Traditional Char Siu with a Twist – Char Siu Chicken!
Chinese char siu is one of my all-time favorite dishes. It’s absolutely crave-worthy – spiced, sweet, savory, and so juicy! – but I’m particularly fond of it because my Mom often makes it at home.
While traditional Cantonese char siu is most often made with roasted pork, we also had char siu chicken pretty regularly throughout my childhood.
With its uniquely spiced-yet-sweet flavor and iconic red hue, I always figured Mom’s char siu must be pretty complicated to make – but it’s a surprisingly low-effort meal!
Her 5-ingredient recipe uses pantry staples like soy sauce, garlic powder, Chinese five spice, and brown sugar (in leiu of more traditional honey or maltose sweeteners) to create a simple char siu marinade. The dark brown sugar creates a thicker char siu glaze with a richer caramelly flavor – a nod to my Mom’s Hawaiian heritage!
From there, the chicken roasts in the oven until tender, basting in extra char siu sauce to create a savory-sweet glaze, and finishes under the broiler for perfectly caramelized and crispy skin.
Aside from its amazing flavor, its incredibly versatility and the dinner options are seriously endless. Enjoy char siu chicken as-is with noodles or rice, or toss it into a stir fry, tuck it into steamed buns. At-home Chinese BBQ has never been easier and I know you’ll LOVE it just as much as we do!
A Taste of Hawaii at Home
18+ cherished family recipes, from my ‘ohana to yours.
What is Char Siu?
Char siu is an iconic Chinese (specifically, Cantonese) dish traditionally made by roasting pork.
It is best known for its uniquely sweet-savory-spiced flavor, which comes from a char siu marinade typically made with Chinese five spice, soy sauce and/or hoisin sauce, and a sweetener like honey or maltose.
Char siu translates to “fork roasted,” a nod to the fact that the BBQ meat is traditionally skewered on long forks and roasted over an open fire. Pork shoulder or pork butt is often used to make it because it’s a hearty cut that stands up to roasting very well. As the meat roasts, it’s basted with even more char siu sauce – its sugars caramelize in the high heat, giving the juicy meat its iconic glazed finish.
Char siu chicken has the same savory-sweet flavors thanks to its marinade and use of the same at-home roasting process as char siu pork. It’s succulent and crisp and an absolutely delicious alternative to pork!
Mom’s Easy Char Siu Marinade
Mom’s signature char siu sauce could not be easier to make. With just 4 key ingredients – all of which are probably already in your kitchen – it’s key to creating char siu chicken’s sticky-sweet flavor and texture.
Plus, prep is super streamlined since the sauce plays double duty in this recipe – you use most of it to marinate the chicken, while some is reserved for basting as it roasts.
A note on chicken ⇢ I love bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs – they’re an affordable option with rich, juicy flavor and irresistibly crispy skin! – but you can use pretty much any kind of chicken for this recipe. Choose your favorite or grab whatever is available at the grocery store. Char siu chicken prep and cook times change slightly depending on which cut you use.
Other Cuts of Chicken
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs – No need for a rack if you’re going skinless! Slice the boneless, skinless thighs before broiling to help them get even crispier.
- Chicken breasts – I recommend butterflying or pounding the chicken breasts flat before marinating. Chicken breasts roast more evenly with uniform thickness, which helps keep them nice and juicy. Skip broiling since chicken breasts are more prone to drying out.
- Drumsticks – Roast char siu chicken drumsticks using the same method as bone-in, skin-on thighs. Refer to the Recipe Notes, below, for more guidance!
Mixing the char siu marinade.
Simply whisk together the soy sauce, dark brown sugar, Chinese five spice, and garlic powder, then dilute it with a little water. You can also add a few drops of red food coloring (pictured) to create the iconic red hue of char siu glaze, but it’s totally optional.
Don’t forget! ⇢ It’s essential to reserve some of the char siu sauce to baste the chicken as it roasts, which creates the iconic glossy finish signature to traditional char siu. I recommend using about 1/2 of the char siu sauce to marinate the chicken and saving the rest for the roasting process.
Suggested Marinating Time
For best results, marinate the chicken for at least 12 hours or up to 3 days. Always aim for longer if you can. The more the meat soaks up the marinade, the more flavorful your chicken char siu will be.
