Easy Baked Five Spice Chicken

When I thought about the recipes I wanted to do this month, I knew I wanted to take it back to something simple. Simple recipes. Simple ingredients. Dishes that anyone can make in little to no time. Because I think January is about hitting reset on not only your life but also on your diet after a few months of eating in excess. The first recipe I created this month is my five spice chicken recipe. I absolutely love this recipe. It’s so simple, can be completed in less than an hour, and it makes for a quick weeknight dinner.

My experience with five spice powder

Five spice powder is something that I associate with Chinese cuisine. In my experience, it is made up of a mixture of 5 spices like its name suggests: star anise, cloves, cinnamon, Sichuan pepper, and fennel seeds. We typically use this spice combo in poultry dishes like duck or chicken. I personally have also loved using it with meatier fishes like salmon or with pork dishes.

Some details about key ingredients

• Chicken thighs – I love using bone in, skin on chicken thighs because the bones and skin add so much flavor to the dish. However, you can substitute with any cut of chicken.
• Five spice powder – I used Simple Organic’s five spice powder which included a mixture of star anise, cinnamon, fennel, cloves, and white pepper. You can also make five spice powder from scratch!
• Coconut sugar – Coconut sugar is a slightly healthier alternative to brown sugar. It also is less sweet than regular brown sugar. If you don’t have coconut sugar, use brown sugar or granulated sugar as an alternative.
• Brandy (optional) – The only reason I used brandy is because I had some leftover from another recipe I was developing. I also love the flavor it adds to food. This ingredient is optional however.

Making my five spice chicken recipe

I seriously love how quick and easy this recipe is. First, start off by preheating the oven to 400 degrees F. Then make the marinade for your chicken. Combine salt, five spice powder, fish sauce, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, coconut sugar, brandy, and garlic into a small bowl. Whisk together and set aside. Add the chicken thighs to a Ziploc bag and pour the marinade over it. Close the bag and shake it a few times to get the chicken coated in marinade. Let it marinate for at least 15 minutes. You can also do this overnight.

Once done marinating, sear the chicken on all sides in a large pan over medium high heat. You want a golden brown color on all sides of the chicken. After searing, bake the chicken in the oven for 30-35 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. You can simply stick the pan you used to sear the chicken in the oven. Make sure to use an oven safe pan. Once done, serve the chicken over a bed of rice with sliced cucumbers.

How should I eat this five spice chicken?

Since this five spice chicken has such intense flavors, I like to pair it with something more simple and plain. For me, that means rice (see my post on how to cook rice for cooking instructions!) and some Persian cucumbers. The rice provides a great base for the chicken, and the cucumbers add a freshness to balance out the savory flavors of the chicken. Other things I would pair this chicken with are: quinoa, roasted potatoes, asparagus, sautéed spinach, or broccoli. Essentially any veggie or grain that doesn’t have intense flavors.

Did you make this Five Spice Chicken?

If you made this dish, I would love to see!

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