If you love Asian food, you will go nuts over this Chinese Chicken! Made with the same Char Siu marinade as the ever popular Chinese Barbecue Pork (Char Siu), this recipe calls for Asian staples you might already have. BBQ it, pan fry, bake or broil/grill it. The smell when this is cooking is outrageous!
Try this with a side of Fried Rice and Asian Slaw, or Asian Mushroom Ramen Noodles!
If you’ve strolled through Chinese neighbourhoods, past Chinese BBQ shops with the bronzed, glistening ducks and Chinese Barbecue Pork hanging from hooks in the window dripping with sticky glaze, then the smell when this hits the hot pan will be familiar.
And even if you’re not familiar with that smell, you will just know, you will know that this is 100% lip smackingly delicious and a total crowd pleaser. 🙂
This Chinese Chicken is the chicken version of Chinese Barbecue Pork. The marinade is slightly adjusted to make it more suitable for chicken – mainly less sugar because there’s more surface area with chicken so I find the pork Char Siu marinade a bit too sweet and also easier to cook on the BBQ/stove without burning the marinade.
And I even added the tiniest drop of red food colouring to give it that warm reddish tinge that Chinese Barbecue Pork is so well known for. (Entirely 100000% utterly and completely optional 🙂 )
And speaking of optional – the skewers are totally optional too. I just used them to do something a bit different because it dawned on me that I had done the Thai Coconut Marinated Chicken recently that would look very similar once cooked. Plus, they are handy for turning the chicken. 🙂
The flavour of this chicken is classic Chinese – it has lovely depth of flavour, it’s sweet and savoury, and a hint of Chinese Five Spice Powder flavour that makes this distinctly Char Siu. This is terrific cooked in the oven or broiled/grilled, but hands down the best way is on the BBQ or stove. That caramelisation that you get on the surface is just gold. GOLD. – Nagi xx
PS If you make this, tell me in the comments below if you agree that the smell when this is cooking is outrageous!!!!
PPS If you haven’t made it yet but you want to, tell me in the comments below if you can tell just by looking at the photos that the smell when this is cooking is outrageous!!!!
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Chinese BBQ Chicken
Ingredients
Marinade:
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp honey
- 1 1/2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 2 tsp oyster sauce
- 1 ½ tbsp light soy sauce (or all purpose)
- 1/2 tsp Chinese five spice powder (Note 1)
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil (not critical)
- Few drops red food colouring , optional
Chicken:
- 750 g / 1.5lb chicken thigh fillets , skinless boneless (or breast)
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 10 – 12 bamboo skewers , soaked in water for 1 hour (optional)
- Green onions / scallions , finely sliced, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Place Marinade ingredients in a ziplock bag or bowl and mix to combine.
- Add chicken and mix to coat. Marinade for 3 – 24 hours.
- Optional: Cut chicken into bite size or large pieces and thread onto skewers. Use 1 skewer for small pieces, 2 for large, like pictured in post.
- Heat half the oil in a heavy based skillet over medium high heat, or BBQ on medium (if using grill side, brush oil on bars).
- Remove chicken from marinade (RESERVE for basting) and place in the skillet – cook in 2 batches, don’t crowd the pan. Cook for 4 minutes then turn.
- Use the Marinade to baste the cooked side of the chicken. After 3 minutes, turn the chicken over so the basted side is now cooking again – cook for 1 minute.
- Baste the chicken, then turn again and cook for 45 sec – 1 min.
- Transfer chicken to a plate, cover loosely with foil and rest for 5 minutes.
- Serve, garnished with green onions / scallions if using!
Recipe Notes:
Grill/Broil: Preheat to medium high, then cook for 6 – 7 minutes on each side (watch carefully, will get dark brown spots and can burn easily due to sugar in marinade). 4. Nutrition per serving.
Nutrition Information:
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Chinese Chicken recipe video!
The ever popular Char Siu Chinese Barbecue Pork!
LIFE OF DOZER
When I feel sorry for him and let him on the couch, he certainly makes himself comfortable…..