Shop This Post
Buy Now → 
Buy Now → 
Buy Now → 
Buy Now → 
Buy Now → How to Cook Sweet and Sticky Char Siu Chicken in the Oven
Marinating is the most time-consuming part of this recipe. After that, roasting char siu chicken is very simple – it only takes about 30 minutes and the oven does all the work!
About 30 minutes before you’re ready to start cooking, take the marinated chicken thighs out of the fridge and place them on a wire rack over a sheet pan. Why? ⇢ Roasting the meat on the elevated rack allows air to circulate around the chicken as it roasts. This helps it cook more evenly and keeps the chicken skin nice and crispy. It’s an easy way to simulate the traditional Chinese fork roasted method at home.
Roast the char siu chicken for 30 minutes, basting and rotating the sheet pan every 15 minutes. To baste, use a brush to generously coat the surface of the chicken with the reserved char siu marinade. Why? ⇢ Basting the chicken as it roasts creates a classic, thick, sticky-sweet glaze.
This only takes a few minutes but it’s the perfect finishing touch! Place the char siu chicken under the boiler and cook until it reaches your desired level of caramelization. Why? ⇢ Finishing under the broiler creates charred, smoky caramelized edges that mimic the effect of cooking with open flame.
Alternate Cooking Method
While baked chicken char siu gets a pretty impressive sticky-sweet texture, it’s hard to beat a classic grill char! The secret is using 2-zone grilling, which allows the chicken to gently cook over indirect heat and finish over direct heat for extra-crispy skin. Check the Recipes Notes, below, for step-by-step guidance.
Serving Suggestions
This chicken is so flavorful that you don’t really have to serve anything too fancy with it but it is incredibly versatile.
Here are a few serving suggestions to get you started…
- Tuck it into bao and top with sesame seeds and sliced scallions. Or, try our favorite manapua (Hawaii-style char siu bao) using char siu chicken in place of pork.
- Nestle a few slices on top of your ramen or nestle into a bowl of saimin (a Hawaiian noodle soup often served with char siu) or noodles, like Hawaiian-Style Chow Fun, one of my all-time favorite comfort foods!
- For a veggie-forward option, sub char siu chicken into these lettuce wraps. The savory-sweet flavors are similar, but the char siu adds next-level crispy texture!
- Serve atop rice with my Everyday Sautéed Bok Choy and drizzle with leftover char siu sauce.
- Add sliced or diced char siu chicken to fried rice or a veggie stir fry to make a complete meal.
I can’t wait for you to try this Char Siu Chicken! It’s so easy to throw together any night of the week but packs such a big punch of sweet-savory flavor. We’re completely obsessed – I think you’ll love it too!
If you do give it a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo and tag @playswellwithbutter on Instagram. We LOVE seeing your PWWB creations! ♡ Happy cooking!
Print
Sweet and Sticky Char Siu Chicken
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Marinating Time: 12 – 72 hours
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: serves 4
- Category: Main Dishes, Chicken Recipes
- Method: Roasted, Oven
- Cuisine: Chinese, Asian-Inspired
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Iconic roasted Chinese BBQ with a twist – quick & easy Char Siu Chicken! This family recipe gets its savory-sweet flavor from a homemade char siu sauce made with pantry staples like soy sauce, brown sugar, & Chinese five spice.
Simply marinate chicken thighs, then roast in the oven until juicy & tender & finish under the broiler for caramelly-crisp skin. The best thing about chicken char siu is its versatility – it’s fantastic served with rice or noodles & it’s a great add-in to stir-fries, steamed buns, fried rice, & more!
Ingredients
- 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (approx. 2.5–3 pounds), trimmed of excess fat
- ¼ cup soy sauce (can sub tamari if gluten-free)
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar (can sub regular brown sugar if needed)
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 teaspoons Chinese five spice
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- optional: ¼ teaspoon red liquid food coloring
- kosher salt and ground white pepper, to season
Instructions
- Prepare the char siu marinade: In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, dark brown sugar, water, Chinese five spice, garlic powder, and red food coloring (if using). Season with 1 heaping teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper. Whisk to combine well. Transfer ½ of the marinade to a small airtight container or jar and reserve for basting the roasted chicken.
- Marinate the chicken: Trim excess skin and fat from the chicken thighs, then flatten them for faster, even cooking by partially cutting the meat away from the bone on both sides, leaving about ⅓ of the bone still attached. Place the chicken thighs in a large airtight container or resealable plastic bag and pour the remaining ½ of the char siu marinade over top. Toss to combine, coating the chicken in the char siu marinade well. Cover/seal and transfer to the refrigerator to marinate for at least 12 hours or up to 3 days. The longer you’re able to marinade, the more flavorful the char siu chicken!
