This Chicken Chashu is rolled into a roulade making it easy to slice into beautiful rounds to top your favorite ramen recipe. It also make for a great side to a bowl of hot rice, or other Asian noodle soups.
What is Chicken Chashu?
Chashu is the Japanese version of Chinese Char Siu. Unlike its grilled Chinese counterpart, the Japanese version is typically made by rolling pork belly into a log and braising it until tender. It's then unbound and sliced before being used to garnish bowls of ramen. When served on hot rice, or over a bowl of steaming noodle soup, the fat in the pork melts, making the meat literally fall apart in your mouth.
Recently I was working on creating a recipe for chicken ramen for those that can't eat pork and decided I needed to develop a chicken version of chashu to finish it off. It started out as a garnish for chicken chashu ramen, but it was so good I ended up having most of it on rice and in sandwiches. This recipe makes two good size logs, so make it on a weekend and slice it up and enjoy it during the busy workweek.
How to Make Chicken Chashu
The first challenge in making chashu chicken was the shape. Pork belly is relatively flat and rolls up nicely, but how do you get chicken to look round. Sure you could roll and tie it, but as the separate pieces of meat cooked I was pretty sure it would lose its shape. To solve this, I wrapped the whole roll in a few layers of foil before tying it with twine. This not only gives it a great cylindrical shape, it holds much of the juices in, helping to keep it moist.
Since pork belly is loaded with fat, you can cook it until it's fall-apart tender without rendering out all the fat and making it dry. This presented the second challenge. How do you cook leaner chicken until tender while retaining the collagen and fat that make it moist? For this I took inspiration from a terrine, and steamed it instead of braising it. I also used skin on chicken thigh and wrapped it around leaner strips of breast meat (a.k.a. chicken tenders) to create a contrast of textures and colors to mimic pork belly.
The last quandary was that of flavor. Since my chicken was now going to be wrapped tightly in foil and steamed it didn't leave a lot of opportunity to season the chicken while cooking. That's why I decided to marinate the chicken in advance. This not only ensures the chicken is evenly seasoned, it reduces the water content of the chicken which concentrates its flavor and firms up the texture of the meat.
This chicken chashu makes the perfect topping for my twenty-minute Shoyu Ramen, which features a chicken ramen broth that tastes like it was simmered all day. If you're a ramen fan, be sure to check it out.
📖 Recipe
Units
Ingredients
- 1.14 kilograms boneless skin-on chicken thighs
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons sake
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger (grated)
- ground white pepper
- 4 small chicken tenders
Instructions
- Put the ¼ cup soy sauce, 2 tablespoons sake, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, and 2 teaspoons fresh ginger in a large Ziploc bag and mix together. Add the 1.14 kilograms boneless skin-on chicken thighs and make sure each piece is coated with the marinade. Press as much air out of the bag as possible, then seal and refrigerate overnight.
- The next day, tear off a 3 foot long sheet of aluminum foil with the shiny side up. Lay half the marinated chicken thighs on the foil, skin-side down, to form a rectangle about 6 inches wide. Sprinkle the chicken generously with ground white pepper. Lay two of the 4 small chicken tenders on the chicken thighs. Since tenders taper on one end, you want to lay them facing in opposite directions so you end up with a core of chicken tenders that is roughly the same thickness of both ends.
- Tightly roll the chicken being careful not to sandwich the foil between the layers of chicken. When the chicken portion is rolled, continue rolling with the rest of the foil to form a tight cylinder. Twist both ends of the foil shut.
- Cut an 8 foot length of twine, fold the twine in half, then tuck the midpoint under one end of the roll. Bring both ends of the twine up either side of the roll, cris-cross the twine, then flip the roll over and bring it back around. Repeat until you've reached the other end of the roll, then tie the twine in a knot. The twine should look like a laced shoe on either side. Make a second roll using the rest of the chicken.
- Bring a steamer to a boil, then add the rolled chicken. Cover with a lid and steam for 1 hour. When it's done, remove the chicken from the steamer and allow it to cool. Place the roll in the refrigerator overnight to let the collagen set.
- When your chicken chashu is ready, unwrap it, slice it and put it on a bowl of chicken ramen, or have it on top of rice as a donburi.
Ahmad says
I left the sake out and it still tasted really good. Thanks for sharing!
Marc Matsumoto says
Happy to hear you enjoyed it Ahmad! Thanks for letting me know!
Lindsay says
Turned out great. We loved this as a ramen topping.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Lindsay, glad to hear this turned out well for you!
