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Char siu chicken sticks with pickled radish and carrot salad
Serves: 4
Prep time: 40 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photography by Martin Poole
Char siu chicken sticks with pickled radish and carrot salad
Sweet and sticky chicken skewers get added aromatic flavour from a char siu sauce, which also works well on everything from pork to fish
Serves: 4
Prep time: 40 minsTotal time:
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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
342Kcal
Fat
7gr
Saturates
2gr
Carbs
37gr
Sugars
35gr
Fibre
4gr
Protein
31gr
Salt
3.6gr
Nadine Brown
When Nadine isn't busy developing delicious recipes and using her experience as a health food editor to create healthy treats, she's munching and reviewing her way around her beloved home town of Tottenham. Find out what she's cooking and eating on Instagram @n0sh.17
See more of Nadine Brown’s recipes
Nadine Brown
When Nadine isn't busy developing delicious recipes and using her experience as a health food editor to create healthy treats, she's munching and reviewing her way around her beloved home town of Tottenham. Find out what she's cooking and eating on Instagram @n0sh.17
See more of Nadine Brown’s recipes
Ingredients
- 6 skinless chicken thigh fillets (about 550g)
- 1 green pepper
- 2 onions
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- ¼ tsp Chinese five spice
- 3 tbsp light brown sugar
- 3 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1½ tbsp tomato purée
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 2 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
For the pickled salad
- 10 radishes, trimmed
- 1 large carrot
- 35g granulated sugar
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 150ml distilled white malt vinegar
Step by step
Get ahead
Prep to the end of step 2 the day before. The pickled veg will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Cut the chicken into 48 bite-size pieces, and the pepper into 24 pieces. Slice each onion into 12 slim wedges through the root, so that they hold together.
- In a large jug, combine the garlic, five spice, brown sugar, hoisin and soy sauces, tomato purée and sesame oil to make the char siu sauce, seasoning with black pepper. Add the chicken, peppers and onions to a large bowl with half the sauce and stir to coat. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 3 hours, or overnight. Chill the remaining sauce separately.
- Slice the radishes and carrot into 2mm discs. Add to a large bowl, sprinkle in 1 tablespoon of sugar and the salt. Massage together then leave for 20 minutes until the salt and sugar have dissolved and the veg have softened a little. Drain the veg then add to a large jar. Stir the remaining sugar with the vinegar and 125ml water until dissolved; pour over the veg in the jar and seal. Give it a brief shake and then chill for at least 1 hour, or until needed.
- When ready to cook, soak 12 bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes and preheat the grill (or barbecue). Thread the chicken, peppers and onions alternately onto the skewers; each should have 4 pieces of chicken and 2 pieces each of pepper and onion. Put the skewers on a foil-lined grill pan, leaving room in between (cook in batches if necessary). Grill or barbecue the skewers for 12-14 minutes, turning every now and then, until the chicken is cooked through. Gently warm the reserved sauce in a pan.
- Transfer the cooked chicken sticks to a platter and glaze with some of the sauce. Cover loosely with foil to keep warm, then repeat with the remaining skewers if necessary.
- Scatter with spring onions and sesame seeds and serve with the pickled vegetable salad, drained, and any extra sauce to drizzle over.