Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Asian Five-Spice Chicken
Five-spice chicken has a savory sweetness that's especially inviting around its browned edges. The garlic and sesame oil give the coating plenty of aroma before the first bite.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Original yield
- Serves 3
- Ingredients
- 10 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Chicken
- Cooking method
- Pan-frying
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 16–30 minutes · Total: 30 minutes or less
A few quick notes
1. Keep the skin if using it
Debone the thighs while leaving their skin attached, unless choosing the allowed boneless skinless option.
2. Give the marinade its time
Marinate with garlic, spices and sauces for the stated minimum, or use the longer ideal marinating window.
3. Cook through as well as browning
Pan-fry both sides until browned and crispy, checking that the inside is cooked before serving.
Get to know the ingredients
Halved chicken thighs
The thighs are listed deboned and cut into halves before they receive the five-spice marinade.
Optional rice wine
Chinese rice wine or Japanese cooking sake are listed, with this marinade ingredient marked optional.
Minced garlic
Mince the garlic before mixing it with the chicken and the other marinade ingredients for even coating.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 3. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 3 steps completeMake room for Asian Five-Spice Chicken
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Serve straight from the skillet
Remove the browned, cooked-through chicken from the skillet and serve immediately while its outside is crisp.
A little more help as you go
A baking option
You can bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about fifteen to twenty minutes, or until done.
Indoor or outdoor grilling
You can also use an outdoor or indoor grill if you prefer that to the skillet.
A few questions you might have
Can I use skinless thighs?
Yes, boneless skinless thighs are explicitly allowed if you prefer them to deboning thighs with the skin kept on.
When does the five-spice powder go in?
Marinate the chicken with it alongside garlic, sesame oil, sauces, sugar, salt and optional rice wine.
What heat does the skillet use?
Heat the oil over medium heat, then pan-fry the marinated chicken on both sides until browned and cooked through.
Does the soy sauce go on after cooking?
It belongs in the marinade with the oyster sauce and other seasonings before the chicken is cooked.
How long is the ideal marinade?
The directions give fifteen minutes as the minimum and one hour as the ideal marinating period.
Any more cooking tips?
You may grill it on an outdoor or indoor grill, or bake the chicken in the oven at 375F for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until done.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: rasamalaysia.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
