Grilled Char Siu Chicken Thighs

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Sticky, smoky-sweet char siu chicken cooked straight on the grill. Boneless thighs soak in a five-spice hoisin marinade, get charred over direct heat, then finish over indirect heat with a glossy honey glaze that caramelises instead of burning. Ten minutes of prep the night before or the morning of, and dinner comes off the grill in about 20 minutes.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup hoisin sauce
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 3 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder

• 2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

1. In a bowl, whisk the hoisin, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger and five-spice until smooth. Pour 1/3 cup into a small bowl and set aside for glazing later.
2. Season the chicken thighs with the salt, add them to the remaining marinade in a zip-top bag or bowl, and turn to coat. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 12 hours.
3. Set up the grill for two-zone cooking: on gas, light half the burners and set them to medium-high (about 425°F) leaving the other side off; on charcoal, bank the lit coals to one side. Scrape the grates clean and wipe them with an oil-soaked paper towel.
4. Lift the chicken from the marinade, letting excess drip off, and lay it over the direct-heat side. Grill uncovered 4 to 5 minutes per side, moving pieces if flames flare, until well charred on both faces.
5. Slide the thighs to the cool side of the grill, brush generously with the reserved glaze, close the lid and cook 6 to 8 minutes more, flipping and brushing once, until the glaze is sticky and the thickest thigh reads 175°F on an instant-read thermometer.
6. Rest the chicken on a board for 5 minutes, then slice thickly and scatter with scallions and sesame seeds.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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