Char Siu Chicken Legs Air Fryer or Oven

Char siu chicken legs are a take on an easy Chinese “BBQ” dish featuring marinated chicken legs with air fryer & oven cooking instructions.

Marinating this dish takes a while, but the chicken legs take around 20-25 minutes to cook in an air fryer and 30-35 minutes in the oven.

Chinese “BBQ” Chicken Legs

Char siu is often referred to as Chinese BBQ and it is commonly associated with pork.

I have two versions already on my site using very different cuts of meat, a slow cooker char siu style ribs and a quick-cooked char siu pork tenderloin.

But the marinade works well with other meats too and my latest offering is Chinese-style char siu chicken legs.

They are delicious and stupidly simple to make, all you do is mix some common ingredients to make a marinade. If you cook Chinese fakeaways often then you will likely have them all at home!

Then, let the chicken drink all of those flavours for up to 24 hours, and then you just need to cook the chicken.

I like to cook this in an air fryer to get some good caramelisation on the sauce, but I have given instructions to oven-bake this too. Cooking takes around half an hour and all you need to do is baste the meat as you go.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I remove the skin from the chicken legs?

Yes, of course, it will save you a significant chunk of the calories if that is your motivation.

However, I very much prefer this with the skin on.

Can I use chicken breast?

Yes, you must adjust the cooking times to ensure that it does not dry out. Remove 3-4 minutes if you are cooking in an air fryer and 5-6 minutes in the oven.

Be sure to check that the chicken has reached 73°C or 165°F with a meat thermometer before serving.

Can I use Chicken Thighs?

Yes, the timing and the recipe remain the same.

Is this better cooked in an air fryer or in the oven?

I think that the air fryer does a much better job with these char siu chicken legs because the sugars in the honey and hoisin sauce caramelise much better.

But the oven ain’t no slouch and is perfect if you are cooking them for more than two people.

Most char siu is much redder than yours, why?

The colour red is culturally important in foods from many cultures and in many places, some food colouring is used to obtain that colour. I do not add any colouring, hence the slightly more muted tone.

Can I cook this on a BBQ?

Yes definitely, it would be wonderful. I have not tested this on the BBQ so I have not added instructions.

But I would cook this covered on a BBQ over indirect heat until the internal temperature reached around 65-67°C (150°F) then transfer it to the direct heat to get some char action going and finish the cooking.

Serving Suggestions

I’ve served my char siu chicken legs with my sweet and sour stir-fried noodles in these pictures, a plain chow mein would work in the same way, but you can head off in all sorts of directions.

You could go British Chinese takeaway style and add a side of salt and pepper chips, c’mon who doesn’t love chicken and chips?

Rice is always a popular option with Chinese-inspired dishes, and egg fried rice is always a popular option. But it may be a little “dry” paired with this chicken.

I quite like stir-fried veggies and both my broccoli stir fry and asparagus stir fry would be awesome with this.

One final suggestion, something acidic is awesome to contrast the sweeter notes in this recipe and this pickled daikon is perfect.

Equipment Used

I only mention brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But, if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

• Air fryer or oven.
• Tupperware box or a large sandwich bag.
• A combination of weighing scales, measuring cups and spoons.
• Basting brush.
• Kitchen tongs.
• Quick read meat thermometer.

Char Siu Chicken Step-by-Step Photos

1. Mix together hoisin sauce, rice wine, light soy, dark soy, honey, five spice, garlic granules, MSG and Tabasco sauce in a Tupperware box or freezer bag.
   
2. Place chicken legs in the box and coat well and marinade for 8 to 24 hours.
   
3. Preheat the air fryer to 200°C or 390°F for 5 minutes, add the chicken legs coat with marinate again and cook for 10 minutes.
   
4. After 10 minutes of cooking marinate the chicken again and cook for 15 minutes at 160°C or 320°F, baste the chicken legs every 5 minutes until cooked.
   
5. Ensure the chicken is cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of at least 73°C or 165°F, Serve immediately with your favourite side dish.