The dish features juicy and tender grilled chicken thighs, with a caramelized crust, and a vibrant green garnish of sliced spring onions and garlic chives on top. Served with steamed rice or grilled vegetables.

Chinese Style BBQ Chicken Thighs

Name: Chinese Style BBQ Chicken Thighs
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 8 boneless chicken thighs, skin-on; 4 cloves garlic minced; ½ inch ginger peeled and grated; 1/4 cup hoisin sauce; 1/4 cup honey; 2 tbsp soy sauce; 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine; 1 tbsp Chinese five-spice powder; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; to taste salt; to taste pepper; 1/4 cup spring onions (scallions) chopped; 1/4 cup garlic chives chopped; 1 tsp sesame oil; 1 tsp rice vinegar

Sweet and savory grilled boneless chicken thighs with a Chinese twist

Category BBQ

Prep 10 minutes

Cook 15 minutes

Style Chinese

Technique Grilling

Diet Friendly Gluten-Free

Daily recipe · March 06, 2023

A little about this dish

This BBQ recipe is inspired by the Chinese dish, Char Siu, which is traditionally made with pork. In this recipe, we are using boneless chicken thighs instead. The marinade has a perfect balance of sweet, savory, and spicy flavors, making it an ideal dish for any BBQ gathering. To keep it seasonal, we are using spring onions and garlic chives, which are in season during this time.

Ingredients (for 4)

Boneless chicken thighs, skin-on — 8
Cloves garlic — 4 — minced
Ginger — ½ inch — peeled and grated
Hoisin sauce — 1/4 cup
Honey — 1/4 cup
Soy sauce — 2 tbsp
Shaoxing wine — 2 tbsp
Chinese five-spice powder — 1 tbsp
Vegetable oil — 2 tbsp
Salt — to taste
Pepper — to taste
Spring onions (scallions) — 1/4 cup — chopped
Garlic chives — 1/4 cup — chopped
Sesame oil — 1 tsp
Rice vinegar — 1 tsp

Preparation

Step 1 — 🍗🌶️🍯

In a large bowl, whisk together the garlic, ginger, hoisin sauce, honey, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, five-spice powder, vegetable oil, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken thighs to the marinade and toss until coated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Step 2 — 🔥🍗👨‍🍳

Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade and shake off any excess marinade. Grill the chicken, skin side down, for 5-7 minutes until golden brown and caramelized. Flip the chicken thighs over and grill for another 5-7 minutes.
Step 3 — 🧅🌿🍚

While the chicken is cooking, combine the spring onions, garlic chives, sesame oil, and rice vinegar in a small bowl to make the garnish.
Step 4 — 🍴🍗🍚

Remove the chicken from the grill and transfer to a serving platter. Spoon any remaining marinade over the chicken and garnish with the spring onion and garlic chive mixture. Serve hot with steamed rice or grilled vegetables.

A final fox tip

For a spicier version, add 1-2 teaspoons of Sichuan peppercorns to the marinade. Kids can help with mixing the marinade and making the garnish.