The Most Addicting Char Siu Chicken
Adding to my collection of Char Siu recipes with the most addicting Char Siu Chicken. Marinated in a simple char siu sauce, this delicious sweet and sticky chicken recipe will have you coming back for more every time. In this blog post, learn how to make this recipe with any cut of chicken you want, and get the pros and cons of using fermented red bean curd versus red food coloring to make the marinade.
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 35 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ tsp five spice powder
- 2 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp white pepper
- ½ tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp shaoxing wine
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 3 tbsp honey
- 2 drops red food coloring
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 ½ lbs chicken thighs (bone-in, skin-on)
- 3 tbsp honey
- 3 tsp water
- 1 drop red food coloring
Instructions
- 1
First, make the marinade. Whisk together 1/4 cup of granulated sugar, 1/2 tsp of five spice powder, 2 tsp of salt, 1/4 tsp of white pepper, 1/2 tsp of sesame oil, 1 tbsp of Shaoxing wine, 1 tbsp of soy sauce, 1 tbsp of hoisin sauce, 3 tbsp of honey, 2 drops of red food coloring, and 3 cloves of minced garlic.
- 2
Add 2 1/2 pounds of chicken thighs to a Ziploc bag. Pour the marinade over the top. Close the bag and coat the chicken in the marinade. Marinate for at least 1 hour. For the best flavor, marinate overnight (this is what I prefer).
- 3
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (218 degrees C).
- 4
Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easier clean up and place a cooling rack on top.
- 5
Once the chicken is done marinating, place them on top of the cooling rack. Bake for 15 minutes. Reserve the marinade for later.
- 6
Take the chicken out of the oven and baste them with the reserved marinade. Put them back in the oven, and bake for another 15 minutes.
- 7
Mix together 3 tbsp of honey, 3 tsp of water, and 1 drop of red food coloring.
- 8
Take the chicken out of the oven and baste with the honey basting sauce. Increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees F (232 degrees C). Bake for 5 more minutes.
- 9
Finally, baste one more time with the honey basting sauce before serving.