don’t ever recall seeing this spice in the grocery store.
Hi Kathy, 5 spice powder is a seasoning mix that generally includes cloves, fennel, cinnamon, star anise, and Szechuan peppercorns. It can be found in the spice section of most grocery stores. If you’re unable to find it, you can make your own — here’s a recipe. Hope that helps and that you enjoy the chicken if you make it!
I made this recipe this evening using a pork tenderloin cut into chunks. I made kabobs using the marinated pork, onion, mushroom, and zucchini. Served it with fried rice. It’s a do-over for sure!
Hi Jenn- would love to try this with Pork- what cut would you suggest? Also the marinating time please. Many thanks!
Hi Ash, This should work nicely with pork shoulder cut into pieces (and I’d marinate it overnight). I’d love to hear how it turns out with pork!
Hi, Jenn. This seems like a great recipe to make while we’re on vacation. We’ll be staying in an Airbnb and I don’t think we’ll have a grill. Do you think I could make it in the oven? Thanks.
Yes, Yolanda, this can be broiled in the oven. I’d use the cooking guidance from this recipe. Have a great vacation and please LMK how it turns out! 🙂
Thanks, Jenn, the chicken was fantastic! I carelessly bought skin-on, bone-in thighs, but they came out delicious after 45 minutes in a 350-degree oven. This recipe is a keeper!
Oh, I forgot, you were right about the broiler. I used it at the end to crisp up the skin.
Hi,
How about using chicken thighs with bone in and skin on? The cooking time will be how much longer? And, can I omit the ketchup and substitute for something else? Want to avoid the onion it usually contains.
Thanks!
Hi Emilie, I’m guessing you’ll need to add about 10 minutes to the cook time, and turn the heat down a bit so the outside doesn’t burn before the inside is cooked. Tomato paste would be a great substitute for the ketchup. Hope that helps.