This sticky five-spice chicken is a 20-minute weeknight meal that’s the perfect dinner for busy days. Simply pan-fry your chicken and coat it with a delicious five-spice sauce, this dish goes perfectly with a warm bowl of rice and a side of veggies!

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Quick-and-easy five-spice chicken

I used to be a firm believer that more time equalled more flavor (which technically does apply in most cases). But knowing that life happens, we sometimes find ourselves in a time crunch and are still in need of a flavor-packed, satisfying meal.

This five-spice chicken is the perfect recipe idea for those busy nights!

It’s a quick-and-easy straight forward recipe: pan-fry your boneless chicken thighs, mix together the rich and savory five-spice sauce, add it to the pan to thicken up, then glaze it all over the chicken before serving.

Ingredients

Chicken: While this recipe uses boneless chicken thighs, you can really use this same recipe as a base for most cuts of chicken. Apart from thighs, feel free to use chicken breasts, wings, or even experiment with a whole chicken!

*I included more tips on how to use different cuts of chicken in the section below.

Honey: Some honey helps the sauce to become glossy and sticky -perfect to be glazed over our chicken.

Soy sauce: Like with most Asian sauces, soy sauce will form the flavor base to give that needed umami and savoriness to the dish.

Hoisin sauce: Hoisin sauce is a thick sauce that’s slightly sweet, with hints of five-spice and garlic.

Five-spice powder: The start ingredient of our dish -this powder uses a combination of fennel seeds, Sichuan peppercorns, Chinese cinnamon, star anise, and cloves. You can find this in most Asian groceries or even in some larger mainstream supermarkets.

Ginger, garlic: For the most intense flavor, go for fresh ginger and garlic that’s been grated and minced. If you only have access to the powdered stuff, that’s fine to use as well.

Boneless chicken thighs?

I got a lot of questions when I initially posted my video and blog post about the kinds of chicken to use, so I figured I’d make a section dedicated to it.

*In all cases, the USDA recommends that all poultry should reach 165 F (73.9 C) internal when measured with a food thermometer in order to be safe for eating.

Boneless chicken thighs: This is the golden cut to use for this recipe -it’s quick to cook, absorbs marinades and sauces fairly easily, and you can serve it as a rice bowl without having to deal with a large chunk of bone in the middle.

I’m not entirely sure if you can purchase boneless skin-on chicken thighs at the supermarket (not in my city, anyways), but with a little practice, you can debone a bunch of chicken thighs using a sharp paring knife for ease of cooking.

Now, of course, if you don’t want to go through the hassle of manually de-boning your thighs, you could try to ask your butcher if they offer services for doing so. You could also simply cook the recipe as is -just remember that cooking times will be longer since the bone is still in there.

Chicken breasts: Chicken breasts don’t have to be boring and dry, seriously. Just be sure to pound the chicken to get an even thickness throughout. To keep it from drying out, constantly baste the chicken and avoid overcooking.

Chicken quarters or legs: These can also work. Follow the same cooking instructions, but cooking times will vary depending on the size and thickness of the legs or quarters. Adjust the cooking time accordingly, use a thermometer, and ensure juices run clear when poked.

Chicken wings: Because these tend to be much smaller, cooking time should also be a breeze with wings. You can follow the same method as the recipe or experiment with baking or air frying these as well.

Instructions

Lightly season the boneless chicken with salt and pepper on both sides.

Pan fry the chicken for about 5-6 minutes on one side, then another 5-6 minutes on the other side or until golden and fully cooked-through. Set aside.

In the same pan, add in the water, honey, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, five-spice powder, grated ginger, and minced garlic.

Mix until smooth and let simmer over medium-high heat for about 1-2 minutes until thickened and bubbly.

Add the cooked chicken back into the pan. Baste the sauce all over the chicken until it’s fully coated in the sticky five-spice sauce.

Top with chopped scallions and toasted sesame seeds. Serve with a side of warm rice and veggies, if desired. Enjoy!

Cooking Tips

Customize your sauce: Like with most recipes, use the ingredients and instructions as a guide and adjust as you go. If you prefer your sauce a little less sweet, feel free to omit or lessen the amount of honey. For a little kick, you can also try spooning in some chili oil or flakes.

Be careful to not overly reduce your sauce. If you let the sauce simmer for too long (or if you reduce it too quickly on too high of a heat), the sauce can get extremely bitter and too sticky (which can end up becoming gummy when cooled). Remember that the sauce will continue to thicken as it cools!

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

What can I serve this with?

The beauty with this recipe is how incredibly versatile it can go with other dishes!

My go-to and standard weeknight meal is to serve the chicken over a bowl of rice, along with a side of steamed gai lan (Chinese broccoli). It’s become my staple meal after working those long shifts, which is such a lifesaver!

Other ideas to serve this chicken with (which are equally as delicious) are:

More greens (Garlic Bok Choy, spinach, cucumber, broccoli)
More vegetables (Seasoned Potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, bell peppers)
Wrapped inside rice paper rolls (salad rolls)
In between two slices of bread (like milk bread) or buns

How do I store leftovers?

Leftover chicken can be stored for up to 4-5 days refrigerated in an airtight container (perfect for meal-prep!). To reheat, simply microwave, air-fry, or oven bake the chicken until warmed or fully heated-through.

Any leftovers you can repurpose for other meals, such as shredding the chicken to use for fried rice or noodles!

Want some more quick-and-easy meal ideas? Here’s some that you should give a try:

Creamy Gochujang Udon
Crispy Tofu Sisig (Filipino tofu stir-fry)
Honey Garlic Shrimp
Chili Garlic Sinangag (Filipino garlic fried rice)