- Roasting prep: About 30 minutes before you’re ready to roast, pull the char siu marinated chicken out of the refrigerator to come to room temperature for more even cooking. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F, ensuring one oven rack is positioned in the center of the oven and a second oven rack is positioned directly under the broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or foil for easy clean up as desired. Lightly spray a wire rack with cooking spray and set it in the baking sheet. Transfer the char siu marinated chicken thighs to a wire rack, shaking off and discarding any excess marinade.
- Roast the char siu chicken: Place the char siu chicken on the center rack in the preheated oven. Roast 30 minutes, basting the chicken and rotating the sheet pan every 15 minutes. To baste, use a pastry brush or silicone basting brush to generously brush the reserved char siu sauce all over the surface of the chicken. The char siu chicken is ready once it begins to caramelize around the edges and reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees F, about 30 minutes. (Time under the broiler and carry-over heat will cause the internal temperature to rise to a safe 165 degrees F for serving.)
- Optional: Finish under the broiler: Preheat your oven’s broiler to its highest setting. Place the roasted char siu chicken under the broiler. Broil 3-4 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the surface of the char siu chicken is charred and caramelized as desired – be sure to keep a close eye on it as it broils, as things quickly transition from perfectly caramelized to burnt under the broiler!
- Serve: Allow the roasted char siu chicken thighs to rest for a couple of minutes before slicing and serving. As far as everyday dinners go, my family likes to serve over rice with a quick and easy veggie, like roasted broccoli or sautéed bok choy or cabbage. Roasted char siu chicken is also amazing tucked into steamed buns, nestled in a bowl of ramen or saimin, or tossed into fried rice or stir fry – try our Hawaiian-Style Chow Fun, one of my all-time favorite comfort food meals!
Notes
- Ingredient Notes:
- Can I use boneless, skinless chicken instead? Sure! While we love bone-in, skin-on chicken for their richness, juiciness, and crispy skin, boneless chicken breasts or thighs also work well for this char siu chicken recipe. Roast directly on a baking sheet (no rack required) for 15-18 minutes or until cooked through, basting halfway through as directed. If using chicken thighs, remove from the oven, carefully slice, and place under the broiler as directed for a crispy finish. If using breasts, be sure to pound the them out flat or cut them in half lengthwise (butterflied) prior to marinating to ensure they roast up evenly and skip broiling (they will dry out).
- Dark brown sugar is one of my family’s favorite pantry ingredients for savory-sweet Asian-inspired meals. Made with a more generous amount of molasses than light brown sugar, dark brown sugar tends to be richer in flavor and yields more caramelly results in marinades and sauces. If you only have light brown sugar on hand, feel free to substitute with regular light brown sugar.
- Chinese Five Spice is a warm spice blend commonly used in Chinese cooking, and it’s a must-have ingredient if you like to cook Chinese-style dishes at home. While the spices can vary in variety and number (sometimes 5 spice blends are made with more or less than 5 spices!), a Five Spice blend typically includes cinnamon, cloves, fennel, and star anise. It’s readily available in Asian grocery stores or in the spice aisle at most conventional grocery stores. My go-to is Simply Organic’s Five Spice Powder.
- Alternate Cooking Method – Grilled Char Siu Chicken: During the summer months, this char siu chicken recipe is also great on the grill! Marinate as directed. At dinnertime, prepare your grill for indirect cooking, creating a zone of direct high heat and a second zone of indirect heat. (Learn more about 2-Zone Grilling.) Place the marinated chicken on the indirect side of the grill, skin side up, as close to the fire as possible without being over direct heat. Close the lid. Cook the chicken, rotating the pieces 180 degrees and basting as directed above every 15 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the chicken (without hitting the bone) registers a temperature of 160 degrees F. Depending on the size of your chicken and the temperature of your grill, this could take as little as 15 minutes or up to 30 minutes. For crispy skin, flip the chicken and place it skin side facing down in the direct heat zone for 2-3 minutes, or until it’s as charred as you like.
- Storage and Reheating: Leftover char siu chicken will keep, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 4 days. Reheat leftovers in the microwave or on the stovetop until warmed through.
Follow along with Plays Well With Butter on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and Pinterest for more unfussy recipes that pack a big punch of flavor!
