This easy Chinese Chicken on a Stick is full of flavor, easy, and the perfect appetizer for both weeknight dinners and Christmas parties. During the summer, it's an easy grilling recipe for BBQs too!
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⭐ Why This Recipe is a Star
- This Chinese Chicken on a Stick recipe is super easy: You simply mix the ingredients for the sauce, and coat the chicken in it, whilst waiting for the oven to heat up, then bake the chicken kebabs. No need to prep ahead and marinade the meat! (Although you most certainly can do so, if you wish!)
- Better than your local Chinese takeout: with oyster sauce and hoisin sauce in the marinade, there's no way it wouldn't taste good! (If you like Teriyaki Chicken, you'll love this recipe! You can also use homemade Teriyaki Sauce to marinade the chicken, instead of the marinade below, but note that Teriyaki is not a Chinese sauce!)
- Simple: No need to chop any aromatics!
🥘 Ingredients
You will need a few simple ingredients, namely:
- chicken thighs, skinless, boneless, cut into chunks: You can get deboned chicken from the grocer or debone the meat yourself. (Save the bones for stock.) Try to get the chunks equally-sized at about 1 inch. I HIGHLY recommend using chicken thighs/ dark meat, as it has more fat, tastes better, and is more forgiving when it comes to cook time. If you use chicken breast, you will need to ensure that every chunk of meat is EXACTLY the same shape and weight, if not, the smaller pieces will become very dry by the time the larger ones are done!
- Hoisin Sauce: This is a very flavorful Chinese sauce that goes superbly with chicken- I use it in my Asian braised wings recipe too. To learn more about Chinese Hoisin Sauce, click here.
- Oyster sauce: you can substitute with abalone sauce or 1 of these alternatives. (However, if you like Chinese food, I highly recommend having a bottle of oyster sauce in your pantry.)
- Light Soy Sauce: please do not substitute with dark soy sauce or thick soy sauce.
- Sesame Oil: If you don't have it, here are some sesame oil substitutes. (But please don't substitute more than 1 ingredient on this list, or the chicken will come out tasting totally different!)
- (Optional, for some spicy flavor) Sichuan Peppercorns: Ground up into powder form. (Ideally, lightly toasted before grinding to ensure the spices are fragrant.) Alternatively, add ½ Tablespoon of Sriracha instead.
Note: for this easy recipe, you will also need satay sticks/ wooden skewers to thread through the meat. (Don't use metal skewers, as they'll be too hot to pick up after baking. If you're worried about the wood catching fire, soak them in cold water before skewering the meat. This is vital if you're going to charcoal grill- do it for 20 or 30 minutes- and not bake the chicken!)
🔪 Step-by-Step Instructions
1a. Add the marinade ingredients (the sauces) and pieces of chicken to a large bowl then mix well. Ensure all the boneless skinless chicken thigh pieces are evenly coated.
1b. After mixing, wash your hands and pre-heat the oven to 400F/ 200C. (Whilst the oven is heating, the chicken can marinate at room temperature and absorb the sauce! This way, the chicken meat is not cold when it enters the oven, ensuring it stays succulent.)
2a. Place parchment paper on a baking tray.
2b. 15 minutes after switching on the oven, thread the bamboo skewers with the chicken pieces.
2c. Place the sticks on the baking sheet in a single layer, ensuring they don't touch. (We don't want them to steam!) Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, till a meat thermometer reads 165ºF (75ºC) at the thickest part of the chicken.
The chicken doesn't get super charred after it's cooked. If you want it to have a more burnished golden brown color, take it out of the oven 1-2 minutes early, lightly glaze with brown sugar syrup and return to the oven for 1- 2 minutes. (Keep an eye on it to ensure it doesn't burn and don't use too much sweetener or it'll be too cloying.)
🥡 How to Store
Store the cooked chicken sticks in the fridge in an airtight container for 1-2 days.
Freezing
You can freeze the chicken after mixing with the sauce (as long as the chicken meat has not been frozen and thawed before.). I don't like to freeze the sticks after marinating and skewering the meat as the meat may have been at room temperature for a long time (depending on how long you time to skewer.)
If you're freezing the chicken pieces, I suggest putting them and the sauces in a Ziplock bag, and massaging to ensure the sauce is well-spread before freezing.
Reheating
I prefer steaming my chicken sticks when re-heating, to ensure that they remain nice and juicy. Alternatively, heat in the microwave or bake at 350F/180C (for 4-6 minutes) till the internal temperature at the thickest part is 165ºF (75ºC).
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
Tip #1: For a healthier meal, alternate the chicken chunks with cut-up bell peppers when skewering.
Tip #2: For more flavor and visual effect, lightly toast sesame seed and scatter on the cooked meat, along with sliced green onion. (Goes well with almost every Asian flavor.)
🥗 Suggested Accompanying Recipes
Enjoyed this easy Chinese Chicken Skewers Recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below! If you REALLY liked the savory flavors of this dish, please consider supporting it by buying me a bottle of soy sauce! 🙂 (No obligation though!) Thank you and have a great day!
EASY Chinese Chicken on a Stick
Ingredients
- 0.8 lb chicken thighs boneless, skinless, cut into 1-1.5" (400g)
For the sauce
- 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 Tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 Tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Hoisin Sauce
- ½ Tablespoon Optional (If you want some spice): ground-up Sichuan peppercorns
Instructions
- Add the marinade ingredients (the sauces) and pieces of chicken to a large bowl then mix well. Ensure all the chicken pieces are evenly coated.
- After mixing, wash your hands and pre-heat the oven to 400F/ 200C. (Whilst the oven is heating, the chicken can marinate and absorb the sauce!)
- Place parchment paper on a baking tray.
- 15 minutes after switching on the oven, thread the bamboo skewers with the chicken pieces.
- Place the sticks on the baking sheet, ensuring they don't touch. (We don't want them to steam!) Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, till the nternal temperature at the thickest part is 165ºF (75ºC).
- The chicken doesn't get super charred after it's cooked. If you want it to have a more burnished golden brown color, take it out of the oven 1-2 minutes early, lightly glaze with brown sugar syrup and return to the oven for 1- 2 minutes. (Keep an eye on it to ensure it doesn't burn and don't use too much sweetener or it'll be too cloying.)
Notes
Note: the nutritional information is an estimate automatically calculated using the WPRM recipe maker and I am not responsible for its veracity.
Nutrition
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