Chinese BBQ Chicken

Name: Chinese BBQ Chicken
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 serving
Ingredients: 2 garlic cloves; 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; 1/2 tsp Chinese five spice powder (Note 1); 1/2 tsp sesame oil; Few drops red food colouring; 750 g / 1.5lb chicken thigh fillets; 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 10 – 12 bamboo skewers; Green onions / scallions

User Reviews

5.0

126 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Total Time
25 mins
Servings
4
Calories
366 kcal
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
Asian, Chinese

Chinese BBQ Chicken

Kai Walton

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The marinade for this chicken is based on the famous Chinese BBQ Pork (Char Siu), a very popular recipe on my blog! It’s sweet, savoury, sticky, laced with Chinese Five Spice. Add your own touch like ginger and chilli for a kick! The red food colouring is optional – it gives the chicken the reddish tinge that Char Siu is known for. Recipe VIDEO below, MARINATING TIME: 3 - 24 hrs.

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Ingredients

Servings

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)

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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!

Notes

Chinese Five Spice Powder is a blend of five spices that is now commonly found at every day supermarkets in the spice section. It is the same prices as other dried herbs and spices. If you can't find it, this will still be super tasty without it because Hoisin Sauce has five spice in it so you will still get a subtle fragrance of it.
I like to make this with thigh because it's juicier but it works really well with breast too because the sugar in the marinade makes it caramelise nicely.
Oven: Preheat to 220C/425F. Small (150g/5oz) - Bake on top shelf for 18 minutes, then turn and bake for another 4 minutes. For large (200g/7oz), do 20 minutes then 5 minutes.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).
Nutrition per serving.