This chicken with plum and Hoisin sauce gets really messy and sticky, but so delicious! If you, like me, love pairing fruit with savory, take advantage of juicy plums at the start of the fall. Serve two or three chicken thighs and drumsticks with pile of steamed rice, drizzling the gorgeous caramel-like sauce.
What you’ll love about this recipe
A burst of flavor
- It marries the sweet and tart essence of plums with the rich umami of Hoisin sauce, what a symphony of flavors!
- Plums bring a unique character to this dish. Their juicy sweetness,coupled with a subtle tartness, adds depth and complexity to those savory flavors.
- The natural sugars in plums caramelize during cooking in a glaze that coats the chicken.
- This recipe uses chicken thighs and drumsticks (on the bone), dark meat is always so tender and juicy. Yum!
Easy cooking
- I like to start by baking the chicken in the oven and finish the dish on the grill for some added smokiness. (And because I’m so addicted to my grill 😜).
- But you can cook the whole dish in the oven if you want, you can even make this meal during the week!
Easy marinade
- There is no long list of ingredients for this marinade, you probably have these in your pantry.
- Hoisin sauce, a staple in Chinese cuisine (and in my cupboard :), is a blend of soybean paste, garlic, vinegar, and spices. Its savory and slightly sweet notes perfectly complement the plums, creating a balanced taste.
- If you can get black vinegar that’s a bonus, but it totally works without it.
Healthy plant based additions
- Plums are the hero of this dish! Plums are high in antioxidants called polyphenols (those colors are a giveaway) and so good for you!
- This dish may seem indulgent, but there are a myriad of spices, plums, ginger, garlic, shallots and tender-stem broccoli which build up nicely towards our thirty plants a week for optimum gut health!
prefer to watch? (here’s a video of key steps)
Ingredients you’ll need
- Chicken thighs and drumsticks
- I use chicken thighs and drumsticks on the bone, but skinless boneless thighs will also work.
- Try and use free range good quality and welfare chicken, it’s so worth it!
- I use 1 kg (around 2.2 pounds). We had this for a dinner with friends and still had quite a bit of chicken leftover.
- Plums
- I love using fruit in season, and these English Victoria plums are just ripe now!
- Make sure the plums are juicy and ripe, you may have to keep them on the counter for a day or two until they are nice and soft.
- Wash the plums, remove the stones and set them aside in halves. Depending on your plums, you may have to use a small knife here to halve them.
- Hoisin sauce
- I use a Lee Kum Kee Hoisin sauce, although it’s vegan, it isn’t gluten free but you can find the same brand gluten free.
- A few generous tablespoons will bring the marinade together coating the chicken and work its flavors in.
- If you’re busy, like me, homemade Hoisin sauce is a little laborious and not necessary in my opinion. If you absolutely must make it from scratch, there are plenty of versions on the internet, some use peanut butter though, which may change the vibe of this dish.
- Garlic, ginger, toasted sesame oil, soy sauce and black vinegar
- I use 2 large cloves of garlic to double up on the flavors in the Hoisin sauce. Grate or chop and throw in the marinade!
- I used some ginger paste for convenience, but fresh ginger, finely grated will also work.
- A few teaspoons each of toasted sesame oil, soy sauce and black vinegar add even more flavors.
- Black vinegar has a more complex taste, with a slightly smoky or malty undertone, since it’s made from grains and fermented for months or even years. If you can’t get hold of it, just replace it with rice vinegar or even balsamic vinegar.
- Shallots
- Shallots are subtly sweet, but you can absolutely use other onions just slice them long and thin-ish.
- Broccoli
- Whenever I make an Asian inspired dish, I like to use tender stem broccoli, because they cook really fast and still retain a nice crunch.
- I have two types in this recipe, a purple sprouting and a green (Bellaverde) tender-stem broccoli
- You can replace them with normal broccoli if you like, using the individual florets, so that they get to cook and there are no woody bits left
How to make chicken with plum and hoisin sauce (easy recipe)
- Prepare the chicken pieces for marinading:
- Start by placing the chicken thighs and drumsticks in a large bowl.
