We’re pretty sure that this Easy Asian Dry Rub Chicken will become your go-to recipe for busy weekdays. It’s perfect prepared ahead of time, but it’s also comes together really quickly in real-time. Ha! To borrow a phrase from Jamie Oliver, it’s dead easy to prepare and make!
Mix the dry rub, rub it on the chicken, let it marinate overnight, take it out of the fridge, put it into the oven and you’ll be eating in 30 minutes. You may even wonder if someone slipped some MSG into the bowl when you weren’t looking! It’s that tasty. A secret of this oven baked dry rub chicken recipe is the use of ginger powder and galangal powder (AKA “sand ginger”) in the dry rub, so before you ask, don’t think about leaving these two ingredients out!
The flavor of this recipe reminds me of Chinese Salt-baked Chicken, and anyone who has had salt-baked chicken knows it’s really really really good. I promise that your family and friends will ask you to make this Asian Dry Rub Chicken again and again. In fact, when you take the leftovers to lunch, your co-workers may ask you for the recipe–if they ever get over their lunchtime food envy.
If you’re missing ginger powder or galangal powder, you can also try our Five Spice Baked Chicken, another crazy easy baked chicken recipe you can try when your standard herb seasoning starts to feel stale. The two dishes have different flavors, but both are extremely simple and equally delicious.
Add either garlicky broccoli, stir fried bok choy, or garlicky baby bok choy for a vegetable side to accompany your chicken, get that rice cooker working, and you’ve got dinner taken care of! Brownie points if you season your chicken thighs now–you’ll be glad you did when you get home hungry from work tomorrow!
Ingredients:
- 3 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground white pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorns
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1/8 teaspoon five spice powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons galangal powder
- 1 teaspoon ginger powder
- 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat
- 1 scallion, chopped
Combine all the spices to make the dry rub. There is enough dry rub to make 12 chicken thighs, so you can either save half of the dry rub for another time, or double the amount of chicken used.
Rinse the chicken and pat dry with a paper towel. Use half of the dry rub for 6 chicken thighs, ensuring you get an even coating of spices all over the chicken. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator overnight (or at least 6 hours).
After the chicken is done marinating, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Transfer the chicken to a cast iron skillet or baking dish and roast for 15 minutes.
Use a spoon or brush to baste the chicken with any drippings at the bottom of the skillet/baking dish.
Feel free to remove the chicken from the oven to baste. When you’re done, return the chicken to the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes.
After 10-15 minutes, use a meat thermometer to check that the internal temperature near the bone is 165 degrees Fahrenheit. When the chicken is done, baste it one more time with the drippings, and garnish with scallions.
Serve your oven baked dry rub chicken with rice and your choice of vegetable to complete the meal!
- 3 teaspoons salt
- 1½ teaspoons sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon fresh ground white pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorns
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ⅛ teaspoon five spice powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons galangal powder
- 1 teaspoon ginger powder
- 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat
- 1 scallion, chopped
- Combine all the spices to make the dry rub. There is enough dry rub to make 12 chicken thighs, so you can either save half of the dry rub for another time, or double the amount of chicken used.
- Rinse the chicken and pat dry with a paper towel. Use half of the dry rub for 6 chicken thighs, ensuring you get an even coating of spices all over the chicken. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator overnight (or at least 6 hours).
- After the chicken is done marinating, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Transfer the chicken to a cast iron skillet or baking dish and roast for 15 minutes.
- Use a spoon or brush to baste the chicken with any drippings at the bottom of the skillet/baking dish.
- Feel free to remove the chicken from the oven to baste. When you're done, return the chicken to the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes.
- After 10-15 minutes, use a meat thermometer to check that the internal temperature near the bone is 165 degrees Fahrenheit. When the chicken is done, baste it one more time with the drippings, and garnish with scallions.
- Serve your oven baked dry rub chicken with rice and your choice of vegetable to complete the meal!
Tara A says
Just made this last night, so delicious and easy! Did boneless skin-on legs but it turned out great. I was worried that there was too much galangal powder, but it was fantastic. Thank you for sharing this! I didn’t know what to do with all of my extra galangal powder and this was perfect.
Bill says
Hi Tara, Excellent to hear it – galangal is a great spice to add to dry rubs. We’ll have more recipes using galangal in the future so glad you have enough! ;-)
Floyd says
Do you recommend this rub with ribs too? If not, are there any adjustments to make it work with ribs?
