My air-fryer char siu recipe hit over 1 million views, and many of you were asking what you can use instead of pork. Well, here’s the answer– an easy and delicious air-fryer char siu chicken!
This recipe captures the same sweet, savoury flavour of the classic char siu, but with chicken, making it a lighter alternative. With a simple marinade and the convenience of the air-fryer, you’ll have tender, juicy chicken with the iconic caramelised honey glaze in 20 minutes!
ingredients:
- 3-4 chicken thighs, deboned (around 400-500g total)
- 2 tbsp maltose (or honey) + 1/2 tbsp hot water
Char Siu Marinade:
- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 piece fermented bean curd
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing cooking wine
- 2 tsp red food colouring (optional)
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp garlic salt
- 1 tsp Chinese five spice powder
- 1/2 tsp white pepper powder
steps to making air-fryer char siu chicken:
- Debone the chicken thighs and make shallow cuts on the meat side to even out the thickness. This not only helps the chicken cook evenly but also allows the marinade to penetrate deeper, enhancing the flavor.
- Place the chicken into a zip lock bag and add the marinade sauce. Massage the meat with the marinade for a minute to ensure all parts of the chicken is well covered with the marinade.
- Press all the excess air out of the zip lock bag before sealing tight, and refrigerate and let it marinate overnight.
- To make the honey glaze, combine honey or maltose with hot water in a bowl, stirring until melted and smooth. Set the glaze aside.
- Preheat your air fryer to 195°C. Place the marinated chicken thighs, skin-side down and cook for 15 minutes, flipping them halfway through. For a final char, brush the chicken skin with the honey glaze, increase the temperature to 200°C, and air-fry for an additional 2 minutes until the skin is crispy and caramelised.
- Once done, slice the chicken and serve it over rice with blanched pak choi. Enjoy!
check out more classic Hong Kong recipes!
- Hong Kong black pepper chicken rice
- Hong Kong baked pork chop rice
- Hong Kong spam and egg macaroni soup
Air-fryer Char Siu Chicken
2
servings10
minutes20
minutesKeep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
3 -4 chicken thighs, deboned (around 400-500g total)
2 tbsp maltose (or honey) + 1/2 tbsp hot water
- Char Siu Marinade:
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 piece fermented bean curd
1 tbsp Shaoxing cooking wine
2 tsp red food colouring (optional)
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp Chinese five spice powder
1/2 tsp white pepper powder
Directions
- Debone the chicken thighs and make shallow cuts on the meat side to even out the thickness. This not only helps the chicken cook evenly but also allows the marinade to penetrate deeper, enhancing the flavor.
- Place the chicken into a zip lock bag and add the marinade sauce. Massage the meat with the marinade for a minute to ensure all parts of the chicken is well covered with the marinade.
- Press all the excess air out of the zip lock bag before sealing tight, and refrigerate and let it marinate overnight.
- To make the honey glaze, combine honey or maltose with hot water in a bowl, stirring until melted and smooth. Set the glaze aside.
- Preheat your air fryer to 195°C. Place the marinated chicken thighs, skin-side down and cook for 15 minutes, flipping them halfway through. For a final char, brush the chicken skin with the honey glaze, increase the temperature to 200°C, and air-fry for an additional 2 minutes until the skin is crispy and caramelised.
- Once done, slice the chicken and serve it over rice with blanched pak choi. Enjoy!
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