- Peel and grate the garlic cloves and ginger if you use fresh ginger(TOP TIP: grate directly over the chicken pieces to save on washing up).
- Add the toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, salt, garlic and ginger, black vinegar if using and most importantly: Hoisin sauce.
- Give it a good mix with a spoon or just with your hands to coat all the chicken pieces well (you could don disposable gloves if you are not a fan of the mess). That’s it!
- Cover the bowl, place it in the fridge and allow the marinade to work it’s magic. (at least half an hour, but ideally overnight).
- Prepare the plums and veggies :
- The plums are one of main characters of this dish: wash, halve and stone them.
- Peel and slice the shallots.
- Wash and shake the tender stem broccoli. Take care not to damage the florets.
- Bake the chicken thighs & drumsticks in the oven:
- Move the marinated chicken pieces in a shallow tinfoil tray or an oven tray.
- TOP TIP: chicken thighs should be placed skin side up, so it gets all nice and browned.
- Bake them at 200 ℃ for 35 minutes until fully cooked and the skin is nicely browned.
- Move everything on the grill:
- You know I love my grill, so I used it again in this recipe.
- If you don’t want to use the grill, you can use the oven only.
- Take a tinfoil tray and place shallots, plums (skin side down) and tender stem broccoli with a little toasted sesame oil.
- Grill on medium to high heat for 5 minutes, moving them around to avoid burning.
- Add the plums and veggies to the chicken pieces and grill the whole lot for another 5 minutes, brushing with more Hoisin glazing. DONE!
Pro Tips
Always place the rest of the hoisin sauce jar in the fridge, you can use it again with stir fries or as a dipping sauce.
- Use plums that keep their shape whilst cooking, otherwise they will collapse!
- For an even smokier flavor, put the chicken thighs and drumsticks straight on the grill after they have been baked. Then add them back to the tray!
Preparation time
It takes around 5 minutes to prepare the ingredients for marinade.
Then another 10 minutes to prepare the plums and veggies. I am being generous here, because I know myself (not always super organised 😉).
Cooking time
The oven cooking is the longest and it takes around 35 minutes. But the grilling time should be no more then 10 -15 minutes, even with brushing the hoisin glazing in between.
Total time
This means that in less than one hour you can have a finger licking dinner on the table (literally, keep plenty of napkins on hand!😉).
Servings
This recipe yields at least 4 portions, depends on how many chicken pieces you serve (I found that 2 is plenty, but our son Tibi might have 3 (it’s hard work to maintain those muscles 💪!).
Nutritional goodness
The ginger, garlic, shallots, scallions and tender stem broccoli (especially the purple sprouting ones) count towards the 30 plants a week which are wonderful news for your gut health!
Where to find the ingredients
You can find the Hoisin sauce in Asian supermarkets or grocery store, or online shops specialised in Chinese cuisine. Use plums that are in season, they taste so much better 🫶
What to serve with plum and hoisin chicken
- A simple steamed basmati rice or even a sticky Jasmine rice works!
- Top with freshly sliced scallions (spring onions), I love the purple ones as they spell even more antioxidants!
Storage and reheating instructions (what to do with your leftovers)
Honestly, I have not had many leftovers for this dish… but if you do, cover and store in the fridge. Reheat sauce, rice and chicken for 3 minutes in the microwave.
If reheating is not your thing, you can shred the chicken meat from the bones and use it in a delicious stir fry.
This chicken with plum and hoisin sauce lets you experiment amazing tangy, sweet, tart and smoky flavors!
- If you make my recipe, take a snapshot for your Instagram
- Post and tag me @candyflosie😉🤗!
- Don’t forget to rate my recipe! It will make my day!
recipe faq
I like the caramelized veggie bits and smoky aromas from the barbecue. And it’s so much easier to take the cooking out on the patio!
