Chinese Chicken On A Stick

Succulent Chinese Chicken On A Stick Recipe

There’s nothing quite like ordering Chinese takeout (check out our chinese dessert recipes), but have you ever tried making Chinese chicken on a stick at home?

Featuring delicious and tender chicken, aromatic flavors, and a touch of spice, this recipe is a crowd-pleaser that is the perfect addition to any barbeque or Asian-inspired meal!

In this article, I will give you a step-by-step guide on how to make Chinese chicken (another tasty chicken recipe is our Chinese Steamed Chicken Recipe) on a stick.

Keep reading to find out more.

Notes on ingredients for Chinese Chicken on a stick

Aromatics – Freshly minced garlic and grated ginger work perfectly and pack a flavorful punch for this recipe!

Oyster sauce – Oyster sauce is great for adding flavor. However, if you’re allergic to shellfish or don’t like the taste of it, feel free to leave out this ingredient. 

Soy sauce – I try to find soy sauce (check out our dark soy sauce recipes) with a low sodium content in order to control the salt content of this Chinese dish.

Sugar – White sugar provides a sweet flavor to balance out all the bright, savory, acidic notes in this recipe.

Chinese cooking wine – Chinese cooking wine is great for this recipe. You can pick it up in a specialty Asian supermarket if it isn’t at your local grocery store. Alternatively, you can use dry sherry if you’re in a bind without Chinese cooking wine.

Spice – Sriracha is great for this recipe, but you can use your favorite hot sauce if you’d prefer. Red pepper flakes are also a tasty, spicy addition and contribute a tonne of flavor to your tender chicken sticks.

Sesame oil – Sesame oil is absolutely essential to round the flavor of this recipe. It’s deliciously nutty, toasty, and works harmoniously with many Asian recipes out there. This is a staple for your pantry for a tonne of recipes!

Chicken – Skinless and boneless chicken thighs add a tonne of flavor to this dish alongside being a moist and tender meat all of your family won’t be able to resist!

Oil – Just some mild vegetable oil to cook up the chicken in that has a nice and mild flavor that isn’t going to unbalance the dish.

Wooden/bamboo skewers – 16-inch skewers, it’s important to soak your skewers before popping them on the grill to ensure they don’t scorch during the cooking process.

Equipment you’ll need 

  • A large mixing bowl
  • A small grater
  • A garlic crusher
  • 12 bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes

Ingredients

Marinade

  • 3 tablespoons of oyster sauce
  • 1 tablespoon of Chinese cooking wine or dry sherry
  • 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons of sriracha sauce or 1 ½ tsp dried chili flakes, optional
  • 1 teaspoon of sesame oil, optional
  • 1 teaspoon of white sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoon of fresh ginger, finely grated
  • 2 cloves of garlic, crushed

Chicken 

  • 1½ lb of chicken thighs, skinless and boneless
  • 2 tablespoons of vegetable or a cooking oil of your choice

Instructions

  • Begin by preparing your marinade. Measure out the liquid ingredients, grate the fresh ginger, and crush the cloves of garlic into a large mixing bowl. Once you’ve added all the marinade ingredients, mix together until well combined. Set aside for your chicken later on.
  • Next, it’s time to prepare your chicken for the chicken sticks. Begin by taking your chicken thighs and cutting them into 1 – 1.5” bite-sized pieces.
  • Once you have chopped the chicken into bite-sized pieces, add the chicken to the marinade. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
  • Next, you will need to place your bowl of chicken in the refrigerator and allow it to marinate for at least 30 minutes. If you have the time or are preparing this meal ahead of time for guests, you can let your chicken marinate overnight.
  • When you have allowed the chicken to marinate for a sufficient amount of time, take the bowl of chicken out of the refrigerator. Thread the chicken onto the bamboo skewers to make your chicken sticks.
  • Next, heat 1 tablespoon of cooking oil in a large skillet that is big enough to fit the skewers over a medium-high heat.
  • Cook half the skewers for 3 to 5 minutes on each side until deep golden brown, using a spatula to move them around so that they cook through evenly. Repeat with the remaining skewers.
  • Serve immediately, garnished with finely sliced scallions.

Tips when making Chinese chicken on a stick

  • This Chinese chicken on a stick can also be cooked on the BBQ or broiled if you’d prefer. To broil, heat the broiler on high, place the skewers on a tray and cook each side for 5 minutes or until dark golden brown and cooked through.
  • If you’re in a bind without Chinese cooking wine, dry sherry can be used in its place. You could also use Mirin (Japanese cooking sake). However, if you do use Mirin, do not use the 1 teaspoon of white sugar that this recipe calls for as Mirin is sweeter than Chinese cooking wine (check out our chinese drinks recipe).

How do you store Chinese chicken on a stick?

These chicken skewers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 – 4 days. The sauce can be stored separately in the fridge and should last for 1 week.

In addition, if you’d like to freeze your cooked chicken, you can place them in an airtight container and freeze. When it comes to eating Chinese chicken on a stick that you have frozen, simply allow them to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before you eat them.

The sauce can be frozen, too, making it ideal for other Asian-inspired dishes in the future!

How do you serve Chinese chicken on a stick?

This depends on you and your preferences! I tend to serve them with a crunchy Asian salad, but the options are endless if you’d prefer something else.

You could try serving them over some cooked rice such as jasmine rice, white rice, or brown rice with some steamed vegetables for a balanced meal!

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