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Chinese five spice powder uses ranging from using this unique spice blend as a dry rub for meat (usually pork) to vegetables and even dessert!
Jump to:
- What is Chinese 5 Spice?
- Asian Meat Recipes
- Seafood
- Savoury Snacks
- Asian Vegan Recipes
- Sweet Foods
- Expert Tips
- FAQ
- 💬 Comments
Since I just shared a recipe for ahomemade 5 spice powder home blend, and atau yew bak recipe(5 spice powder braised pork), it seems natural to follow up with a post on how to actually use 5 spice powder, a common ingredient in Chinese recipes.
After all, it's not 1 of the most commonly used spices in the kitchen, unless you eat a lot of Chinese food. So you may need some inspiration! 🙂
If you can't get it where you live, here are the best substitutes for Chinese 5-spice powder.
What is Chinese 5 Spice?
Chinese five-spice powderis a fine powder ground from a number of spices. It is used in almost all branches of Chinese cuisine, particularly in Southern China. However, it is also found in Vietnamese and Hawaiian food.
The "5" in "5-spice" actually refers to the 5 Chinese traditional food elements- sweet, bitter, sour, salty, and umami (savoriness)- not the number of spices in the powder. Hence, some 5-spice blends actually have more than 5 spices in them!
In fact, there is even a less-common 13-spice powder in Chinese cooking.
I guess you could say it's a bit like the Asian equivalent of all-spice?
Asian Meat Recipes
Chinese Roast Chicken
Chinese Roast Chicken
This Chinese Roast Chicken is a budget-friendly, easy dinner recipe made with easy-to-get ingredients, that the entire family will love. (+ a secret tip for getting extra crispy skin, without having to tie the chicken up vertically!)
Click here for the 5 spice roast chicken.
Taiwanese Rou Zao Fan
Rou Zao Fan (Easy Lu Rou Fan)
Looking for an Easy Lu Rou Fan recipe for busy weeknights? Rou Zao Fan is a quick and easy ground pork version of the recipe. Deliciously savory but made in ⅓ of the time! (On the table in 30 minutes.)
Click here for the Taiwanese braised pork rice recipe.
Bak Kwa
5 spice powder is often used in Asian meat dishes, such as bak kwa (a pork jerky that is especially popular duringChinese New Year.)
Tip: If you end up buying or making too much of it, here are some ways to use up leftover bak kwa jerky.)
Bak Kwa (Chinese Pork Jerky)
Bak Kwa, or Chinese Pork Jerky, is 1 of the most popular Chinese New Year snacks in Singapore & Malaysia. Save yourself time and money by making your own using this super simple recipe with easy-to-find ingredients! It's tender, savory and delicious!
Click here for the lunar new year delicacy.
Soy Sauce Chicken
Cantonese Hong Kong-style Soy Sauce Chicken with Rice
This soya sauce chicken recipe calls for a few spices to be added to the soy sauce poaching liquid- if you don't have the whole spices on hand, substituting with a pinch of 5-spice powder will do the trick! As good as takeout, easy to make with easy to find ingredients and only requiring 1 pot, this is a recipe you shouldn't miss!
Check out this recipe
If you don't have the 2.5 hours that the above recipe calls for, try this easy and "quick" version (done in 50 minutes):
Easy Chinese Braised Soy Sauce Chicken Thighs
A simplified but still delicious version of the most popular recipe on my website (Chinatown soya sauce chicken): this easy Chinese braised soy sauce chicken thighs recipe is simple to make in one pot and done in ⅓ the time!
Check out this recipe
Braised Pork
Tau yew bak, or singapore braised soya sauce pork
1 of the most beloved and common dishes of the Singaporean Chinese family kitchen, this pork dish is delicious and easy to make
Check out this recipe
Spice Rub for Meat
The simplest way to use this wonder powder is to mix it with brown sugar and rub onto meat!
Char Siew
Home roasted char siew or Chinese BBQ pork
In Singapore, the most popular cut for char siu is pig armpit- doesn't sound appetising, but it has the perfect blend of fat and meat, making for heavenly BBQ pork. I'm not sure what the English term for it is, but I guess pork shoulder, as called for in this recipe, is a close second!
Baked Chicken
Chicken thighs baked with honey, soy and 5 spice powder
If the salmon meatballs weren't quite your thing, these chicken thighs by Vika Linka are marinated with a similar sauce and just as tasty!
Popcorn Chicken
Taiwanese popcorn chicken
One of the most popular snacks at Taiwanese night markets, these little morsels of crunchy goodness by Eat The Love are a must add to your weekly menu! (Or perhaps fortnightly, since fried foods aren't the healthiest!)
