My Fave Chinese Five-Spice Chicken Recipe

Before I go on, I sincerely hope you like chicken. Because I do and this could potentially be my favourite chicken recipe ever! It’s seriously delicious, moreish and insanely addictive. Best of all, this only requires 5-ingredients, and I promise you won’t need to get takeaway after this. It is that good!!!!!

Personally if anyone asked what my go-to ingredients would be, my answer is likely to include pork mince and chicken thighs, because both are super versatile. Today, I’ve gone for chicken thigh, with skin, as the skin here elevates this dish to another level as it crisps up under the grill.
Yes – this is Chinese five spice chicken with glossy skin, juicy meat and so much umami, on a bed of ginger chow mein, as demonstrated here. Of course you could substitute noodles with steamed rice. Or just eat it as it is. Whatever you fancy really, I support all your decisions.
Chinese Five Spice Chicken
Ingredients
For the marinade
- 600 g chicken thigh deboned, with skin
- 1 tbsp hoisin sauce substitue: oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce If you use dark soy it will acquire a deeper colour
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
For basting
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
For garnish
- 1 tbsp spring onions chopped
- 1/2 tsp white sesame seeds
Instructions
- Combine the chicken marinade ingredients together and smother all over the chicken thigh pieces. Marinade for at least 30 mins, preferably overnight.
- Preheat an oven to 180°C/350°F, and line an oven tray with foil to catch juices, and place chicken skin-side-up on a rack. There will be lots of juices dripping off as it cooks so you'd want to minimise the cleaning process after!
- Oven bake for 10 mins, before basting it generously with the honey and soy combination, and continue to bake for another 5 minutes.
- Switch the oven to the grill option for the last 5 mins to allow the skin to crisp up and brown. It should be sizzling by the end and you should be salivating, as I was!
- Garnish with chopped spring onions and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.