That being said, if you are after the flavors (or it’s raining), just make the whole dish in the oven. It will still be delicious.for chicken with plum and hoisin sauce?
No! Although they often appear together in the same dish, plum sauce being more jammy. My idea here is to keep the aromatic flavors of traditional Hoisin and just add the real thing: fresh plums. They mimic the plum sauce, whilst enhancing the health aspect of the dish. SCORE!!!
Certainly, for up to 3 months (just make sure to put them in tightly closed bag like a ziplock bag)
Yes! This recipe is for a small family. If you find that you have loads of meat leftover, don’t worry! Shred the meat from the bones when it’s completely cooled down. It will keep in the fridge in a covered container for up to 3 days and can be used in a stir fry or delicious sandwiches or wraps.
Chicken with plum and Hoisin sauce
Equipment
- 2 tinfoil trays (or use oven trays lined with baking paper to avoid too much washing up)
- grill or barbecue
- oven
Ingredients
- 800-1000 g chicken thighs and drumsticks between 8-10 pieces
- 500 g ripe plums washed, halved and stones removed
- 2-3 shallots peeled and roughly sliced
- 200 g tenderstem broccoli
- 1-2 spring onions or scallions thinly sliced for topping
For the marinade
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 150 g Hoisin sauce I use Lee Kum Kee
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 large garlic cloves grated or minced
- 2 tsp ginger puree or grate a thumb size piece of fresh ginger
- 2 tbsp black vinegar optional or use rice vinegar
For the glazing
- 2 tbsp Hoisin sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
Instructions
Marinate the chicken thighs and drumsticks
- In a large bowl, place the chicken thighs and drumsticks.
- Add the toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, salt, ginger, grated garlic, black vinegar and the all-important Hoisin sauce.
- Give everything a good mix to coat the chicken evenly. I use a tablespoon, but you can don disposable gloves and get stuck in there to massage the chicken pieces.
- Cover the bowl and leave the chicken to marinade for at least half an hour or best in the fridge overnight. The vinegar will help tenderise the meat.
Prepare the plums and vegetables
- Wash the plums, open them in halves (you may have to use a small knife to cut them in half) and remove the stones. Set aside.
- Peel the shallots and cut them in halves, then slice them roughly on their length. Set aside.
- Wash the tenderstem broccoli and cut any woody or hard stems. Pat them gently with paper towels, careful not to damage the florets. Set aside.
- With your spring onions, you will want to remove the root end (hairy bit 😊) and peel any leaves that are dry or wilted. Wash and dry with paper towels and slice thinly, slightly on a diagonal to get beautiful slices ready to scatter before serving.
Ready for the oven
- Preheat the oven for a few minutes to 200 ℃.
- Place the marinated chicken pieces in a shallow tinfoil tray and put the tray in the oven. If you are planning to cook this dish only in the oven, you can use a sheet pan or shallow oven tray.
- Bake the hoisin chicken thighs and drumsticks for 35 minutes until chicken thighs are nicely browned and cooked all the way through.
- I like to finish the cooking on the barbecue, but you can just do the next steps in the oven too.
Ready for the grill (BBQ)
- Place the shallots and tender stem broccoli in a tinfoil tray with one tablespoon of toasted sesame oil then put the tray on the grill at medium to high heat.
- After 5 minutes, check the shallots and broccoli and turn them gently. They should caramelise slightly, but not burn.
- Add the halved plums with the skin side down and turn the BBQ to medium.
- After 5 minutes, bring the baked chicken pieces to the grill and transfer the shallots, plums and broccoli in the tray with the chicken pieces.
- Turn gently to avoid smashing the plums.
- Brush the chicken pieces with the hoisin glazing.
- Cook on the grill for an additional 10 minutes. The sauce will be nice and bubbly and the chicken will get a nice smoky aroma.
Ready to serve
- Serve 2-3 chicken pieces per person alongside steamed basmati rice and spoon the lovely sticky sauce, tender stem broccoli and jammy plums around it.
- Scatter the sliced scallions on top.
- Enjoy!