EC says
Somehow I wrong-headedly rolled mine wrong (tenders end to end lengthwise instead of doubled across the shortest length of the thighs), but I’m still looking forward to the result. Fingers crossed for tomorrow.
Marc Matsumoto says
That might effect the shape but it shouldn't have too big of an impact on the taste. I hope you enjoy it!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Aymen, Mirin is a type of rice wine which was originally intended for direct consumption (though most Mirin sold outside Japan is a fake "cooking wine" with salt and sugar added). Although it won't have the same taste, you could substitute water for the sake.
Aymen Ely says
Can I use Mirin? (I know its a wine but its not meant for direct consumption). I cannot use sake for religion purposes.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Giftz, I'm not sure where you heard that mirin is low alcohol, but it typically contains 14% ABV which is roughly the same as sake. It's also much sweeter than sake, so you'd need to cut back on the sugar in the recipe to compensate.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Giftz, do you eat bread? If so I can guarantee that there is some alcohol remaining even after it has been baked. Likewise Soy Sauce (and many other fermented foods) contain trace amounts of alcohol. Just leave the sake out if you want to make this.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Giftz, in most cases when you cook alcohol, the alcohol itself burns off, leaving just the flavor. Both bread and soy sauce contain trace amounts of alcohol because it is created in the production process. That being said, for this dish because it's wrapped and steamed the alcohol probably won't fully burn off. It won't taste the same, but you could just leave the sake out.
Giftz says
Yes, it's fine but ALL the alcohol has to be out in order for it to be ok to eat. I just want to enjoy ramen with chashu without the need of pork of alcohol. ;(
Giftz says
Will mirin work? As it has such a low alcohol content that there will probably be no alcohol remain when cooked. Or is it more preferred to just do water?
Giftz says
I cannot consume alcohol for religious reasons. 🙁
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Krishna, a couple things with mirin. First, most mirin sold outside Japan is fake (or at least not very high quality). If the ingredient label shows anything other than water, rice, and koji, it is not real mirin. That's why I don't usually use mirin in my recipes. The second thing is that it is much sweeter than sake, so you do decide to use mirin instead of sake, you probably won't need to add any sugar. The last thing is that if you are able to find real mirin, it has a similar flavor profile to sake, but it's much more concentrated, so you may find the taste overwhelms the chicken.
Krishna says
Hi, I was wondering if its possible to substitute sake with mirin?
Tom Windwllow says
Bone the thigh. Very easy with boning or paring knife. Slide the knif carefully down the femur on both sides then use your fingers to tease the bone from the meat.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Sadia, it will work from a taste perspective, but without the gelatin from the skin I can't guarantee it will hold it's shape when you slice it.
Sadia says
i cant find boneless chicken thigh with skin in England can i use it without skin will it work?
Herr Yamamoto says
yeah of course, this was how i planned it 🙂 ...well i see now i tied it very tight, but didn't chris cross the twine, hope it works out anyway
Marc Matsumoto says
If you're going to freeze it you may want to steam it first and then freeze it, as you're going to lose a ton of water when you defrost the marinated chicken.
Herr Yamamoto says
Thanks for your reply, how about deepfreeze the rest for next time?
Herr Yamamoto says
Could i marinade the chicken for 2 days?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Andreas, unfortunately, sake has a unique flavor that's not really substitutable. Water would probably be your best bet.
Andreas Asen says
hey marc thx for the great recipes , 1 question though in my area there is no sake , is there a more general subtitute ?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Maria, the skin is too moist to crisp with a torch. it will end up burning before it crisps. Also, an ordinary kitchen torch is going to be way too hot crisp the skin even if it were drier. I'd say the only way you might be able to get the skin crisp is to scrape off all the gelatin, dry it with paper towels and then deep fry the whole thing, but this is probably going to make a huge mess (the oil is going to bubble up a ton, so use a very large pot so it doesn't boil over), and the chicken is going to be tougher.
Maria White says
Do you think that the people who want crisp skin can use a culinary torch to make the skin crisp? As long as you use it just above the skin, you should just hit crispy, right? I haven't tried it since all I have in the house is skinless frozen chunks of chicken. This way it doesn't dry out the meat, though you would loose some of the gel I'm guessing.
TSF says
Great recipe, but it is only gluten free if the soy sauce and sake are gluten free versions. Someone who is gluten free would find that obvious but most people are blissfully unaware of that and may be cooking for a gluten free person.
ogag says
just use your imagination or common sense.. if there is 🙂
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Zane, sorry it wasn't clear, but this recipe makes 2 rolls of chicken. Use half for one rolls and the other half for the second.
