Chinese Five Spice Honey Chicken. Tender juicy chicken thighs roasted in a delicious, savoury, sweet five spice marinade with a hint of honey and sesame. This chicken recipe is super easy to make and is perfect for dinner or lunch. It works well for meal preparation too!
If you know me, you know that I love Chinese Five Spice. There is something so tasty about this spice when it’s paired with meat. It really brings out the deep flavour of whatever meat you are cooking with thanks to the star anise, cinnamon, and licorice flavour. And this chicken in Chinese five spice with honey will sure knock it out of the park!
I also make a few other delicious roasted chicken recipes so check them out here: SOY HOISIN CHICKEN THIGHS, and SOY MAPLE GLAZED CHICKEN
So flavourful!
Thanks to the marinade, these Chinese five spice chicken thighs are packed with that salty, sweet, sesame flavour! It’s a fantastic dish to make if you’ve got a lot of frozen chicken thighs in the freezer and you’re not sure what to do with them!
No marinating time!
Now I know there are many chicken recipes using Chinese five spice online but this one is really easy and get this, THERE IS NO MARINATING TIME!!!!!
Yes, no marinating time. I just call it a marinade because honestly there’s no better term for a sauce that meat sits in. At first I wanted to keep this as a Chinese 5 spice chicken rub but I thought, “No, let’s take it to the next level and make this into a honey marinade for that sweet flavour!”
And to keep this healthy, this chicken is baked in the oven so there is no frying involved! Just marinate that chicken, pop it into the oven, baste every ten minutes and you’re golden!
FAQ
What can I use Chinese 5 spice for?
This delicious spice can be used to season meat like chicken, pork or beef and vegan plant-based protein sources like tofu. It also can be used to season broths, vegetables, cakes and desserts.
What is 5 spice made up of?
It’s a mix of cinnamon, fennel seeds, star anise, Sichuan peppercorn and cloves.
What can I use if I don't have Chinese five spice?
You may substitute with a combination of cinnamon, cayenne pepper, and ground cloves to mimic the flavour profile.
Other recipes you may like!
If you like my honey Chinese five spice with chicken, check out my other chicken recipes:
- MONGOLIAN CHICKEN
- OYSTER SAUCE BRAISED CHICKEN WINGS
- HONEY SESAME CHICKEN
- SESAME CHICKEN
- KOREAN FRIED CHICKEN
- CHICKEN ADOBO
- TAIWANESE POPCORN CHICKEN
For this recipe
You will need the following ingredients for my honey Chinese five spice chicken recipe:
- 4 chicken thighs, bone in skin on
1 stalk green onions, finely chopped (optional for garnish)
Chinese five spice chicken marinade:
- 1 tbsp Chinese five spice
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 3 tbsp honey
- 2 tsp mustard
How to make Chinese five spice chicken with honey
- In a small bowl, whisk together marinade ingredients. Pour marinade over chicken thighs.
- Preheat oven to 355 degrees F.
- On a wire rack placed over a deep baking dish filled with just enough water to shallowly cover the base. Then place your chicken thighs bone side down, skin side up on the rack.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and baste with sauce. Then bake for another 10 minutes and baste with sauce. Repeat one more time.
- Finally, bake again for another 15 minutes until cooked through. Enjoy!
Give it a try!
Well, I hope you give my Chinese Five Spice Honey Chicken a try! It always excites me when you guys make my recipes and I hope this is one you try.
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Christie
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Chinese Five Spice Honey Chicken (No marinating time!)
Ingredients
- 4 chicken thighs bone in skin on
- 1 stalk green onions finely chopped (optional for garnish)
Chinese five spice chicken marinade:
- 1 tbsp Chinese five spice
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 3 tbsp honey
- 2 tsp mustard
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together marinade ingredients. Pour marinade over chicken.
- Preheat oven to 355 degrees F.
- On a wire rack placed over a deep baking dish filled with just enough water to shallowly cover the base. Then place your chicken thighs bone side down, skin side up on the rack.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and baste with sauce. Then bake for another 10 minutes and baste with sauce. Repeat one more time.
- Finally, bake again for another 15 minutes until cooked through. Enjoy!
The Chinese five spice and honey created such a luscious glaze on the your chicken... so irresistible!