Bill says
Hi Floyd, Although I have never tried the rub on the rbs, I think it would be fantastic!
okiegirl says
Bill, I just have to say that this is one recipe I’ve made over and over again. Especially for a week night, it is so very quick and easy but so VERY good. Thank you so much!
And the galangal powder has added to so many other recipes. It’s priceless.
Bill says
Hooray! This dry rub is good though ;-)
Little Cooking Tips says
Perfectly cooked, perfectly executed chicken recipe Bill! We’ll check and see if we can get our hands on some galangal powder, perhaps some of it is available online!
And your idea for serving this with garlic broccoli is beyond amazing!
A wonderful recipe for any busy working day! Thank you guys!
xoxoxo
Bill says
Thanks Panos and Mirella, hope you find all of the ingredients you need :)
Greg says
Just made this today. It was awesome! I used some drumsticks that were on sale at the Chinese market for $0.49/lb. I think I’ll just make a giant bag of the rub and keep it in the freezer to use whenever.
Glad I found your site, everything I have made so far has been great!
Bill says
Hi Greg, Great idea on making a batch of dry rub and keep on cooking!
Susan in PDX says
I know this is weird, but I just need to talk about Sichuan peppercorns. Whaaat the heck? I’m the Queen of condiments. I even make my own chickpea miso. These peppercorns are like nothing I’ve ever tried. I don’t know if I love them or hate them. I sprinkled some roasted and ground in your Kung Pao Chicken because that’s what Kenji from Serious Eats does. Holy moly.
I made the dry rub tonight. Can’t wait to try the chicken tomorrow. Although..I’m a little skeered.
Bill says
Hi Susan, Sichuan peppercorns the first time around can be a little intimidating, especially if you use them whole, bite into one and experience the “mala” numbing sensation! That said, when these are toasted and ground up, they add great flavor. I am sure you enjoyed this chicken dish by now and my guess is you loved it ;-)
Susan says
You are so right!! I tasted one whole straight out of the jar. Kinda blew my mind. Reminded me of a floral Vicks vaporub. When I ground a little up and put it in your Kung Pao Chicken, it was great. Then I made this chicken and I’m in love.
Kallah says
Hi, just an fyi…..I tried to use your link — “Chinese Aromatics and Peppers Ingredients page” and it does not work.
But man o man does this look delicious! Do you always used bone in thighs? Have you tried it boneless…with adjusted cooking times?
thanks, Kallah
Bill says
Hi Kallah, Can you tell me the location of the Chinese Aromatics and Peppers Ingredients page link that does not work for you?
Regarding this recipe, yes, we almost always use the bone-in thighs for roasting and baking, since they come out juicier, and the extra oven time gives the skin the crisping time it needs. If you were to go boneless, I would reduce the cooking time by about 10 minutes…so they should be done after 25 to 30 minutes.
okiegirl says
Just looking at the pictures made my mouth water, so I knew I had to make a special trip to the Asian market for galangal powder really really soon. And holy moly, was it ever worth it!!! The ease and simplicity of making this completely belie how tender and tasty this chicken is. I can tell already that I’ll be coming back to this recipe again and again.
Galangal powder, where have you been all of my life? I had never even heard of it before, but now that I’ve tried it I’ll be using this for all kinds of things. Below Ross posted a link to a great online Asian spice resource (bookmarked!) that sells a 40g jar for $7.49. If you have an Asian market nearby it is much, much less expensive. I got a 50g jar for $1.29.
okiegirl says
Oh, forgot to say that this was absolutely perfect with Sarah’s soy-butter roasted potatoes (posted with her Plum Sauce Glazed Ham recipe) and some baby bok choy.
Bill says
Sounds simply delightful! I’m a sucker for those soy butter roasted potatoes too ;)
Bill says
Hi Okiegirl, galangal is a great spice isn’t it? Glad you enjoyed it!
Sage says
I wonder if we can also use this dry rub on pork shoulder?
Bill says
Hi Sage, I haven’t tried this dry rub on pork yet so not sure. Let us know what you think if you try it!
Sage says
I’m happy to report back that the rub also works on pork! Actually, I now prefer this to the usual spices I have been using for my roast pork.
Bill says
Hi Sage, That’s great and thanks for letting us know!
sjon says
can you do frying instead of baking the chicken?
Bill says
Hi sjon,
You can probably fry this chicken similar to they way we made Fried Chicken w/ Xinjiang Spices