Authentic Char Siu Chicken (Printable View)
Juicy chicken glazed in sweet-savory Chinese marinade, roasted until caramelized and golden.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
→ Char Siu Marinade
02 - 3 tbsp hoisin sauce
03 - 3 tbsp honey
04 - 2 tbsp soy sauce
05 - 2 tbsp oyster sauce
06 - 1 tbsp Chinese Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
07 - 1 tbsp brown sugar
08 - 1 tbsp sesame oil
09 - 1 tsp five-spice powder
10 - 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
11 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
12 - 1/4 tsp red food coloring (optional)
→ Garnish
13 - 2 spring onions, finely sliced
14 - 1 tbsp sesame seeds (optional)
# Cooking Steps:
01 - In a large bowl, whisk together hoisin sauce, honey, soy sauce, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, brown sugar, sesame oil, five-spice powder, ginger, garlic, and food coloring until smooth and well combined.
02 - Add chicken thighs to the bowl, tossing thoroughly to coat every piece. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, ideally overnight for maximum flavor penetration.
03 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil and place a wire rack on top.
04 - Remove chicken from marinade, reserving the liquid for basting. Place chicken pieces on the wire rack with space between each piece for proper air circulation.
05 - Roast chicken for 20 minutes.
06 - Remove from oven, baste generously with reserved marinade, turn each piece over, and baste again.
07 - Return to oven and roast for 10-15 minutes, basting once more halfway through, until edges are caramelized and internal temperature reaches 165°F.
08 - Let chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Garnish with spring onions and sesame seeds. Serve hot with steamed rice, noodles, or in bao buns.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The marinade does double duty as a basting glaze, building layers of flavor that caramelize into that irresistible sticky finish
- Chicken thighs stay juicy through high-heat roasting, so you never face dry meat even with the aggressive oven temperature
02 -
- Don't skip the wire rack—roasting directly on the pan creates steamed chicken instead of that restaurant-quality caramelized exterior
- The high oven temperature might seem aggressive, but it's what creates those coveted charred edges while keeping the interior juicy
03 -
- Pat the chicken completely dry before adding to the marinade—excess moisture dilutes the flavor and prevents proper adhesion
- Set aside some unused marinade before adding raw chicken if you want extra sauce for serving, never reuse what's touched raw meat