These Chinese Five-Spice Chicken Thighs are a quick and easy dinner. They are naturally gluten-free, paleo friendly, and healthy! Spicy, sweet and so tasty!
PIN Chinese Five-Spice Chicken Thighs
Table of Contents
Hi, my name is Taylor and I am obsessed with Chinese five-spice.
I could put it in five-spice eggless vegan zucchini bread or sweet potato muffins, or I could rub it on paleo whole30 chicken wings or paleo oven-baked ribs.
OR I could make five-spice chicken thighs and then coat them in the best sticky, sweet honey glaze and eat them forever and a day.
Which, like, I did. Because Mr. FFF isn’t home during the week because he’s at school, it’s up to me to eat ALL THE leftover food from recipe testing and picture taking by myself.
But when it’s these thighs? I’m A-OKAY with that.
What is Chinese Five-Spice?
Chinese five-spice is a bold, sweet and spicy seasoning blend that is often used in Asian cooking. This cozy-feeling, zesty-spicy blend is made of cinnamon, cloves, star anise, fennel and peppercorns, and has this zippy flavor profile, with rich notes of fennel and just that LITTLE bit of peppery-ness that is gonna sizzle down the back of your throat and wake up your taste buds.
INGREDIENTS
To make this winner winner chicken dinner tonight, you need to grab a few things — super-simple ingredients that taste DELICIOUS when you put ‘em all together:
- 2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tbsp Chinese five-spice
- sea salt
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup chicken broth (not reduced-sodium)
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 1/2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
- cilantro, for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
There are many ways to cook chicken thighs as demonstrated by the zaatar chicken or slow-cooker chicken thighs BUT my favorite way is to sear and then steam!
Rub
Remove any large chunks of fat from the chicken thighs and pat them dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle half the 5 spice over the top of the thighs, rubbing in. Sprinkle with salt. Then, flip the thighs and rub in the rest of the 5 spice and sprinkle with salt.
Sear
Heat the oil in large non-stick frying pan (not a cast iron skillet. That’s just for pictures!) on medium high heat. Place the chicken thighs into the hot oil and sear until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes.
Whisk
While the thighs sear, combine the rest of the ingredients in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds, whisking together.
Pour
Flip the chicken, reduce the heat to low and pour in the honey mixture. Cover the pan and cook until an instant read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the chicken reads 165°F, about 5-15 minutes depending on how thick your chicken is.
Simmer
Turn the heat down to MED-LOW and simmer until the chicken hits an internal temperature of 165°F (I recommend using an instant-read meat thermometer). This will take 5-15 minutes depending on the size of the chicken.
DEVOUR!
Variations
Honey Glazed 5 Spice Chicken Thighs: Add to the Chinese five-spice blend some honey, soy sauce, garlic, and sesame oil. Marinate for a few hours then roast or grill the chicken.
Spicy 5 Spice Chicken Thighs: Turn up the heat with some chili flakes or chili sauce in the marinade. It’s up to you just how hot you want to make it. As a side, go with something cool, like cucumber salad or yogurt sauce.
Citrus 5 Spice Chicken Thighs: Freshen things up with citrus — orange juice, lemon zest, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic — to create a marinade. Let the chicken marinate before cooking.
Sesame 5 Spice Chicken Thighs: Double down on the nutty flavors by adding toasted sesame seeds or sesame oil to the marinade. Triple down by sprinkling some sesame seeds on top of the chicken thighs before cooking for an added crunch.
Coconut Milk 5 Spice Chicken Thighs: Go creamy by marinating the chicken thighs in a mixture of coconut milk, five-spice powder, lime juice, and garlic. This one would go well with the coconut rice I allude to below.
Serving Suggestions
I love to pair this chicken with other Chinese-food staples, such as…
Instant Pot Coconut Rice: A subtle coconut taste elevates this rice dish that can serve as a bed for your chicken.
Oriental Coleslaw with Asian Dressing: This pairs so well with the chicken, as it provides a nice crunch. Plus, it’s saucy, paleo, and vegan friendly.
Sauteed Zucchini: A simple one that steps back and lets the chicken do the talking.
Honey Garlic Instant Pot Noodles: Of course, I am going to recommend at least ONE noodle dish. And this one delivers in terms of taste and ease.
FAQs
I might be one of the only humans in the world who doesn’t love chicken skin, unless it’s the zaatar chicken thighs, so I opted for skinless chicken thighs for this recipe. You COULD try it with skin on chicken, but the skin might lose its crispiness when you cover the pan to cook it!
For this five-spice chicken recipe, you want to use boneless chicken thighs. Bone-in takes MUCH longer to cook and will not work if you follow the rest of the recipe as is.
It’s a matter of taste and priority. Reduced-sodium broth is healthier but I find that it compromises the taste to be worth it. The sodium enhances the spices of the five-spice mixture; if you use low-sodium, you might need to adjust the amount of spices to make up for it.
How to store chinese five-spice chicken thighs
Let the chicken cool completely. Wrap them individually in plastic or place them in an airtight container. They will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze the chicken. Wrap each chicken in plastic then store them in an airtight container or freezer-safe, resealable bag. They will last for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat the chicken, let them thaw in the fridge overnight. You can then warm them to an internal temperature of 165°F via the microwave, stovetop, or oven.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tbsp Chinese 5 spice
- sea salt
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup chicken broth (not reduced-sodium)
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 1/2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
- cilantro, for garnish
Instructions
- Remove any large chunks of fat from the chicken thighs and pat them dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle half the 5 spice over the top of the thighs, rubbing in. Sprinkle with salt. Then, flip the thighs and rub in the rest of the 5 spice and sprinkle with salt.
- Heat the oil in large non-stick frying pan (not a cast iron skillet. That's just for pictures!) on medium high heat. Place the chicken thighs into the hot oil and sear until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes.
- While the thighs sear, combine the rest of the ingredients in a small microwave safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds, whisking together.
- Flip the chicken, reduce the heat to low and pour in the honey mixture. Cover the pan and cook until an instant read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the chicken reads 165 degrees F, about 5-15 minutes depending on how thick your chicken is.
- Once cooked, uncover and simmer until the sauce is thick, about 3-5 minutes.
- Garnish with cilantro and DEVOUR!
Nutrition Info:
Recipes written and produced on Food Faith Fitness are for informational purposes only.
FOR THIS RECIPE, I RECOMMEND:
Tammy says
Ooh these sound great! I’ve never used 5 spice in a savory dish before but sounds so comforting and delicious 😀
Taylor Kiser says
You need to try! SO GOOD!
Noelle says
Perfect for my family! Simple and delicious
Taylor Kiser says
Yahoo! So glad to hear!
Anita says
A very easy and delicious way to prepare chicken thighs. We love it more with the skin on. 🙂
Taylor Kiser says
Yay! Thanks!
Irina says
Made it last night. The meal was amazingly delicious! My family was asking for more! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Taylor Kiser says
Yay! so glad!
Dave says
A quick and easy dinner that’s super tasty. Highly Rated !
Taylor Kiser says
Thanks!
Monica Grover says
Hi Taylor, I made this for dinner last night. I had a pack of thighs I wasn’t sure what to do with and ran across this while looking for inspiration. We tend to be spice/flavor lovers as well so even though I only marinated 4 chicken thighs with the skin I kept the original marinate measurements and popped them in the oven at about 6 pm. My husband and my daughter liked it so much. Thank you for yet another AMAZING recipe!
Taylor Kiser says
YAY!!!!! I am SO glad you liked!!!