Char Siu Chicken (Roasted or Air fried)

Today’s recipe introduces two ways to cook two different cuts of chicken: roasting chicken thighs in an oven and air-frying chicken wings in an air fryer. Both ways involve two simple steps:

• Marinate the chicken with sauces and spices. 
• Cook in three stages between which you flip over the chicken and brush sauce over.

Ingredients

Although I’m using chicken thighs and wings for today’s recipe, please feel free to choose other cuts, such as leg quarters, drums, if you wish. Chicken breast would work but it’s not preferable. Remember to adjust the cooking time slightly based on the thickness of the meat.

To prepare chicken thighs, I remove their bones but keep the skin on. For chicken wings, I chop each piece into three sections so they can be easily arranged inside the air fryer. I suggest you discard the wing tips since they tend to burn (use them to make chicken stock instead).

To marinate 450 g/ 1 lb of chicken, you’d need:

• 4 tablespoon char siu sauce
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• ¼ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
• ½ teaspoon chili powder, optional
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced
• 5 slices ginger

To achieve the best taste, it’s worth the effort to search for char siu sauce (叉烧酱). Several Chinese brands produce this special sauce with Lee Kum Kee (李锦记) being the most popular one. You should be able to find it in most Chinese/Asian stores as well as major online shopping platforms.

Chili powder isn’t required in traditional char siu recipes. I add it for a hint of spiciness that pairs very well with the sweetness of the dish. Omit it if you wish.

You’d also need a little honey (or golden syrup) which doesn’t go into the marinade but is used for brushing during cooking. Its thick consistency helps the sauce to stay on the meat and it adds an extra shine to the finished dish.

How to marinate

I like using resealable (zip-lock) plastic bags to marinate char siu chicken as all pieces can be evenly in contact with the sauce. Remember to squeeze out as much air as possible before you seal it. Keep in the fridge to marinate for 6 hours (overnight is even better).

How to roast in the oven

You’ll need a deep baking tray fitted with a wire rack. Pour in hot water (lower than the rack) then place the marinated chicken thighs on the rack (skin side facing up). Are you wondering what the water is for? During cooking, some of the sauce will drop. Without water underneath, it will burn quickly thus creating smoke and smell.

A fan oven (convection oven) works the best for char siu chicken. Preheat it at 200°C/390°F. If using a conventional oven, increase the temperature to 220°C/425°F.

Pop the chicken in and leave to roast for 10 mins. While waiting, mix about 2 tablespoon of the marinade with 1 teaspoon of honey (syrup). Take out the baking tray when time is up. Flip over the chicken and brush some marinade honey mixture (check if there is enough water in the tray. Top up if necessary).

Put the chicken back into the oven. Cook for a further 5 mins then take out. Flip over again and brush with the honey mixture.

Now switch your oven to grilling/broiling function at the highest temperature (If you have a separate grill oven/broiler, remember to preheat beforehand). Place the chicken nearer to the heating element on the top. Leave to cook (with the oven door slightly ajar) for 2-4 mins until the skin becomes golden with some charred spots.

🛎Note: During this step, it’s very important that you watch closely and check the doneness to avoid burning. 

How to air fry

Based on my experience, air frying delivers a slightly better result for this char siu chicken recipe (and faster too). So I highly recommend you give this method a try if you happen to have an air fryer.

Preheat the air-fryer at 200°C/390°F for 3 mins. Place the chicken wings in a single layer over the crisper tray. Cook for 4 mins then flip over all the pieces and brush on some sauce (mix 2 tablespoon of the marinade with 1 teaspoon of honey).

Continue cooking for another 4 mins. Then flip over again and brush with the sauce. Cook for a final 2-3 mins until the chicken browns evenly.

🛎Note: Not all ovens and air fryers perform equally so please observe closely and adjust the cooking time if necessary.

Ways to serve

Char Siu chicken tastes great both warm and at room temperature. Apart from enjoying it as a centrepiece in a multi-course meal, here are a few other ways to serve it.

• Serve it as a topping for rice or noodles, along with some blanched vegetables
• Use it as a protein ingredient in fried rice or fried noodles
• Make the dim sum classic Char Siu Bao
• Slice or tear it up and use as a filling for bao buns or sandwiches

Other chicken dishes to try