Five-Spice Chicken with Roasted Plum Sauce Recipe
Flavorful Pan-seared, Five-Spice Chicken with Roasted Plum Sauce- infused with ginger and garlic. A delicious Chinese-inspired dinner highlighting juicy red plums.
How to Make the Best Five-Spice Chicken with Roasted Plum Sauce
This Five-Spice Chicken with Roasted Plum Sauce brings together the warm, aromatic flavors of Chinese five-spice with the natural sweetness of roasted plums for a truly memorable dinner. The five-spice blend—typically a mix of star anise, cloves, cinnamon, Sichuan peppercorns, and fennel—creates a fragrant, slightly sweet crust on the chicken that pairs beautifully with the tangy-sweet plum sauce.
The secret to this dish lies in the roasted plum sauce. As the plums roast alongside garlic and ginger, they caramelize and develop a deep, complex flavor. When blended with soy sauce and a touch of honey, the result is a silky, restaurant-quality sauce that elevates simple pan-seared chicken into something extraordinary.
This recipe is wonderfully adaptable—adjust the honey and vinegar to match the sweetness of your plums, and feel free to add a pinch of cayenne for heat. Serve over steamed rice or alongside sautéed bok choy for a complete Chinese-inspired meal that’s impressive enough for company yet simple enough for a weeknight dinner.
Five-Spice Chicken with Roasted Plum Sauce
Flavorful Pan-seared, Five-Spice Chicken with Roasted Plum Sauce- infused with ginger and garlic. A delicious Chinese-inspired dinner highlighting juicy red plums.
Ingredients
Five-Spice Rub
Roasted Plums and Aromatics
Chicken
Plum Sauce
Instructions
Roast the Plums
- Preheat oven to 450F.
- Mix the ground five-spice, salt, granulated garlic and pepper in a small bowl.
- Slice the onion and plums and place in a 9 x13 inch baking dish or edged sheet-pan. Add the whole garlic cloves and slices of ginger and drizzle with oil generously to coat. Toss well and place in the hot oven. Check at 15 minutes, toss, then lower the heat to 400F.
Cook the Chicken
- While the plums are roasting, cook the chicken. Pat dry the chicken and coat all sides generously with the Five-Spice Rub seasoning.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat and once hot, pan sear the chicken skin-side-down until golden and slightly crispy, about 8-10 minutes, checking heat and lowering if browning too fast. Turn over and sear the other side 3-4 minutes.
- Place the seared chicken over the roasting plums. If the plums look especially ready to come out (juicy, roasted with tender garlic and very tender onions), feel free to lower the heat even further, down to 375F. The chicken will need 15-20 minutes of roasting time.
- When the chicken is cooked through (165-170F), remove it from the oven and set the chicken aside, covered. Let the chicken rest 5-10 minutes while you blend the Plum Sauce.
Make the Sauce
- Scrape out the plums, onions, and all the juices and browned bits from the pan into a blender. Add the soy sauce and pepper. Blend until silky smooth. Add a little water to loosen the sauce. Blend again.
- Taste and add honey and vinegar to taste. If your sauce is too sweet, add more vinegar; if too tangy add honey. If too salty, add more water. For a bit of a kick add chili flakes or cayenne.
- Place the Roasted Plum Sauce in a saucepan and gently warm over low heat until ready to serve.
Serve
- Ladle some roasted plum sauce on a plate, top with the chicken, and garnish with scallions, chives, or cilantro.
Notes
- All plums have different levels of sweetness and tartness, so adjust the honey and vinegar to taste.
- For a vegetarian option, this five-spice rub and plum sauce work wonderfully with tofu.
- Red-fleshed plums that are soft and juicy work best for this recipe.
