Chicken Chashu – Japanese Braised Chicken Thigh

Make your ramen topping with this Japanese chicken chashu! Tender,melt-in-the-mouth dish made with rolled chicken thighs and rich soy-based braising sauce. It’s perfect for classic ramen or rice bowls.

This dish is perfectly savory and sweet! Rolled chicken thighs are braised in a flavorful broth until tender and juicy. This restaurant-quality dish is simple to make and delicious flavor!

Chicken Chashu is a spin on and a halal version of the popular Pork Belly Chashu ramen topping. Rolled chicken thighs are pan-fried, braised in a sweet soy sauce, then left to marinate to soak in the delicious seasoning.

Each slice is served a top of a bed of perfectly cooked ramen, accompanied by fresh scallions and a soft-boiled egg, creating a harmonious balance of flavors and textures. Perfect for a comforting treat any day of the week!

What is Chashu?

“Chashu” means “braised meat” in Japanese. Chicken chashu is usually made with boneless chicken thighs rolled and simmered in a sweet-salty soy-based sauce until tender, flavorful, and slightly caramelized. This dish is typically used as a topping for ramen. It’s a popular alternative to the traditional pork chashu (braised pork belly), especially for those who prefer lighter or halal-friendly versions.

Many ramen shops in Japan now serve both chicken and pork chashu for variety. Enjoy the dish as a ramen topping, with a bowl of rice, or by itself as a snack.

Chicken Chashu Vs Chicken Char Siu

Here we go,  Chicken chashu and chicken char siu may sound similar, but they come from distinct culinary traditions and offer different flavors and preparations. Chāshū is the Japanese adaptation of the famous Chinese barbecued pork dish called char siu. 

Chicken chashu comes from Japanese cuisine, where cooks braise it in a soy-based liquid to create rolled, round slices packed with rich umami and savory-sweet flavor. People often serve it as a ramen topping, where it adds depth and tenderness to the bowl. Traditionally, Japanese chashu uses fatty pork, while Chinese char siu leans toward a sweeter flavor with less fat. These differences make the two dishes distinct in both taste and texture.

On the other hand, chicken char siu originates in Cantonese Chinese cuisine. Cooks roast or grill it with a glossy, reddish glaze that gives it a sweet, spiced, and aromatic flavor. You can enjoy it as on it own main dish, or with dry noodle, bao etc

While Chinese char siu has a firm texture, Japanese chashu is succulent and tender; it makes the perfect complement to ramen noodles or a donburi rice bowl. While both are flavorful and delicious, their unique preparations and culinary roles set them apart.

By the way, I made both of the recipes. Here if you want to make chicken Char siu too!

Char Siu Chicken with Noodles

In other words, chashu is a dish that originated in China but has been modified uniquely in Japan. If char Siu is a mom, then Chashu is her daughter.

I love this recipe because the Chicken Chashu is so good, it’s bursting with tons of flavor!  Perfect balance between savory and sweet! 

So, are you ready to go?

Ingredients of Chicken Chashu

• Chicken Thigh boneless; For this dish, you’ll need boneless skin-on chicken thighs. Without the bone, we are able to roll these chicken thighs and easily slice into them once cooked.
• Chicken Skin: the skin is necessary in achieving a golden brown and crispy exterior! Adds extra umami, richness, and collagen to the braising liquid. This creates a more gelatinous, ramen-like tare (sauce). Very clever if you’re making this for ramen!
• Onion chopped; Adds sweetness and depth to the broth.
• Ginger sliced; Provides a fresh, warming spice
• Garlic, Scallion; Contributes bold, savory aroma and flavor. Essential in Japanese braises. Lends a mild oniony flavor and aromatic depth.
• Cooking Oil; For searing the chicken and possibly the aromatics before adding the liquids. Helps develop flavor via the Maillard reaction.
• Water; this is a substitution for mirin/ rice vinegar since this is a halal version.
• Japanese Sweet Sauce; This dark liquid condiment gives this chicken chashu most of its delicious flavor! You have the option to use low-sodium soy sauce in place of regular soy sauce in this recipe. If gluten-free, be sure to use a gluten-free soy sauce, such as tamari, instead.
• Japanese Soy Sauce; Brings in the salty umami flavor. Japanese soy sauce is slightly sweeter and more delicate than Chinese soy sauce
• Chicken Stock Powder: Enhances the savory/umami base of the liquid and boosts the chicken flavor overall. Great for extra depth

Let’s Make Chicken Chashu

First, prepare the chicken wrap. Stretch out 3 mattress threads horizontally and 2 threads vertically to create a grid.

Then, spread 7 chicken skins over the thread grid to form a flat sheet — this will hold the chicken roll. After that, roll the Chicken.

Take 2 boneless chicken thighs, roll them together tightly, and place them along the bottom edge of the chicken skin sheet. Fold the bottom part of the chicken skin up over the thighs, then fold in both sides. Then, roll it up snugly into a log shape and tie the roll securely with the mattress threads.

Now, make the base liquid: heat a bit of cooking oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, place the rolled chicken in the pan along with the chopped onion, sliced ginger, garlic cloves, and chopped scallions. Sear the chicken until all sides are golden brown and the skin is crispy. Remove from the pan and set aside.

In a large pot, combine In a pot, pour in water, Japanese sweet sauce, soy sauce, and chicken stock powder. Heat over medium heat, and once boiling, add fried chicken thighs for an hour.
Lower the heat and simmer for 1 hour, occasionally spooning the sauce over the chicken to keep it coated. This step helps the flavors fully develop and the roll to firm up for easy slicing.

Last, once chilled, remove the chicken from the container. Cut and discard the threads.
Using a sharp knife, slice the chicken into rounds. You can torch the chicken to add a smoky aroma, and it turns out better! juicy but crispy outside

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