⏱Marinate: 1 hr (or overnight) 🔥Cook: 25–30 min 👤Serves: 4 🌡Oven: 400°F (200°C)
Char siu chicken recipe is the weeknight answer to those glossy red roasted meats hanging in the windows of Chinese BBQ restaurants, all that caramelized, sticky, sweet-savory intensity, in your oven, in thirty minutes. Chicken thighs marinated in hoisin, honey, soy sauce, five spice and garlic, roasted until the glaze caramelizes into a deep mahogany lacquer that clings to every edge. The marinade takes five minutes to mix. The overnight rest does the rest of the work.
Gather these first
For the chicken
- 1½ lbs (680g) boneless skinless chicken thighs, thighs only. They stay juicy during the high-heat roast where breast dries out. Trim any excess fat with kitchen shears.
For the char siu marinade
- 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce, the backbone of the glaze. Lee Kum Kee brand is the most reliable.
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce, regular or light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, adds deep savory richness the hoisin alone cannot provide
- 2 tablespoons honey, creates the glossy caramelized finish. Use pure honey, not a blend.
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar, deepens the color and adds molasses complexity
- 1 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder, the defining flavor of char siu. Fresh five spice makes a noticeable difference, replace it if it has been in your pantry more than a year.
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated, optional but adds brightness
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine, or dry sherry as a substitute. Adds depth and removes any rawness from the chicken.
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil, added to the marinade for fragrance
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- ½ teaspoon red food coloring, completely optional. This is the restaurant secret for that vivid red color. The flavor is identical without it.
For the glaze
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon warm water
Now cooking time
- Make the marinade. Combine hoisin sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, honey, brown sugar, five spice powder, minced garlic, grated ginger, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, white pepper and food coloring (if using) in a large bowl. Whisk until completely smooth and combined.
- Marinate the chicken. Add the trimmed chicken thighs to the marinade. Toss thoroughly to coat every surface. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, overnight is strongly preferred. The longer it marinates, the deeper the flavor penetrates the meat.Wear disposable gloves when mixing if using red food coloring, it stains everything it touches.
- Prepare for roasting. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking to take the chill off for more even cooking. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup, then place a wire rack on top. Arrange the chicken thighs on the rack in a single layer with space between each piece, the rack allows heat to circulate underneath and prevents the glaze from becoming soggy.Reserve any remaining marinade in a small saucepan, you will use it for basting.
- First roast. Roast for 15 minutes. Check every 10 minutes, the sugar content in the marinade means it can scorch quickly if the oven runs hot. If the chicken is darkening too fast, tent loosely with foil and lower the temperature to 375°F (190°C).
- Make the basting glaze. While the chicken roasts, combine the reserved marinade with 1 tablespoon honey and 1 tablespoon warm water in the small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat for 2–3 minutes. This cooks out any raw chicken juices and thickens the glaze.Never use raw marinade directly as a basting sauce, always cook it first.
- Flip and baste. After 15 minutes, flip the chicken. Brush generously with the cooked basting glaze. Return to the oven for 10–15 more minutes, basting once more in the final 5 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C) internal temperature and the glaze is deeply caramelized and lacquered.
- Optional broil finish. For extra char, the kind you see at Chinese BBQ restaurants, switch to the broiler for the final 2–3 minutes. Watch it constantly. The difference between caramelized and burnt is about 60 seconds under a broiler. Rest 5 minutes before slicing.
The honest note
The overnight marinade is not a suggestion, it is the recipe. One hour produces good char siu chicken. Eight hours produces extraordinary char siu chicken. The five spice and hoisin need time to work through the thigh meat beyond the surface, and the sugar needs time to begin its slow penetration that produces the depth of flavor restaurants achieve through years of practiced overnight marination. If you can only give it one hour, it will still be good. If you plan ahead and give it overnight, it will be the best chicken you have made in months.
Before you serve
Claire’s note:
Slice the chicken thighs across the grain into thick pieces before serving, this is how char siu is presented in Cantonese BBQ restaurants and it makes the caramelized edges visible on every piece. Serve over steamed jasmine rice with a drizzle of the pan drippings over the top. The pan drippings, the slightly charred, deeply savory liquid at the bottom of the foil are extraordinary over rice. Do not discard them.
What to eat alongside
Char siu chicken belongs over steamed jasmine rice with a simple stir-fried green vegetable alongside, bok choy, Chinese broccoli or spinach with garlic. It also works sliced into Chinese fried rice the next day, one of the best uses of leftover char siu in any form. For the full picture of Chinese BBQ cooking techniques and the pantry that makes it possible, the Chinese recipes collection and the Chinese pantry guide have everything you need.
Add char siu chicken to your weekly meal planner, marinate on Sunday night and it roasts in 30 minutes on Monday. And for more recipes, follow us on Pinterest.
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Char Siu Chicken
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: None
Description
Deliciously sticky and caramelized char siu chicken thighs, marinated in a savory sweet glaze, roasted to perfection.
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs (680g) boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated (optional)
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine (or dry sherry)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- ½ teaspoon red food coloring (optional)
- 1 tablespoon honey (for glaze)
- 1 tablespoon warm water (for glaze)
Instructions
- Make the marinade: Combine hoisin sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, honey, brown sugar, five spice powder, minced garlic, grated ginger, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, white pepper, and food coloring in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth.
- Marinate the chicken: Add the chicken thighs to the marinade. Toss to coat and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight.
- Prepare for roasting: Remove chicken from fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C), line a baking sheet with foil, and place a wire rack on top.
- Roast for 15 minutes, checking every 10 minutes to avoid burning. Tent with foil if necessary.
- Make the basting glaze: Combine reserved marinade with 1 tablespoon honey and 1 tablespoon warm water in a saucepan. Simmer for 2–3 minutes.
- Flip the chicken, baste with glaze, and return to the oven for 10–15 minutes until chicken reaches 165°F (74°C).
- Broil for 2–3 minutes for extra char if desired. Rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
Notes
For best results, marinate overnight. Serve over steamed jasmine rice with pan drippings.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Chinese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 900mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 80mg
