Chinese-Style Barbecue Sauce Chicken (燒烤醬鷄, Siu1 Haau1 Zoeng3 Gai1)

This recipe was updated on 15 Sep 2015. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed, and metric measurements added.

The title uses Chinese-style because the preparation uses Chinese ingredients, but the grilling and smoking of the chicken is typically American. I used mesquite wood to smoke the chicken, which is very American.

I found a bottle of Koon Chun brand Barbecue Sauce in my refrigerator that was almost empty, but there was just enough sauce left to marinate the chicken. The Koon Chun brand of Chinese barbecue sauce taste similar to hoisin sauce, which can be substituted if you can’t find this brand (there are many brands of Chinese barbecue sauce) at your local Asian market. Feel free to substitute your favorite sauce in the recipe.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

5 lb.	2.5 kg.	Chicken thigh (鷄髀, gai1 bei2) or breast (雞胸肉, gai1 hung1 juk6) pieces
1 in.	2.5 cm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng1), crushed in a garlic press
4 cloves	4 cloves	Garlic (蒜, syun3), crushed in a garlic press
4 Tbs.	60 ml.	Koon Chun brand Barbecue Sauce (燒烤醬, siu1 haau1 zoeng3) or equivalent
½ cup	125 ml.	Soy sauce (豉油, si6 jau4)
½ cup	125 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu6 hing1 zau2) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak6 wu4 ziu1)
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa4 jau4)

 

Equipment

		Garlic press
		Tongs and an oil coated paper towel
22.5 in.	57 cm.	Covered charcoal or gas grill (or larger)

 

Koon Chun Brand Barbecue Sauce
(燒烤醬, siu1 haau1 zoeng3)

Instructions

1. Prepare the chicken thigh or breast by removing any excess fat and remaining yellow skin. Ideally all the yellow skin was removed during the vendor’s chicken cleaning process, but some always remains and will prevent the marinade from penetrating the skin. Use your fingers and rub any remaining yellow skin from the chicken under cold running water. Marinate the chicken in a covered container for at least one hour or overnight in the refrigerator with the crushed ginger and garlic, Koon Chun brand Barbeque Sauce or equivalent, soy sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, ground white pepper, and sesame oil. If marinating the chicken overnight, take it out of the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking.
2. Prepare the charcoal or gas grill for indirect cooking following the manufacturer’s instructions. Light the charcoal or preheat the gas grill accordingly. Soak the mesquite wood for smoking (oak, hickory, or pecan also goes well with this dish) for one hour if desired. I use dry and not soaked wood.
3. If using a charcoal grill, arrange the lighted coals on one half of the grill. The side of the grill with the coals (the “hot” side) will later be used to grill the chicken and the side without the coals (the “cool” side) will be used for smoking the chicken. For a gas grill, follow the manufacturer’s instructions as to which burners to leave on for indirect cooking. Clean the grill to remove any leftover charred bits from the last use and with a folded paper towel coated in oil, use tongs to lubricate the grill. Put the smoking wood onto the coals or as per the instructions for the gas grill.
4. Place the chicken, skin side up, on the cool side of the grill and cook the thighs for 15- or breasts for 25 minutes covered. Uncover the grill and turn the chicken over to brown the skin on the hot side of the grill for another 5-6 minutes. Turn the chicken over again and brown the other side for another 5-6 minutes. Remove the chicken from the grill and allow them to rest for 10 minutes before serving. The temperature of your fire and previous experience with your grill will determine the total cooking time for the chicken.