Quick & Easy Air Fryer Char Siu Chicken

Quick & Easy Air Fryer Char Siu Chicken

Air Fryer Char Siu Chicken. Tender juicy chicken thighs air fried in the best and most delicious barbecue sticky glaze! Ready in 25 minutes! If you don't own an air fryer, I share how to bake this in the oven, see Notes section below.

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 9

Total Time 24

Course Main Course

Cuisine Chinese

Servings

Calories per serving 428 kcal

Ingredients

1 lb chicken thighs with skin on

Marinade:

⅓ cup red fermented bean curd
¼ cup hoisin sauce
¼ cup brown sugar
⅓ cup regular soy sauce
2 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoon Shaoxing wine or sub with Dry Sherry wine, or any broth of choice for non-alcoholic version
1 teaspoon Chinese five spice

Basting Sauce:

1.5 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon red fermented bean curd

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine Marinade ingredients as listed above. Use a fork to help you dissolve the fermented red bean curd. Set aside.
In a separate small bowl, combine Basting Sauce ingredients as listed above. Set aside.
Pat dry chicken thighs with clean paper towels. Debone chicken thighs leaving skin on. Transfer to a large bowl or resealable bag.
Pour marinade over chicken thighs. Marinate for at least 15 minutes in the fridge. For the best result, marinate overnight.
Place marinated chicken skin side up in a single layer in air fryer basket. Do not overlap. You may need to air fry in batches. Brush basting sauce on top of chicken skin. Tip: For easy cleanup, line the base of the basket with parchment paper but ensure the paper does not touch the heating element to avoid any burning or possible fires. If you don't have parchment paper, you can use aluminum foil.
If you don't own an air fryer, I share baking instructions below in the Notes section.
Air fry for 9-10 minutes in total at 375 degrees F until an internal temperature of 165F or until juices run clear (no flipping needed). There should be slight char marks.
Note: Depending on the size of your chicken thighs and air fryer model, the cooking time can range so check your chicken at around the 9 minute mark. Mine was done at 9 minutes. If you like less charring, reduce air frying time.
Remove chicken from air fryer to slice and enjoy!

Notes

To Bake

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease with oil. Place chicken skin side up on top and baste with basting sauce. Bake for 20 minutes. Until you reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F or juices run clear.

Air Frying Instructions for Other Cuts of Chicken

Skinless boneless chicken breast: preheat air fryer at 375 F. Air fry chicken breast for 6 minutes, flip over and air fry on the other side between 3-8 minutes until it reaches an internal temperature of 155-160 F and remove chicken from air fryer so that the residual heat can continue to cook it through. Chicken is safe to eat at 165 degrees F, but I prefer to remove my chicken from the air fryer at a slightly lower temperature so the residual heat to finish it off.
Chicken wings: Air fry for 8 minutes at 400 degrees F on one side. Flip the wings over and air fry for 4-5 minutes on the other side. Cook until an internal temperature is 165 F or until juices run clear and meat is cooked through. If not cooked through, air fry for another minute.
Chicken drumsticks: Air fry on one side at 375 F for 9-10 minutes and flip over and air fry for another 9-10 minutes.

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