Zane says
You said put half the chicken thighs, but what happened to the other half?
Zane says
You said put half the chicken thighs, but what happened to the other half?
xExekut3x says
A "Print Recipe" button would be a nice accompaniment to these amazing recipes.
Joy says
It’s on the right hand side of the recipe
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Paolo, I had some uni (sea urchin) soy sauce in the fridge a poured on top, but it's not necessary.
Paolo says
Really nice blog. Recipes are precise, tasty.
What is the sauce with chashu donburi ?
TIA.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Divesh, thanks for clarifying. I don't think this dish is really well suited for getting a crisp skin. To get crisp skin, you need to have skin that's really dry and since the chicken is marinated it will be tough to achieve. Also, because of the sugar content in the marinade, it will most likely burn before the skin crisps. If you want crisp skinned chicken, try this recipe: https://www.pbs.org/food/fresh-tastes/spicy-crispy-chicken/
Divesh says
Thank you for the prompt reply. What I would like is crispness outside and gelatin inside holding the stuff together
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Divesh, In order to answer your question, it would help to understand what your problem is with the outer layer? Do you not want the gelatin? Part of the wonderful part of this dish is the layer of gelatin that forms on the outside of the roll which melts when you slice it and put in on a bowl of ramen. If you don't want it, you could steam then roast it, but it's going to make the meat dryer and it will most likely fall apart as it is the gelatin that helps bind the pieces of meat together.
Divesh says
I love the idea but have a problem with the outer layer. Im wondering whether roasting it could offer a solution to this. Roast foil on, remove and cool for meat to hold together, and then roast without foil. Would that work?
Or what about steaming foil on and then roasting without, after cooling?
Laura says
looks like i've gotta convince my mom to invest in a steamer...
Joy says
Put a colander on top of a pan with boiling water. Find a lid that covers it. Or a steaming basket for a few dollar.
ByThePowerOfRAmen! says
Umai! Maru-san, omae wa tensai desu yo!
Marc Matsumoto says
It's not going to taste as good, but you can substitute water for the sake.
Nay Jade says
can i skip sake to make it?
Carnation Rebellion says
can you make a video for this
Ray Williams says
I must say that I am loving your blog. Great recipes, fab piks and quite inspirational.
sofia says
I tried this recipe and it was really good. marination made chicken juicy and moist. great on bread. thank you, love your blog, pics and recipes.
goud says
can u giv more recipes in my mailing
goud says
this one of best way of new dish in india
Marc Matsumoto says
Thanks Ron! To be honest I'm not a huge chicken breast fan, I personally like it in this roll because it adds a texture contrast. It also makes it look more like a piece of pork belly chashu. That said, it's definitely not necessary.
Ron Evans says
Marc, I gotta say, you may possibly be on to something with this Chicken roll recipe for Ramen. Not to kiss your @$$, but I already think you should be getting Nobel Peace Prize (culinary) for thinking about all the Kosher and Halal people that can't eat pig. I looked at some of the comments below and there is some hit or miss but this path you are on definitely needs to be pursued. I'm wondering: is the chicken breast even necessary? Although championed by the west for its 'health' benefits... everybody else likes legs, wings and thighs because they taste so much better with all their fat and 'dark-meat' goodness.
Ron Evans says
Marc, I gotta say, you may possibly be on to something with this Chicken roll recipe for Ramen. Not to kiss your @$$, but I already think you should be getting Nobel Peace Prize (culinary) for thinking about all the Kosher and Halal people that can't eat pig. I looked at some of the comments below and there is some hit or miss but this path you are on definitely needs to be pursued. I'm wondering: is the chicken breast even necessary? Although championed by the west for its 'health' benefits... everybody else likes legs, wings and thighs because they taste so much better with all their fat and 'dark-meat' goodness.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Jim, sorry to hear you did't like it. I guess the amount of fat won't be to everyone's liking, but this is supposed to be a non-pork replacement to pork belly, so the skin and fat content is intentional. If you still have some unsliced roll left, you could try searing the roll in a hot pan. This should render out some of the fat and while I don't think it will make the skin crisp it should make it less fatty.
