Char Siu Chicken (Paleo, Whole30, Gluten Free)

A plate of Char Siu chicken that is sliced up and ready to serve.

4.81 from 26 votes

Char Siu Chicken (Paleo, Whole30, Gluten Free)

This Whole30, paleo, and gluten free Char Siu Chicken is a quick and tasty pork-free spin on my popular paleo Char Siu recipe. Slathered with a sticky sweet sauce, these roasted boneless chicken thighs are a healthy take on Chinese BBQ chicken!

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: Char Siu Chicken, gluten-free, low carb, nom nom paleo, nomnompaleo, paleo, Whole30

Servings:

Author: Michelle Tam

Ingredients

2½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1½ teaspoons Umami Stir Fry Powder or Diamond Crystal kosher salt
1 tablespoon avocado oil
¼ cup plum jam or peach or apricot jam, sweetened only with fruit juice (I like St. Dalfour brand)
2 tablespoons coconut aminos
1½ tablespoons tomato paste
1½ teaspoons almond butter or tahini
1 teaspoon Red Boat fish sauce
¼ teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
¼ teaspoon ground ginger

Instructions

Heat the oven to 400°F convection roast or 425°F conventional roast with the rack in the middle.
While the oven is heating, pat the chicken dry with paper towels and sprinkle on Umami Stir-Fry Powder or Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Pour in the avocado oil and toss well to season everything evenly.
Arrange the chicken in a single layer, smooth side down, on a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet. (Yes, you can line the baking pan with aluminum foil if you want easy clean up.)
Pop the tray in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
While the chicken is baking, make the sauce. In a small bowl, combine the jam, coconut aminos, tomato paste, almond butter, fish sauce, five spice powder, and ground ginger. Whisk until smooth.
When the chicken has baked for 15 minutes, flip the chicken smooth-side up and brush ⅔ of the sauce on top of the chicken.
Bake for 5 to 7 more minutes and rotate the tray 180° before basting the chicken with the remaining sauce.
If you want it more browned, you can broil the top for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. The Char Siu Chicken is ready when the sauce is browned in parts and an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reaches 170°F.
Remove from the oven, transfer to a cutting board, and slice up!
Cooking in an air fryer? Depending on the size of your air fryer basket, you will probably have to cook the thighs in a few batches.
Lay the chicken smooth-side up in a single layer in the basket and air fry at 400°F for 10 minutes.
After the 10 minutes is finished, brush the sauce on top and air fry for 2 to 5 more minutes or until the sauce is browned in parts and an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reaches 170°F.

Video

Notes

How to store leftovers:

You can store the leftover chicken in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can cut up the leftover chicken and throw it in soups, salads, fried cauliflower rice, stir-fries—you name it!

Nutrition