A scrumptious dish inspired by a Cantonese classic, char siu chicken can be easily cooked either in an oven or in an air fryer. A video tutorial is included.
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You may have tasted/heard of the delicious char siu pork of Cantonese cuisine, but do you know you can use the same seasoning and method to cook chicken? I personally prefer char siu chicken (Chinese BBQ chicken, 叉烧鸡肉) as its skin creates so much flavour.
Aromatic and smoky with a balance of saltiness and sweetness, it is absolutely finger-licking good! And it’s surprisingly easy to cook so it’s stress-free and novice-friendly.
Similar to how I cook Char Siu Ribs, 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 tbsp char siu sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- ¼ tsp Chinese five-spice powder
- ½ tsp 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 tbsp of the marinade with 1 tsp 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 tbsp of the marinade with 1 tsp 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 duck pancakes
Other chicken dishes
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Char Siu Chicken (Roasted or Air fried)
Video
Ingredients
For the oven version
- 4 chicken thighs, skin on and bone removed, about 450g/1 lb, see note 1
- 4 tablespoon char siu sauce, see note 2
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- ¼ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
- ½ teaspoon chili powder, optional
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- 5 slices ginger
- 1 teaspoon honey, or golden syrup
For the air-fryer version
- 10 chicken wings, cut into sections and discard the tip part, about 450g/1 lb, see note 1
- 4 tablespoon char siu sauce, see note 2
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- ¼ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
- ½ teaspoon chili powder, optional
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- 5 slices ginger
- 1 teaspoon honey, or golden syrup
Instructions
For the oven version
- Put chicken thighs into a resealable plastic bag. Add the rest of the ingredients (except for honey/syrup). Rub the bag to mix the marinade and evenly coat it over the chicken. Squeeze out the air then seal the bag. Leave to marinate in the fridge for 6 hours or overnight.
- Preheat a fan oven (convection oven) at 200°C/390°F (if using a conventional oven, set to 220°C/425°F). Remove the chicken thighs from the bag. Pour about 2 tbsp of the marinade into a small bowl. Add honey then mix well. Set aside.
- Use a baking tray with a wire rack that fits inside. Fill the tray with hot water (lower than the rack) and put the chicken thighs on the rack (skin facing up). Place the tray in the middle of the oven.
- Leave to roast for 10 mins. Take out and flip over the chicken. Brush some marinade honey mixture then put back into the oven (Make sure there is always enough water in the tray).
- Cook for a further 5 mins. Take out the chicken. Flip over again and brush with the honey mixture.
- Switch your oven to grilling (broiling) function at the highest temperature. Place the chicken nearer to the top heat element. Leave to cook (with the oven door slightly ajar) for 2-4 mins until the skin becomes golden with some charred spots. Be attentive and check often during this step to avoid burning. If you have a separate grill oven (broiler), remember to preheat beforehand (see note 3).
For the air-fryer version
- Put chicken wings into a resealable plastic bag. Add the rest of the ingredients (except for honey/syrup). Rub the bag to mix the marinade and evenly coat it over the chicken. Squeeze out the air then seal the bag. Leave to marinate in the fridge for 6 hours or overnight.
- Preheat the air-fryer at 200°C/390°F for 3 mins. Remove the chicken from the bag. Pour about 2 tbsp of the marinade into a small bowl. Add honey then mix well. Set aside.
- Place the chicken in a single layer over the crisper tray inside the preheated air fryer. Cook for 4 mins then flip over all the pieces and brush a layer of the marinade honey mixture.
- Continue cooking for another 4 mins. Then flip over again and brush with the honey mixture.
- Cook for a final 2-3 mins until the chicken browns nicely (see note 3).
Notes
Your Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I did char siew chicken countless times. Everyone favourite in my family. Served the char siew chicken with noodles or rice. Cooked extra pieces and eat with bread/buns for breakfast. A very good recipe to keep! Thanks Wei.
That’s wonderful to hear. I’m so glad it’s become a family favorite and that you enjoy it in so many ways. Thank you for sharing, Lauren!
Thank you very much Wei for the chicken char siew recipe. I did it yesterday and all family liked it, especially the young grand children. It was very yummy. Best recipe and easy to make.
That’s so lovely to hear—especially that your grandchildren enjoyed it! I’m really glad it was a hit with the whole family. Thanks for the kind words!
This is one of the best recipes I have made and eaten from your recipes Wei, so easy!
love it
Thank you so much, Roger! I’m really happy to hear you enjoyed it and found it easy to make. Your kind words made my day!
I made this dish using boneless, skinless thighs. It works equally well & surprisingly, NEVER DRIED OUT THE CHICKEN! It remained very moist & flavourful & it went extremely quickly! Totally enjoyed by everyone who tasted it! I made plain fried rice to serve it with. A total recipe hit & this recipe is now one of my “go to” hit sensations! Thank you for creating & sharing such wonderful recipes! I don’t have Instagram…nor do I want it! I wish you had a way for me to share my photo of this dish alongside my comment!
Very happy to learn that skinless, boneless chicken thighs worked just as well! Yes, it’s a pity that my website doesn’t offer a photo comment option. But I can imagine how delicious your char siu chicken looked.
Hi Wei,
The chicken recipe was delicious!! But I made a few changes. I put aside some of the marinade in a small bowl to mix with the honey. The rest of the marinade I used on the raw chicken (I was a little uncomfortable to use the marinade mixed with RAW chicken to brush on when baking). And also, baked the chicken for 15 mins in the beginning, then flipped, brushed the chicken with honey marinade and baked for another 15 mins. Flipped chicken again, brushed marinade and then broiled the skin. The chicken turned out tender.
My husband said it was delicious.
Thank you.
Thank you for sharing you twists!
Sounds good. Will try soon. Thanks
Happy cooking Lucy!