SaveSave
It’s a guy thing – without the flower that is 😉 lol lol lol
All your recipes are so GREAT! Thank you for sharing your super skills.
I didn’t want to say it for fear of insulting all my male readers….. 😂
OMG !!!! I can smell it before i cook it , yum yum yum ….. 🙂
GOOD!!! 😜
Love your recipes Nagi, always full of flavour! Also love the strategically placed flower for Dozer’s modesty 🙂
I think it’s becoming a Thing, it isn’t the first time I’ve had to use it. Dozer’s Modesty Daisy? 😂
Hi Nagi, as you know I LOVE your recipes.. you are the life saver in our house and make me look very good when I rustle up your recipes to my friends for dinner parties and to my partner!
Just wanted to ask what happened to Dozers Paw. I hope he was not too badly injured.
love your site its the best.
Hi Lilly! Thank you for your lovely message, I’m so pleased you like my recipes! Dozer shredded his paw by bolting across a bed of oysters in pursuit of a pelican. 🙄 2 weeks of strict rest and he is finally all better!! N xx
Looks delicious Nagi! Do you have any soup, casseroles or general winter comfort food coming up as I love those foods in our Australian winter? xx
YES!! Yes yes yes, and I hope you love them, super excited about the line up of comfort food over the next few months! 🙂 I try to be fair by keeping a balance of summer and winter food in June – August because it’s summer for most of my readers, all those in the northern hemisphere. So bear with me! N xx
That’s fantastic Nagi!! I thought it may be the case with all your northern hemisphere followers. I live in Brisbane so we have a very short season here so I am ready to go!! I adore you and your recipes … and of course Dozer 🌼
Winter is coming!! Xx
I’ve got a Winter collection and soups as well, I will get that up so it’s easy to find 🙂 N xx In the meantime, here it is! https://promotown.info/category/collections/winter-recipe-collection/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Hello Nagi
Finally I am writing to thank you for your wonderful recipes.
I have tried pretty much ever recipe that you have published… they are amazing and so easy to prepare.
I look forward to your post everyday , really I do…
Thank you.
Rhonda Thalheimer
From Canada
What a compliment Rhonda! Thank you kindly for your lovely message, I’m so pleased you are enjoying my recipes! N xx
My mouth is watering. This chicken looks amazing! Great with rice or even mashed potatoes.
I am laughing so hard! 100% lip smackingly delicious! I believe that!
😂😂😂
About 70% of my daily food being Asian fusion variations of this delight are well known. No food colouring but , since I have my hot lunch in the garden even in winter, bamboo skewers oft come into play: neater and more fun when eating – who wants cutlery, I use chopsticks 90% of the time anyways 🙂 ! And Dozer poses beautifully and definitely does NOT need the flower . . . . family jewels should be displayed 🙂 !
Family jewels!! 😂 You are SO FUNNY Eha!!!
Well, Nagi, that is what most guys and many gals do call ’em when they want to be ‘polite’ 🙂 !!
😂
I have not made this recipe Nagi, but I can tell by the pictures that the smell would be outrageous! And yes, I do want to make it. Your pictures are making me hungry!
😂 Love hearing that Dawn!
You are so sweet worrying about our sensibilities with Dozer — he’s a male!! He is NOT shy. We females do try to refine the male species but it’s not always possible. Getting back to the dish — my, oh my it’s a major yum!! We made your Italian wings this weekend on the grill — did a few minor variations but they were excellent. Will have to try this recipe. Your recipes NEVER fail!! xoxo
Ooooh! I LOVE those wings! As for Dozer…. I refuse to have his privates splattered all over my site. But his tail just wouldn’t stay in place to hide it….so I had to make do with a Modesty Daisy. 😂
I e-mail with this post, awhile I was at the supermarket, and I got all my ingredients:) to make those yummy tights, but I didn’t find food coloring:(
What else could I use instead?
