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5.0 from 9 votes

Easy & Simple Chinese Five Spice Honey Chicken

Juicy chicken thighs seasoned in a sweet and savory sauce with Chinese five spice and roasted in the oven. This easy Chinese five spice chicken is made with simple ingredients. A great main dish with big flavors! I also share instructions on how to air fry or pan fry the chicken in the notes section below.

Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Total Time
50 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 288 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients

  • 1 lb skin-on bone-in chicken thighs approx 4 thighs
  • 1 green onion finely chopped for garnishing
Seasoning
  • 3 tablespoon honey or maple syrup/brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoon Regular soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoon vegetable oil or any neutral oil
  • 1 tablespoon Chinese five spice
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or apple cider/white vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds or sesame oil
  • 2 teaspoon yellow mustard not dijon or whole grain mustard!
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder or finely minced garlic
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper or white pepper

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat the oven to 355 degrees F.
  2. In a small bowl, combine seasoning ingredients as listed above and set aside.
  3. Pat dry chicken thighs with clean paper towel. Transfer chicken thighs into a large bowl. Poke as many holes into the thighs with a fork.
  4. Then pour the seasoning over chicken thighs and mix until chicken is coated. If you have extra time, you can marinate this for 15 minutes or longer in the fridge or skip the marinating altogether.
  5. Fill a deep 9 x 13-inch baking pan with just enough water to cover the base of the pan. Place a wire rack into pan and make sure the top of the wire rack is not touching the water so it doesn't touch the chicken.
  6. Place chicken thighs onto the wire rack, skin side up. Make sure the water isn't touching thighs. Brush some of the sauce onto the chicken skin. Reserve the remaining sauce as a basting sauce.
  7. Bake for 35-40 minutes, basting every 10 minutes, until chicken is cooked through or internal temperature of 165 F with a digital instant read thermometer inserted at the thickest part or juices run clear.
  8. Remove from the oven. Garnish with green onions and enjoy!

Notes

  • Preheat the air fryer to 380 F for 5 minutes. Lightly spray the air fryer basket with vegetable oil or cooking spray or line only the base of the air fryer basket with parchment paper.
  • Place the seasoned chicken thighs skin side down in a single layer without overlap (you may need to air fry in small batches depending on the size of your air fryer). Then brush the the meaty side with some seasoning. Air fry for 12 minutes.
  • Then flip the chicken over, baste the skin side with seasoning. Air fry for another 10-15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Cooked chicken has an internal temperature of 165 F with a digital instant read thermometer inserted at the thickest part or until juices run clear.
  • Garnish with green onions.
  • Heat 1 tablespoon or 15 ml vegetable oil in a large pan on medium-high heat. Place the seasoned chicken thighs only into the pan skin side down and sear on each side for 2 minutes.
  • Then add the seasoning from the bowl with ¼ cup or 60 ml of water into the pan.
  • Cover and simmer for 7 minutes. Reduce to low-medium heat (level 3 on the dial) or a rolling simmer. Flip chicken over. Cover and simmer for another 7 minutes.
  • Flip chicken over so it’s skin side up. Remove off heat. Note: Cooked chicken should have clear juices or should reach an internal temperature of 165 F inserted at the thickest part of the chicken with an instant-read thermometer.
  • Garnish cooked chicken with green onions.

Nutrition Information

Calories 288kcal (14%) Carbohydrates 16g (5%) Protein 18g (36%) Fat 17g (26%) Saturated Fat 4g (20%) Polyunsaturated Fat 4g Monounsaturated Fat 7g Trans Fat 0.1g Cholesterol 94mg (31%) Sodium 897mg (37%) Potassium 282mg (8%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 13g (26%) Vitamin A 113IU (2%) Vitamin C 1mg (1%) Calcium 47mg (5%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 288

% Daily Value*

Calories 288kcal 14%
Carbohydrates 16g 5%
Protein 18g 36%
Fat 17g 26%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Polyunsaturated Fat 4g 24%
Monounsaturated Fat 7g 35%
Trans Fat 0.1g 5%
Cholesterol 94mg 31%
Sodium 897mg 37%
Potassium 282mg 6%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 13g 26%
Vitamin A 113IU 2%
Vitamin C 1mg 1%
Calcium 47mg 5%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.