Char Siu (Chinese BBQ) Chicken

Char Siu (Chinese BBQ) Chicken

sticky-sweet and umami-packed

Recipe by
Reviewed by Arturs Arnicans
Prep Time: 1h 10m
Cook Time: 25m
Total Time: 1h 35m
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
4.8 (13 Reviews)
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Ingredients

Adjust servings:

For garnish:

For char siu sauce (additional glaze):

Nutritional Information

456
calories
10.7g
fat
35.4g
carbohydrates
52.8g
protein
167mg
cholesterol
1013mg
sodium
Char Siu (Chinese BBQ) Chicken

Recipe Description

This easy Char Siu (Chinese BBQ) Chicken is a mouthwatering dish loaded with classic Asian flavors. It’s sticky-sweet and umami-packed. After a quick sit in a hoisin honey marinade, the chicken roasts at a high temperature on a wire rack to yield juicy and tender meat. Basting the chicken while it roasts gives it the glossy finish that is a signature of traditional char siu.  

This version of char siu, an iconic Cantonese dish, is easy enough for a weeknight dinner. While the traditional dish features pork meat, this recipe uses chicken, which cooks faster than pork. The char siu sauce is a simple mix of hoisin sauce, honey, dark soy sauce, oil, and garlic. The addition of fermented red bean curd gives the meat its signature red color. If you can’t find dark soy sauce, use tamari instead. This dish is traditionally served with steamed rice and vegetables, like broccoli or bok choy. 

To make the Char Siu (Chinese BBQ) Chicken, you will need the following ingredients:

Ingredients for Char Siu (Chinese BBQ) Chicken

Steps to make

  1. 1

    Mix chicken with marinade

    3 min
    Step 1 - Char Siu (Chinese BBQ) Chicken

    Pat dry 2 pounds boneless and skinless chicken breasts (or thighs) with paper towels. Place the chicken in a ziploc bag and add in ⅓ cup hoisin sauce, 2 tablespoons liquid honey, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce, and 1 minced tablespoon garlic.

  2. 2

    Marinate chicken

    1h
    Step 2 - Char Siu (Chinese BBQ) Chicken

    Carefully press the air out of the bag and seal it. Gently press the marinade around the chicken to evenly coat, and then transfer to the fridge to marinate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

  3. 3

    Preheat oven and prepare roasting pan

    5 min
    Step 3 - Char Siu (Chinese BBQ) Chicken

    Preheat the oven to 400 ℉. Line a roasting pan (or a quarter sheet baking pan) with aluminum foil and position a wire rack on top.

  4. 4

    Arrange chicken on wire rack

    1 min
    Step 4 - Char Siu (Chinese BBQ) Chicken

    Arrange the marinated chicken on top of the wire rack. Add a cup of water to the bottom of the baking pan to keep the pan from smoking during the cooking.

  5. 5

    Roast

    20 min
    Step 5 - Char Siu (Chinese BBQ) Chicken

    Roast the chicken for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.

  6. 6

    Make char siu sauce

    2 min
    Step 6 - Char Siu (Chinese BBQ) Chicken

    In a small bowl, whisk together ¼ cup hoisin sauce, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon fermented red bean curd, and 1 teaspoon ground black pepper.

  7. 7

    Brush chicken with char siu sauce

    5 min
    Step 7 - Char Siu (Chinese BBQ) Chicken

    Remove the chicken from the oven and generously brush the char siu sauce over each piece of chicken. Return the chicken to the oven for another 3 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven. Flip the chicken and brush the char siu sauce on the other side. Bake for another 3 minutes or until the meat registers 165 ℉ on an instant-read thermometer.

  8. 8

    Broil

    2 min
    Step 8 - Char Siu (Chinese BBQ) Chicken

    Brush the chicken with another coat of char siu sauce if desired. Then turn the broiler on high and broil the chicken for another 2-3 minutes to get a caramel brown color and until the edges of the chicken are slightly charred.

  9. 9

    Serve

    Step 9 - Char Siu (Chinese BBQ) Chicken

    Let the chicken rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with a bowl of steamed rice and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds.

This Char Siu (Chinese BBQ) Chicken is a sticky-sweet and umami-packed dish loaded with classic Asian flavors. Give this easy and delicious recipe a try this week, and be sure to let us know what you think!

About the author

Bethany Lim

Bethany is very passionate about maintaining a healthy lifestyle and clean diet. She’s trying to cut meat out of her diet as much as possible and focuses on cooking vegetarian food and fish. Bethany gets a kick from finding ways to add new twists to classic dishes. What’s more, thanks to her Asian roots, she’s great at combining different cuisines to come up with something extraordinary. Bethany’s recipes will inspire you to add new colors and flavors to your everyday meals.

Recipe Reviews

Have you made this recipe? Share your experience and help other cooks!

★★★★★
★★★★★
4.8 out of 5 (13 reviews)
Franklin Smith
April 27, 2025
Verified

Amazing!

Lucas
April 13, 2025
Verified

Delicious! I tried making this for the first time, and it reminded me of my travels in China. The flavors are just exceptional, even without pork! Definite keeper.

Hannah
March 4, 2025
Verified

Super easy dinner!

Vicky72
February 27, 2025
Verified

This Char Siu Chicken was simply great! Made it for dinner and my husband loved it.

Charles Thompson
February 15, 2025
Verified

So amazing delicious!

Fiona Chen
December 20, 2024
Verified

Superb family favorite.

Wendy Allen
November 9, 2024
Verified

I made this Char Siu chicken for a family dinner. My kids loved it, and the flavors brought us all together around the table.

Linda Johnson
September 20, 2024
Verified

So incredibly tasty!

Zully
May 9, 2024
Verified

Hice este Char Siu y mi familia se metió en la cocina como locos. Es muy simple de hacer, perfecto para una cena entre semana. Realmente me hizo sentir orgullosa de preparar algo tan delicioso y fácil.

Sarah
March 25, 2024
Verified

So easy to make. My kids loved it. We usually have it with veggies and rice, perfect weeknight meal.

Briana
February 6, 2024
Verified

This recipe is fabulous. My husband and I made it together for our anniversary - the flavors reminded us of our trip to China. The chicken was so juicy and sweet, we couldn’t stop eating it. Definitely going in our weeknight rotation

Quinn
January 31, 2024
Verified

Superb

Athina
January 23, 2024
Verified

Amazing! Thanks for sharing the recipe!

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