Hi Carlos! It’s not necessary, just skip it! ❤️
I added instead of a ingredient used in Caribbean cuisine to give color to the food call ” ground Annato Achiote”. It have been marinating since yesterday:)
I LOVE HEARING THAT!!! ❤️
Food colouring would have been with the baking items but this recipe would be fabulous without it. I can’t eat artificial colour or additives & will even struggle with the hoisin, oyster & soy sauce in this recipe due to their naturally high level of glutamates, but that is what makes it so incredibly tasty!! The natural colours in these sauces & the 5 spice I’m sure will be fab without the red colouring, don’t worry. I’m going to sere this with rice & edamame tonight. Can’t wait.
You’re 100% right Kate! The colouring adds nothing to the flavour, it just gives the chicken a reddish hue which is akin to Chinese Barbecue Pork, the marinade for which is the base of this recipe. I hope you love it Kate!! And I hope you’re ok with the glutamates in the sauces, you could skip the oyster if you want to reduce is slightly 🙂
I’ve got 2 large pork chops in the fridge, and was thinking of doing something… different. Open the emails and here we are. And you’re right, I can smell and taste that just looking at the pics.
Now I have to wait 12 hours ’til I can eat it… (sigh)
Oh, BTW, did you know your doggo has a flower growing out of his tummy? Such a modest pupper.
It’s his modesty daisy!!!!! 😂 PS You only had to wait 3 whole hours…..
Nah, it was 6.30AM when I saw it. Made for more marinating time, though, so all is well. Tasted nice, too. Try the chicken next. 5 stars.
TERRIFIC!!! N xx
My mouth was watering just looking at the picture. Can’t wait to try it. I’m giving it 5 stars because I’m sure that it will have earned them.
GOOD! My job is done then! 😉
I enjoy making some of your recipes. Can you tell me what is 5 spice powder as I have no clue.
Thanks RW
Thanks for the question Randy! I’ve added it in the notes – it’s a spice mix that’s readily available nowadays in the dried herbs and spice section of supermarkets, costs the same as other spices. 🙂 N xx
Read the recipe notes.
It wasn’t there when Randy wrote the message!!! He prompted me to add that note. 😂❤️
Outrageous! What a recipe Nagi, fantastic. I’ve not saved it to my recipe bookmarks, I’ve saved it to my wallpaper 😂😁delicious!
😂😂😂
How interesting is your timing..
I had recently saved a recipe for Chicken Char Siu, from another blog… Figured I’d make this for Jeannie when she returns from a trip to Las Vegas..
Comparing recipes, I’m going with yours, of course… :O)
Dozers look of contentment come from you giving him a bit of Chicken Char Siu?? ;o)
You flatter me Ross! PS Are you coping without her? 😁
Nagi, I cannot WAIT to try this!!!!! Just bought some chicken and am always looking for new ways to prepare it.
Dozer is one lucky dog 🙂 he reminds me of my baby that passed away and I miss him terribly. You should ALWAYS let him on the couch, bed, chair, etc. not just when he is injured. Life is meant to be spoiling our four-leg, fur babies 🙂 Thanks again for another wonderful recipe. ~Annalisa
So sorry to hear your baby passed… 😭 And believe me, he is plenty spoilt. Couch or no couch!!! Besides, I spent a good deal of money on a giant, super comfortable dog bed for him, he should spend more time on that!!!!😖
Hi Nagi, although we in Panama eat a lot of Chinese food, your recipes are a bit different, maybe because you put a Japanese touch? My cooking is very Panamanian, but since I found your web I am cooking a lot of Asian food and my family love it, besides I found everything you need for Chinese cooking in my country. Thank you. I already love Dozer.
Happy to hear from another Dozer fan! 🙂 This doesn’t have any Japanese ingredients in it, actually, my mother owns the japanese food space so I stay away from it! N xx
This looks delicious. If I leave out the brown sugar to take down the sugar content, would that ruin the marinade?
Hi Emma! Nope, it will still be a bit sweet 🙂
Is there a substitute for oyster sauce. Family member allergic to anything that swims.
Hi Mary! Just use more Hoisin 🙂
I believe you can buy vegetarian oyster sauce, whose primary flavour comes from mushrooms.
Gosh, I forgot about that! I have to look into that 🙂 Thanks for sharing the tip Kate! N xx ❤️