Char Siu Chicken (Printable)
Juicy char siu chicken glazed with honey-hoisin and five-spice, roasted until glossy and lightly charred.
# What You'll Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 1.75 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
→ Marinade
02 - 3 tbsp hoisin sauce
03 - 2 tbsp soy sauce
04 - 2 tbsp honey
05 - 1 tbsp oyster sauce
06 - 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
07 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1 tsp five-spice powder
09 - 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
10 - 1 tsp sesame oil
11 - ½ tsp red food coloring (optional, for traditional color)
→ Garnish
12 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced
13 - 1 tsp sesame seeds
# Directions:
01 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, honey, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, minced garlic, five-spice powder, grated ginger, sesame oil, and red food coloring until smooth and well combined.
02 - Add the chicken thighs to the marinade, turning to coat each piece thoroughly. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight for deeper flavor penetration.
03 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil and set a roasting rack on top to allow even heat circulation around the chicken.
04 - Place the marinated chicken thighs on the rack, allowing any excess marinade to drip off. Reserve the leftover marinade in the bowl for basting.
05 - Roast the chicken for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven and brush generously with the reserved marinade using a pastry brush. Return to the oven and continue roasting for another 10 to 15 minutes until the glaze is glossy and deeply caramelized.
06 - For additional caramelization, broil the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes until edges are lightly charred. Remove from the oven and let the chicken rest for a few minutes before slicing.
07 - Slice the chicken into strips and arrange on a serving platter. Scatter sliced green onions and sesame seeds over the top. Serve alongside steamed rice and stir-fried greens.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The sticky, caramelized glaze develops in your oven with almost no hands on effort.
- It tastes like something you would order at a proper barbecue joint, but you made it in your pajamas.
02 -
- If you brush on marinade that raw chicken has been sitting in without boiling it first, you risk contamination, so always reserve a clean portion for glazing.
- The difference between good and great char siu is that final broil, so do not skip it even if you are impatient.
03 -
- Poking the chicken a few times with a fork before marinating helps the flavors penetrate deeper into the meat.
- Reserve a few tablespoons of fresh marinade before it touches raw chicken so you have a safe basting sauce ready to go.