Seafood
Salmon Balls
Salmon meatballs with honey, soy and 5 spice powder
A healthy and delicious recipe by Cookin Canuck, 5 spice powder is more commonly used with pork so fish makes a light and refreshing change!
Savoury Snacks
Sweet and spicy peanuts made with 5 spice powder
A healthy(ish) and delicious snack by Lanas Cooking.
Asian Vegan Recipes
5 spice powder is most traditionally used with meat- especially pork- so I specifically decided to include a vegan section for this list!
Bao
Vegan bao with a mushrooms in 5-spice powder filling
5 Spice powder also goes really well with mushrooms, which make up the filling of these scrumptious Chinese baos by My Goodness Kitchen.
Dan Dan Mian
Vegan dan dan mian (noodles)
Mushrooms are the typical substitute for pork in vegan Chinese dishes so, as with the previous recipe, this vegan dan dan mian by Mrs Jones Kitchen also comprises mushrooms in a savoury and unctuous 5 spice powder sauce.
Sweet Foods
Definitely the most intriguing 5 spice powder recipes that I came across were the chocolate and 5 spice powder ones. I've only included 1- the chocolate rolls below- as it seems that you can just use the same 5 spice powder-chocolate proportions in your other dessert recipes and experiment from there!
Have you eaten any 5 spice powder desserts before?
PS If you're not a chocolate fan, Gary Jones (who works with Raymond Blanc) has kindly shared a mulled wine, fruits and ice cream recipe that uses 5 spice powder, courtesy of the Great British Chefs website.
I've also heard of people adding a pinch to their pumpkin pie- next Thanksgiving dessert, perhaps?
Chocolate Rolls
Chocolate rolls seasoned with 5 spice powder
I've seen a couple of chocolate recipes that use 5 spice powder - it's a flavour combination I've never tried but, as a chocoholic, couldn't not include this 5-starred recipe by Daily Cooking Quest! Can't wait to try it!
Banana Bread
5-spice banana bread
I always see posts on facebook asking for recipes to use up bananas that are NOT banana bread- if you're tired of banana bread, try this innovative 5-spice version by This Healthy Table before giving up on it!
Expert Tips
Tip #1: Toast the whole spices in a dry skillet before blending them to release the essential oils & make the aromatic spice blend even more fragrant.
FAQ
What can I use instead of five spice powder?
Try substituting Chinese five spice powder with its constituent spices i.e. a pinch of ground cassia, ground star anise, ground cloves, ground black pepper, ground fennel, ground Sichuan peppercorns, ground dried tangerine orange peel, ground turmeric etc (Fun fact: 5 spice powder sometimes has more than 5 spices in it, hence the long list here!)
Does 5 spice powder expire?
Like most spices, 5 spice powder doesn't expire or go bad so to speak if kept dry in an airtight container. (If stored improperly or if it gets wet etc, it may go moldy- in that case, toss and don't use!)
However, as time goes by, the powder will start losing flavour.
This happens quite quickly which is why I advocate keeping the whole spices instead. (They keep their fragrance for a longer time and, for best flavor, you can use a coffee grinder, spice grinder, or mortar and pestle to turn them intohomemade 5-spice powder when you need it.)
What does 5 spice powder taste like?
Chinese 5 spice has a complex flavor- some say an almost pungent flavor- and unique aroma. A little goes a long way. Some people describe it as a lemony flavor meeting a licorice flavor. Since every recipe uses a different blend of ingredients, no 2 five-spice powders taste exactly the same.
Either way, these ground spices are a great addition to your spice cabinet. You can use it in dry rubs for seasoning meats (think Peking duck) or even to fry rice! (It goes particularly well with fatty meats.)
What are the ingredients of 5 spice powder?
The most commonly used spices in a five-spice blend are available at most grocery stores today: fennel seeds (xiǎohuíxiāng小茴香), star anise (bājiǎo八角), cassia cinnamon sticks (ròuguì肉桂, also known as Chinese cinnamon, and not to be confused with Ceylon cinnamon/ true cinnamon), Sichuan peppercorns/ Szechuan peppercorns (huājiāo花椒), whole cloves (dīngxiāng丁香. This expensive spice can be overpowering so a small amount is enough.)
However, the traditional spice blend can also contain:
ginger root, white pepper, sand ginger, nutmeg, turmeric, anise seed, cardamomum, tangerine peel (mandarin orange peel), galangal, licorice, and black peppercorns.
Note: don't use too much cassia in your cooking as it can be bad for you.
Which of these ways to use five-spice mix is your favourite?
