Char siu chicken
Char siu sauce gives chicken a sweet, savoury glaze. The thighs marinate in the fridge before roasting, then a brief grill finishes the edges.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Rest / wait
- 6 hr 5 min
- Total
- 6 hr 40 min
- Makes
- Serves 4
Your new skill: Roasting marinated meat and applying a safe glaze
For a little background, read Is dim sum a single dish?.
Your ingredients
Get ready: Kitchen scales, chopping board, mixing bowls, measuring spoons and a suitable saucepan or frying pan.
- 450–600 g boneless chicken thighs, skin on
- 4 tbsp char siu sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- ¼ tsp Chinese five-spice
- ½ tsp chilli powder, optional
- 3 garlic cloves, sliced
- 5 ginger slices
- 1 tsp honey or golden syrup
Let’s make it
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Marinate ahead
Mix char siu sauce, oyster sauce, five-spice, optional chilli, garlic and ginger. Coat the chicken, cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight.
-
Roast on a rack
Heat the oven to 220°C, or 200°C fan. Set a rack over a roasting tray and add hot water below the rack. Arrange chicken skin-side up. Roast for 10 minutes, turn and cook for another 5–10 minutes.
-
Make a safe glaze
Put the leftover marinade in a small saucepan, bring to a full boil and simmer for several minutes before stirring in honey. Alternatively reserve a little clean marinade before it touches raw chicken. Brush over the thighs.
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Watch the grill
Briefly grill to colour the skin, following your oven instructions and watching constantly. Check chicken reaches 75°C for 30 seconds. Rest for 5 minutes, then slice. A shiny glaze is the goal; burnt sugar is not.
What to try next
Try Blanched lettuce with oyster sauce or Crunchy Chinese-leaf salad for your next kitchen project.
Keeping it: Cool leftovers and refrigerate within 2 hours. Eat within 48 hours, reheating only once until steaming hot throughout.
