This fun grilled chicken recipe is based of char siu, the red pork you see at Chinese restaurants. It soaks for a long time in a great marinade giving it that color and tons of flavorful.
This bright red chicken’s color is matched by its bold flavors. It is a mix of sweet and savory with a lovely mix of spices.
It is sticky and delicious. The chicken marinates for several days giving the flavor a chance to really soak in.
You finish it with a great glaze as it cooks giving you that finger licking good shiny finish. This is a fun way to switch up your grilled chicken routine!
Today I am going to give you a quick peek into the strange inner workings of my family. I hope it doesn’t weird you out to much!
We went through a phase when I was a kid where we went to the Chinese buffet semi-regularly for lunch.
I don’t remember if it was a birthday thing or just a way to get us out of the house for a bit when we were all at home during the summer.
One of the items on the buffet that always found its way onto everybody’s plate was the red meat threaded on a skewer. You know what I’m talking about.
None of us knew what it was really called, so we had a family nickname for it. Are you ready?
Who knows how it started, but it stuck. We still call it that to this day. I don’t know what’s wrong with us… please send help!
So, when I was brainstorming ideas for something fun as our entry for the big poultry grill-off I knew I had a winner on my hands as soon as I thought of char siu chicken. It would be perfect!
In the week leading up to the competition, everyone was getting really excited and couldn’t help but give some clues as to what they were making. I quietly nodded, very careful not to give anything away.
The day of the big contest, the grills circled and the fire was lit. I waited until the last minute to bring out the bag of red chicken for my husband to grill.
My brother K.C. quickly came over to inspect what we had going on. I asked him if he knew what it was. He quickly answered “Chicken Butt!”
We have made this a few times now, with varying degrees of food coloring and a couple of different lengths of marinating. Though the food coloring really shouldn’t affect the flavor much, it at least makes a mental difference.
We really like the really red chicken more than that slightly red chicken. It’s probably all in our heads, but it definitely makes more of an impact.
We also like the chicken better with a full 3 days in the marinade, though again the shorter times still had good flavor. Just buy really fresh chicken with a long date on it and let them really soak it up.
My husband likes to grill over a wood fire, so that is how we’ve always cooked it. However, I think it would be a lot easier to control the heat and finish on a gas grill.
I am sure we will eventually make a version using pork and treading it on skewers for the full monkey butt on a stick experience. But I will tell you a secret, the chicken thighs are actually better!
They stay so juicy and there is plenty of flavor. Of course I didn’t get the best pictures during the competition.
There was a lot going on and I was too excited. But I’ve had people clamoring for this recipe and that of the winning entry, K.C.’s Bacon Explosion.
I aim to please, so we decided to remake both and share them with you. Now you are armed and dangerous if ever you enter into your own poultry grilling contest!
Teriyaki Chicken on a Stick are brown or red colored chicken thighs found in Chinese-American restaurants and takeout. The chicken is marinaded overnight in a special blend of spices and sauces then oven baked, after which they are then fried.
Who knows how it started, but it stuck. We still call it that to this day. I don’t know what’s wrong with us… please send help!
None of us knew what it was really called, so we had a family nickname for it. Are you ready?
We went through a phase when I was a kid where we went to the Chinese buffet semi-regularly for lunch.
There was a lot going on and I was too excited. But I’ve had people clamoring for this recipe and that of the winning entry, K.C.’s Bacon Explosion.
This bright red chicken’s color is matched by its bold flavors. It is a mix of sweet and savory with a lovely mix of spices.
I’m not sure how beet powder is made, but I imagine it is dehydrated beets that have been pulverized. I took a taste and it tastes just like beets.
This Grilled Chinese Char Siu Chicken will remind you of the roast pork you find in Chinatown. The flavor is sweet and smokey, and best of all, there is no artificial coloring in this version.
Although I haven’t been to Chinatown in many years, I remember walking by the stores with various roasted meats hanging in the window, including Char Siu Pork with its brilliant red color. Although the beautiful red color is one of the things that makes Char Siu Pork appealing, once I realized it was red food coloring that gave it this distinctive quality, I rarely bought it. Instead, I started making it at home every once in a while; but, somehow it just didn’t seem the same without the red color.
Recently, I came across a recipe in Saveur by Chef Shepherd of the Underbelly restaurant in Houston, Texas. Chef Houston very smartly uses beet powder to color his Char Siu Chicken. I had bought a pack of beet powder from myspicer.com earlier this summer but hadn’t figured out what to use it in. So, I was curious what beet powder would look like in this recipe where it replaces red food coloring.
The key to this Grilled Chinese Char Siu Chicken recipe is to let the chicken marinate in the char siu sauce for two days. The color is brilliant and the flavors run deep. I made this for my family this past weekend and it was a huge hit. Every last piece was devoured.
How to Make Teriyaki Chicken on a Stick
FAQ
What is the red meat on a stick at Chinese?
What is the chicken on a stick on a Chinese buffet called?
What is the Chinese chicken that is red?
Why are chicken sticks red?
Why is Chinese chicken on a stick red?
The red color of Chinese Chicken On A Stick comes from the marinade, usually a combination of soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic powder and ginger powder. The red color is not only visually appealing but also helps to deepen the flavors of the chicken.
What is Chinese chicken on a stick?
Chinese Chicken On A Stick is a popular Chinese dish that consists of marinated chicken and vegetables, skewered onto bamboo sticks. The ingredients are typically chopped up into small pieces and then mixed with traditional Asian sauces to create a delicious flavor combination.
What to serve with Chinese chicken on a stick?
Chinese Chicken On A Stick is typically served as an appetizer or side dish but it can also stand alone as a main course. As mentioned before, its great served with your favorite dipping sauce like soy sauce or sweet chili sauce. Other accompaniments include steamed white rice, fresh vegetables, and sesame seed oil.
What is a good dipping sauce for Chinese chicken on a stick?
The perfect dipping sauce for Chinese Chicken On A Stick would be a combination of soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey, garlic powder and ginger powder. Alternatively, you could also try serving it with sweet chili sauce or teriyaki sauce. What is Chinese chicken on a stick made of?