Char Siu Chicken (Paleo, Whole30, Gluten Free)
6 standard portions
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Dietary & allergen details
Based on listed recipe ingredients. No certification is implied.
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Check the actual product labels and preparation. Substitutions can change this information.
Ingredients
- 2½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1½ teaspoons Umami Stir Fry Powder or Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- ¼ cup plum jam or peach or apricot jam, sweetened only with fruit juice (I like St. Dalfour brand)
- 2 tablespoons coconut aminos
- 1½ tablespoons tomato paste
- 1½ teaspoons almond butter or tahini
- 1 teaspoon Red Boat fish sauce
- ¼ teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
Method
- Heat the oven to 400°F convection roast or 425°F conventional roast with the rack in the middle.
- While the oven is heating, pat the chicken dry with paper towels and sprinkle on Umami Stir-Fry Powder or Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Pour in the avocado oil and toss well to season everything evenly.
- Arrange the chicken in a single layer, smooth side down, on a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet. (Yes, you can line the baking pan with aluminum foil if you want easy clean up.)
- Pop the tray in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
- While the chicken is baking, make the sauce. In a small bowl, combine the jam, coconut aminos, tomato paste, almond butter, fish sauce, five spice powder, and ground ginger. Whisk until smooth.
- When the chicken has baked for 15 minutes, flip the chicken smooth-side up and brush ⅔ of the sauce on top of the chicken.
- Bake for 5 to 7 more minutes and rotate the tray 180° before basting the chicken with the remaining sauce.
- If you want it more browned, you can broil the top for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. The Char Siu Chicken is ready when the sauce is browned in parts and an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reaches 170°F.
- Remove from the oven, transfer to a cutting board, and slice up!
- Cooking in an air fryer? Depending on the size of your air fryer basket, you will probably have to cook the thighs in a few batches. Lay the chicken smooth-side up in a single layer in the basket and air fry at 400°F for 10 minutes. After the 10 minutes is finished, brush the sauce on top and air fry for 2 to 5 more minutes or until the sauce is browned in parts and an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reaches 170°F.