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Juicy, tender, and flavorful, this char siu chicken thighs recipe comes together in a few simple steps. Easily made in the oven or air fryer, this alternative to traditional roasted Chinese BBQ is my go-to weeknight meal when I’m craving char siu!
Traditionally, char siu is made with pork and takes a while to cook, but this boneless chicken thigh version of char siu is a quicker and easier alternative that will hit the spot! Growing up, we would just pick some up from Chinatown on evenings we didn’t want to cook but it’s shockingly easy to make this at home if you don’t have a store that sells it near you!
Whenever my husband makes traditional char siu, it involves 24 hours of marinating. This chicken thigh version only requires an hour of marinating and cooks up much faster!
I also love how easy it is to make a large batch of these char siu chicken thighs, as they reheat well, so you can have leftovers for your next dinner or make a batch as for meal prepping.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Like most of my recipes, most of what you need are pantry staples! The only ingredient you might have to run out to get is the fermented red bean curd but it’s pretty easy to find! Here’s a breakdown of the key ingredients, and you can find the full list of ingredients with measurements in the recipe card down below!
fermented red bean curd — I usually use Wangzhihe brand red bean curd. You can find this at most Asian grocery stores or online! This is not an ingredient that can be skipped, as it gives your chicken its iconic red color. This also provides a salty and sweet flavor to the marinade as well as a strong, umami flavor.
hoisin sauce — hoisin adds a sweet and tangy flavor. I have a post that rounds up my recipes using hoisin sauce if you need some ideas for what to do with your bottle (I have a huge one from Costco!)
soy sauce — I like to use low sodium soy sauce.
Chinese five spice powder — five spice powder is a spice mixture of five or more spices. It usually consists of star anise, cloves, Chinese cinnamon, Sichuan pepper, and fennel seeds. It has a sweet, earthy, and spicy flavor. It’s pretty easy to find at most grocery stores. If you don’t want to commit to a bottle, I’ve had great luck getting just what I need from Bulk Barn or other bulk food stores.
garlic powder & sugar — last but not least, for the marinade, you’ll need some garlic powder (minced garlic might burn in this recipe) and plain white sugar (you’ll get a beautiful char with the sugar).
chicken — I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. I recommend using boneless thighs because they marinate better and cook faster. If you want to use bone-in chicken thighs, you’ll have to increase the marinating time and the cooking time. I cannot give you the exact timing as I’ve only tested this with boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
How to Make Char Siu Chicken Thighs
- In a bowl, add the fermented red bean curds along with the extra liquid and mash it until the tofu has broken down.
- Add the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, Chinese five spice, garlic powder, and sugar to the mashed red bean curds. Mix until well combined.
- Set aside a bit more than a quarter cup of the marinade in the fridge for later.
- Add the chicken thighs to the remaining marinade and mix well so the chicken thighs are fully coated. Marinate in the fridge for at least one hour.
How to Make Char Siu in the Oven
- Heat the oven to 450°F and line a sheet pan with foil for easy cleanup. Place a rack on top.
- Place the chicken thighs (smooth-side up) on the rack in a single layer and bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove the sheet pan from the oven and flip the chicken thighs, then brush the chicken with the marinade that was set aside earlier.
- Bake for another 15 minutes before flipping and brushing the thighs again.
- Bake for another 2 to 3 minutes and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
How to Make Char Siu Chicken in the Air Fryer
- Line an air fryer basket with foil for easy cleanup.
- Place the chicken thighs (smooth-side up) on the foil in a single layer and air fry for 10 minutes at 400°F.
- Flip the chicken thighs, then brush the chicken with the marinade that was set aside earlier.
- Air fry for another 10 minutes before flipping and brushing the thighs again.
- Air fry for another 2 to 3 minutes and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
- Repeat with the rest of the chicken thighs. Depending on the size of your air fryer basket, you’ll have to do this in batches.
Recipe Tips
- I highly recommend using foil to line your sheet pan and air fryer basket as cleaning up will be difficult without it.
- I like to use a rack for the oven method as it allows more hot air to circulate underneath the chicken thighs.
- If you’re a fan of crispy skin, you can use skin-on, boneless chicken thighs (or get the skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs and remove the bone yourself).
- Chicken thighs are done when they’ve reached an internal temperature of 165F/74C. Use an instant read thermometer to check.
- While some restaurants use red food coloring for their char siu, I find that the fermented red bean curd and its liquid is enough to give the chicken that iconic red color.
- If you have the time, an overnight marinade with yield redder chicken and a deeper flavor.
Serving Suggestions
Char siu chicken works with so many sides! I almost always serve mine with jasmine rice and for a side a vegetables, you can go as simple as steaming some broccoli or making bok choy stir fry, yu choy, sauteed mushrooms and onions, asian coleslaw, vegetable stir fry, and carrot salad.
If you want something more exciting than jasmine rice, try my egg fried rice, garlic fried rice, mushroom fried rice, or hibachi fried rice.
Make Ahead Tips
- Meal prep: once cooled, store the chicken thighs in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge.
- Freezer: allow the char siu to cool before transferring them into an airtight container and storing them in the freezer. Store for up to 3 months.
Char Siu Chicken Thighs Recipe
Juicy, tender, and flavorful, this char siu chicken thighs recipe comes together in a few simple steps. Easily made in the oven or air fryer, this alternative to traditional roasted Chinese BBQ is my go-to weeknight meal when I’m craving char siu!
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 2 cubes fermented red bean curds, + 1 tablespoon liquid
- 5 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce, low sodium
- 1½ tablespoons Chinese five spice
- 1½ tablespoons garlic powder
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 pounds chicken thighs, boneless, skinless
Instructions
-
In a bowl, add the fermented red bean curds along with the extra liquid and mash it until the tofu has broken down. Then add the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, Chinese five spice, garlic powder, and sugar to the mashed red bean curds. Mix until well combined.
-
Set aside a bit more than a quarter cup of the marinade in the fridge for later before adding the raw chicken thighs to the sauce. Mix well to combine and marinate for at least 1 hour in the fridge.
Oven Instructions
-
Heat the oven to 450°F and line a sheet pan with foil. Place a rack on top.
-
Place the chicken thighs (smooth-side up) on the rack in a single layer and bake for 15 minutes.
-
Remove the sheet pan from the oven and flip the chicken thighs, then brush the chicken with the marinade that was set aside earlier.
-
Bake for another 15 minutes before flipping and brushing the thighs again. Bake for another 2 to 3 minutes and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Air Fryer Instructions
-
Line an air fryer basket with foil and place the chicken thighs (smooth-side up) on the foil in a single layer and air fry for 10 minutes at 400°F.
-
Flip the chicken thighs, then brush the chicken with the marinade that was set aside earlier.
-
Air fry for another 10 minutes before flipping and brushing the thighs again. Air fry for another 2 to 3 minutes and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
-
Repeat with the rest of the chicken thighs. Depending on the size of your air fryer basket, you’ll have to do this in batches.
Nutrition Per Serving
Calories: 374kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 46g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 216mg | Sodium: 960mg | Potassium: 695mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 64IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 3mg
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