jim says
i really wanted to like this recipe, but i think i would rather have the rolled marinated chicken simply fried or grilled. i found the skin flabby, the meat texture rather off and overall it was greezy with the chilled fat solidified on the surface of the roll. perhaps it would have been better if i used a leaner thigh, but is there such a thing? 🙂
jim says
i really wanted to like this recipe, but i think i would rather have the rolled marinated chicken simply fried or grilled. i found the skin flabby, the meat texture rather off and overall it was greezy with the chilled fat solidified on the surface of the roll. perhaps it would have been better if i used a leaner thigh, but is there such a thing? 🙂
jim says
not reading your instructions carefully enough i used the "wrong" side of the foil while rolling the meat. i wondered if it made a difference and on reynolds site i found the following. Anyway, i'm steaming it right now and will see if there's a difference. 🙂
Which side of Reynolds Wrap® Aluminum Foil should I use, the shiny or the dull side?
Actually, it makes no difference which side of the aluminum foil you
use—both sides do the same fine job of cooking, freezing and storing
food. The difference in appearance between dull and shiny is due to the
foil manufacturing process. In the final rolling step, two layers of
foil are passed through the rolling mill at the same time. The side
coming in contact with the mill's highly polished steel rollers becomes
shiny. The other side, not coming in contact with the heavy rollers,
comes out with a dull or matte finish.
Marc Matsumoto says
It's not necessary, but if you don't refrigerate it, the gelatin that is released from the chicken skin will still be liquid and so it will run all over your cutting board. The rolled chicken will also fall apart since the gelatin won't be there to bind it together. Lastly the chicken gets more flavorful (presumably because the cooking juices get redistributed in the meat) if you let it sit overnight.
Kristine says
This might sound like a stupid question, but after steaming it for an hour, can I serve it immediately or refrigerating is a must???
Mike Boon says
Great, looking forward to it!
Marc Matsumoto says
Since the outer layer is skin-on chicken thigh, it has enough fat and collagen to keep it moist. Because of the connective tissue in thigh meat, it actually needs the time to get tender. The breast meat is in the very center being basted by the juices from the thigh constantly so it comes out perfect.
Vanessa says
does it have to steam for an hour long? will it overcook the chicken?
Marc Matsumoto says
I was trying to figure out what the name of the french dish was that involved rolling chicken! This was definitely inspired by galantine. If you want to crisp the skin, you'll probably need to use transglutaminase (a.k.a. meat glue) to hold the chicken together as the only thing holding it together after it's been unwrapped is the gelatin that's released from the skin. If you look closely at the photo, the outer layer is all gelatin. It would also be a shame to melt away all the gelatin which doubles as a sauce.
Marc Matsumoto says
Glad it was helpful! Keep on the lookout for my chicken ramen which is getting posted this Sunday.
Marc Matsumoto says
The sauce in the photo is a special kind of soy sauce. But this would taste great with a teriyaki sauce, just make the teriyaki sauce in this recipe: https://norecipes.com/blog/beef-teriyaki-recipe/
frazwr01 says
Can you recommend a sauce for this recipe? Is the sauce in the photo a sort of soy reduction? Thanks!
arikskot says
This looks really good: like a chicken galantine without having to start by skinning a bird! Once it is done do you think it would hold together if it were rolled in hot oiled pan to crisp the skin? I sure like crispy skin.
Thomas Abraham says
Great Idea , i will definitely try it the next days , thanks for sharing
Marilia says
Great Idea , i will definitely try it the next days , thanks for sharing
Marc Matsumoto says
I wouldn't recommend freezing it, but in the fridge it should keep for up to 5 days.
polarbearpilot says
Just one question. How long does this keep in the frige? or freezer?
polarbearpilot says
Just one question. How long does this keep in the frige? or freezer?
polarbearpilot says
Looks so great. Will definitely try this out on sandwiches and rice and noodles, and maybe even on salad. Thanks so much.
Mike Boon says
Hello Marc,
Your recipe is a fantastic solution for those who don't eat pork, as i am a muslim, so this is a very welcome substitute for those ramen freaks like me who lack this unmissable goody on top of the ramen.
Untill now i've come up with some solutions for the broth, but never for this topping. And frankly dry beef doesn't do the trick. So this is really a inventive technique that does the trick - in accordance with you websites mottto!
So thank you verry much! Keep up the good work!
Mike from the Netherlands
(excuse me for my poor English writing)
zint001 says
you replace the sake with?
Marc Matsumoto says
If you're asking what you can replace the sake with, there is no good substitute for sake here (i.e. anything you substitute it with is going to make it taste different), but you can use a combination of water and just a pinch of sugar.
CJ at Food Stories says
Very interesting ... Never even heard of this before 🙂