Updated September 2026
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
- This is an oven-dish and easy for a weeknight. Sometimes I finish the dish on the grill for some added smokiness.
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 with rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
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!
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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
- 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. (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. Remove any woody or hard stems.
- Bake:
- Move the marinated chicken pieces to a large-ish oven safe or ceramic dish. Add the shallots.
- TOP TIP: chicken thighs should be placed skin side up, so it gets all nice and browned.
- Bake at 200 ℃ for 35 minutes until fully cooked and the skin is nicely browned.
- Add the plums cut side down and broccoli stems, brush with the sauce and the glaze for another 15 minutes.
- Optional (Grill finish):
- Want extra smokiness? Once the chicken is cooked through in the oven, use tinfoil trays or a grill pan and transfer everything to a hot grill or barbecue for a final 5–10 minutes, brushing with a little more glaze. Totally optional, the oven method on its own gives you a properly caramelized, sticky finish.
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!
- Completely optional: For extra smokiness, once everything’s cooked through in the oven, transfer it to a hot grill for 5–10 minutes, brushing with a little more glaze.
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!
- For another sweet and savory pairing, I think you’d love these baked pears with gorgonzola.
- And this peri-peri chicken and rice is another favorite where the sticky sauce hugs the chicken.
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 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!
recipe faq
Is Hoisin sauce the same as plum 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.
Do I need a grill or barbecue?
Not at all. 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!
But the oven method gives you a properly sticky, caramelized result.
Can the leftovers be frozen?
Certainly, for up to 3 months (just make sure to put them in tightly closed bag like a ziplock bag)
Chicken with plum and Hoisin sauce
Tangy, sweet, savory and smoky chicken thighs and drumsticks with sticky plums and Hoisin sauce
Made this? A quick star rating above helps other readers find it.
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.800-1000 g chicken thighs and drumsticks
- Add the toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, salt, ginger, grated garlic, black vinegar and the all-important Hoisin sauce.2 tbsp toasted sesame oil, 150 g Hoisin sauce, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 large garlic cloves, 2 tsp ginger puree, 2 tbsp black vinegar, 1 tsp salt
- 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.500 g ripe plums
- Peel the shallots and cut them in halves, then slice them roughly on their length. Set aside.2-3 shallots
- Wash the tenderstem broccoli and cut any woody or hard stems.200 g tenderstem broccoli
- Steam the tenderstem broccoli in the microwave for 2 minutes with a splash of water in a tightly closed dish.
- 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.1-2 spring onions or scallions
Bake the chicken
- Preheat the oven to 200 ℃.
- Place the marinated chicken pieces in a ceramic or other oven safe dish and add the shallots around them.
- Bake for 35 minutes, until the chicken is nicely browned.
Add the plums and broccoli
- Take the tray out and add the plums, skin side down, and the tenderstem broccoli around the chicken. Spoon some of the tray juices over them.
- Brush everything with the glaze.2 tbsp Hoisin sauce, 1 tbsp soy sauce
- Return to the oven for another 15 minutes, until the plums are soft and jammy, the broccoli is tender, and the chicken is cooked through.
Ready to serve
- Serve 2-3 chicken pieces per person alongside steamed basmati rice, spooning the sticky sauce, plums, and broccoli around it.
- Scatter the sliced scallions on top.
- Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Steam the tenderstem broccoli in the microwave for 2 minutes with a splash of water in a tightly closed dish to keep more of the nutrients.
- Want extra smokiness?
Nutrition
Calories: 555kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 31gFat: 29gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 103mgSodium: 2185mgPotassium: 597mgFiber: 4gSugar: 27gVitamin A: 1537IUVitamin C: 62mgCalcium: 86mgIron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Tag me @candyflossiecooks on Instagram! I’d love to see how your dish turns out ! ✨
