Chicken Char Siu (Halal Air Fryer Version)

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Faizah

Many of my favorite Chinese dishes call for char siu. Yes, of course original char siu is made of pork and therefore a no-go for me. Thankfully, in Malaysia halal versions using chicken char siu are easily accessible. The nationwide lockdown caused by the COVID pandemic was a major catalyst for me to learn to make these dishes myself, in addition to my desire to have more control over ingredients and food additives consumed by my family. When cravings set in and our usual restaurants were unavailable, I learned to make my own chicken char siu at home.

I used the wonderful recipe by RecipeTinEats as a starting point, but instead of grilling them, I used my trusty air fryer. Aside from using chicken, obviously, to halal-ify this recipe I used rice vinegar with a bit of sugar in place of shaoxing wine. I’ve also used black vinegar before, with equally yummy results. Another thing to watch out for is the hoisin sauce. The Lee Kum Kee brand I use in Malaysia is halal-certified. However, if this is not available to you, check the ingredients to make sure it is alcohol-free and vegetarian friendly. For those who don’t take shellfish, vegetarian oyster sauce is an option.

This is a very low-touch recipe, incredibly easy to make. The chicken is marinated overnight, then cooked in the air fryer with minimal minding required. Use this chicken char siu recipe to make steamed BBQ meat buns (char siu bao) or char siu fried rice, or use as a topping for wan tan mee, and so on and so forth. Enjoy!

Jump to Recipe

Step by Step

Trim the chicken and pat dry.

In a large container or ziplock bag, add all the marinade ingredients and stir to combine.

Add the chicken and toss to evenly coat. Cover and let sit in the fridge overnight, for up to 24 hours.

When ready to cook, remove the chicken and shake off any excess marinade. Arrange in a single layer in your air fryer basket. Reserve the marinade.

Air-fry for 5 minutes at 200 degrees C.

Brush the tops with the reserved marinade. Flip over and glaze the other side.

Repeat the cooking and basting steps 3 more times, for a total cook time of 20 minutes, or until the edges are crispy and slightly charred.

Let cool before slicing.

Air Fryer Chicken Char Siu

My take on chicken char siu, a halal version of the popular Chinese BBQ meat. Preparation is made even easier using an air fryer.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Marinating Time 1 day
Total Time 1 day 30 minutes
Course Cooking Ingredients, Main Course
Cuisine Chinese
Servings 600 grams

Equipment

  • Air fryer

Ingredients
  

  • 1 kilogram boneless chicken chops about 4
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
  • 1 ½ tablespoons light soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil optional
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons red yeast powder OR few drops red food colouring optional

Instructions
 

  • Trim the chicken and pat dry.
  • In a large container or ziplock bag, add all the marinade ingredients and stir to combine.
  • Add the chicken and toss to evenly coat. Cover and let sit in the fridge overnight, for up to 24 hours.
  • When ready to cook, remove the chicken and shake off any excess marinade. Arrange in a single layer in your air fryer basket. Reserve the marinade.
  • Air-fry for 5 minutes at 200 degrees C.
  • Brush the tops with the reserved marinade. Flip over and glaze the other side.
  • Repeat the cooking and basting steps 3 more times, for a total cook time of 20 minutes, or until the edges are crispy and slightly charred.
  • Let cool before slicing.
Keyword halal version

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