Have you ever tried Chinese 5 Spice Chicken? This recipe is super budget-friendly, oh-so-flavorful, and the new best thing in my kitchen! We love to make this meal complete with quick & easy sides of Instant Pot white rice and pan-roasted broccoli!
A couple of years ago I was feeling like I was in a massive dinner rut. Every Sunday consisted of Instant Pot chicken wings, chicken breasts, or whole roasted chicken on the grill with sides of asparagus or seasonal vegetables.
There’s nothing wrong per se, with grilled chicken and vegetables, but I was ready for something else. It didn’t have to be some crazy spectacular meal. It just had to be different.
I started experimenting with spices and struck gold on my first two attempts. The first was Jamaican jerk chicken. The second is this Chinese 5 spice chicken recipe.
Easy Chinese 5 Spice Chicken
One of the reasons I like Chinese 5 spice chicken so much is because when you use this spice, it’s the only spice you need (other than salt).
Sure, you can make some great-tasting meals when you mix a few basic seasonings together. And as I teach in my course Grocery Budget Bootcamp (Enrollment is currently closed, but you can join my FREE 5-day Crush Inflation Challenge and start saving money on groceries tomorrow!), you can really save a lot of money by making your own spice blends at home. For example,
- Thyme + rosemary + coriander + dill = homemade Montreal steak seasoning
- Beef bouillon + onion powder + celery powder + onion flakes = homemade dry onion soup mix
- Chili powder + garlic powder + cumin + oregano = homemade taco seasoning
But if you’ve never had Chinese 5 spice before, prepare yourself for a flavor explosion! Literally.
Ingredients For Chinese 5 Spice Chicken
This delicious spice blend consists of five spices that individually can make or break a meal (ever had too many cloves in your pumpkin pie?). Here’s the line-up:
- Anise
- Fennel
- Cinnamon
- Cloves
- Black pepper
Now, anise and fennel are two spices I (personally) absolutely cannot stand on their own. They taste very similar to black licorice and growing up, I was a red licorice gal.
In my experience, black licorice is like cilantro. You either love it or hate it. I tried black licorice once, spit it out, and knew I’d never eat it again.
My personal disdain for black licorice aside, there’s something magical that happens when you mix anise and fennel with cinnamon, cloves, and pepper. They actually taste GOOD!
Chinese Five Spice Chicken Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1. Except for the chicken, add all ingredients to a food processor or blender and puree until you have a mostly smooth paste/marinade.
Step 2. As a rub: Smear the sauce under the skin and over the entire surface of the chicken.
As a marinade: Combine chicken and sauce in a plastic bag (I use these), remove the excess air, and let it sit in the fridge overnight, or at least 8 hours.
Step 3. Cook chicken using your preferred method, OR preheat the oven to 400F and place chicken pieces in large, shallow baking pans. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until juices run clear.
Note: I recommend Butcher Box for your meat. You can read my honest review of their products here, and my post on how to make Butcher Box worth the cost!
Chinese Five-Spice Powder FAQS
You can use Chinese five spice for poultry, meat, or fish. You can even add it to a fruit salad or vegetables!
This Chinese five spice recipe consists of anise, fennel, cinnamon, cloves, and black pepper.
Chinese 5 spice is not spicy (hot). It has a robust and sweet flavor.
Side Dishes for Chinese 5 Spice Chicken
If you’re left wondering what can you make with this delicious chicken, here are some suggestions:
- Vegetable Fried Rice
- Pan-roasted Broccoli
- Cauliflower Rice
- White Rice
- Lemon Butter Asparagus
- Sauteed Green Beans
Closing Thoughts for Chinese Five-Spice Chicken
- Don’t pass up Chinese 5 spice at the grocery store (unless it’s crazy expensive, and then buy this affordable option on Amazon or find it at a local ethnic store instead)
- Don’t be overwhelmed (or underwhelmed?) when you’re stuck in a dinner rut.
- Do make this Chinese 5 spice chicken.
I promise you won’t regret it!
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Chinese 5 Spice Chicken
Have you ever tried Chinese 5 Spice Chicken? This recipe is super budget-friendly, oh-so-flavorful, and the new best thing in my kitchen! We love to make this meal complete with quick & easy sides of Instant Pot white rice and pan-roasted broccoli!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
- Category: Main meals
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients
- 1–5lb chicken, either whole or cut into parts (you can also use the equivalent of chicken pieces)
- 2 Tbsp chopped garlic
- 2 Tbsp hoisin sauce*
- 2 Tbsp Chinese 5 Spice
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce (we use liquid aminos)
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1” fresh ginger, roughly chopped (freeze any extra)
Instructions
- Except for the chicken, add all ingredients to a food processor or blender and puree until you have a mostly smooth paste/marinade.
- As a rub: smear the sauce under the skin and over the entire surface of the chicken
- As a marinade: combine chicken and sauce in a plastic bag, remove the excess air, and let it sit in the fridge overnight, or at least 8 hours.
- Cook chicken using your preferred method, OR preheat the oven to 400F and place chicken pieces in large, shallow baking pans. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until juices run clear.
- If you have extra sauce, bring it to a boil and serve over the chicken (per FDA food safety guidelines). Do not re-use the sauce though.
Notes
* If you don’t have Hoisin sauce, substitute 1 heaping Tbsp of oyster sauce OR fish sauce + 1 tsp molasses + 1 tsp honey.
Nutrition
- Calories: 218
Should I both rub and marinade or do I pick one of the other? I’m a little confused by those instructions. Please help!
Hi Jessica,
The recipe gives you instructions for two options, so you can rub or marinate the chicken – based on your preference. Hope this helps. 🙂
How long would you bake the chicken in the oven and at what temp ?
When I bake drumsticks in the oven, I bake at 400F for about 25 min, or until the thermometer reads 165.
It looks amazing <3
I started using five spice a few years ago to make Peking Duck,(in the slow cooker),for Thanksgiving one year. It was delicious. In addition to chicken, I use it every once in a while when I make brownies, (1/8 teaspoon or more for your taste), or in chocolate frosting,(small amount per your taste), for spreading on vanilla or chocolate cupcakes. A surprisingly subtle, spicy flavor, (that isn’t reminiscent of black licorice), when used this way. Happy Wednesday, Tiffany.