Char Siu Chicken - Khin's Kitchen (2024)

Homemade simple Char Siu Chicken recipe made with juicy chicken thighs and aromatic classic Chinese BBQ marinade. You can either roast in an oven or air-fry to charred perfection. Juicy tender chicken with sweet and savoury char siu sauce is irresistible.

If you love Asian roasted chicken recipes, you will also love our oven-roasted Chinese Five Spice Chicken with simple soy sauces, fresh herbs, and Chinese five-spice seasonings.

Why you would love this recipe

It's one of our family's favourite fool-proof recipes that everyone can simply recreate at home. If you are trying char siu for the first time, it's a classic Chinese BBQ dish and is sweet and savoury in taste. Char Siu Pork is a popular dish and if you don't eat pork, this Char Siu Chicken is the perfect recipe to try out.

You can use roasted char siu meat in various dishes, from chow mein to buns and is adaptable. When you roast it at home, you can customize the flavour and meat to your own style. You can prepare everything ahead for batch cooking, dinner, gatherings, and parties.

In this post, I am sharing easy Chinese BBQ chicken with the best marinade and you can either bake, air-fry, or grill it. All of the ingredients used in this recipe can be easily bought at local supermarkets or local Chinese grocery stores. Impress your friends and family with the best Chinese BBQ Chicken recipe!

Ingredients

Following is a quick guide with photo instructions and you can find detailed measurements on the recipe card, at the bottom of this post.

• Chicken - I used skin-on boneless chicken thighs in this recipe. You can either use skin-on or skinless chicken thigh to your preference.
• Ground Spices - Chinese five spices powder and ground white pepper are ideal for chicken marinade.
• Hoisin Sauce - is one of the key ingredients for chicken char siew and it has a sweet and savoury flavour and is made of fermented soybean paste.
• Garlic & ginger - Add freshly grated ginger and garlic for the best flavour.
• Sauces & seasonings - I add soy sauce, cooking wine, sesame oil, and salt to taste.
• Food colouring - is an optional. You can add vibrant red food colouring, like the restaurants and takeaways char siu or you can omit to your preference.

Prepare chicken and char siu marinade

• In a large mixing bowl add the marinade ingredients, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sugar, Shao Xing wine, white pepper, Chinese five spices, garlic paste, ginger paste, salt, food colouring, and sesame oil. Mix it well until the sugar is dissolved.
• Add chicken thighs and combine well with the marinade. Cover and let it marinate for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight in the fridge.

Air-fryer Option

• Preheat the air-fryer for 2-3 minutes. Line the air-fryer basket with a baking sheet or kitchen foil. Place the chicken thigh in the air-fryer skin-side up and air-fry at 190-200°C for 7-8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, the chicken is in the air-fryer, prepare the basting sauce. Add the leftover chicken marinade to the small saucepan, water, and honey. Stir it well and simmer for 3-4 minutes or until the sauce is reduced and slightly thick.
• Brushthe chicken thighs with the prepared basting sauce, place it back in the air-fryer, and continue cooking for 5-6 minutes or until the chicken is cooked and charred.

Baked Char Siu Chicken

• Preheat the oven to190-200°C for 4-5 minutes. Line the baking tray with foil or baking sheet. Place the chicken thighs skin-side up over the baking sheet/kitchen foil. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
• Prepare the basting sauce while the chicken is roasted in the oven. Add the leftover chicken marinade sauce, water, and honey into a small saucepan. Simmer for 3-4 minutes or until the sauce is slightly thickened. Remove from heat and set it aside.
• After baking for 10-12 minutes, brush the chicken with the basting sauce. Then continue bake for another 8-10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked and glazed to the desired texture.

Top Tips

• Meat: For this baked or air fryer char siu recipe, recommend using chicken thigh fillets which contain more fat, compared to leaner breast meat.
• Allow time to marinate: Marinate the chicken preferably overnight or at least 2 hours, to allow the meat to absorb the flavour of spices and sauces.
• Basting: Baste for 1-2 times while cooking for the delicious glazed finish.
• Slicing: Use a sharp knife to cut thin slices to preserve the best serving presentation.

Variations

• Hoisin sauce substitute - You can use oyster sauce or Lee Kum Kee Char Siu sauce as a hoisin sauce substitute.
• Other ingredients you can add - Traditionally Chinese preserved fermented red bean curd is used in the marinade, but it is not easy to buy at our Asian supermarkets. So we don't usually add red bean curd. If you can find one, you can add it to the marinade for extra umami flavour.
• If you have leftover char siu chicken, you can cut it into small bite-size pieces and add it to stir-fries, buns, salad, or noodle soups. Char Siu Chow Mein, Char Siu Fried Rice, char siu ramen noodle soup, char siu bao buns, char siu spring rolls, char siu puff, and char siu lettuce wraps are popular options.

FAQ

What to serve with this Chinese BBQ Chicken?

Chinese BBQ chicken pairs well with plain rice, stir-fry vegetables, stir-fried noodles, or fried rice. Instead of char siu dipping sauce, you can also serve it with sweet chilli sauce, hot Sriracha chilli sauce, plum sauce, or chilli garlic sauce. We love to serve it together with jasmine rice, steamed broccoli or bok choy, and a dash of homemade chilli oil.

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