Today I'm sharing a charcoal-grilled chicken steak I recently tried that's quite good and worth recommending. It's located inside Sanhe Night Market in Sanchong, New Taipei. We were drawn by the fried chicken legs on the stall, and happened to see many people queuing, plus the air was filled with an enticing charcoal-grilled aroma. We couldn't resist as soon as we reached the stall. It's said to be a 20-year-old shop, but since we're not from Sanchong we had never tried it before. After eating today, I decided to share it.
Charcoal-Grilled Honey-Glazed Chicken Steak - Sanhe Night Market (also known as Sanhe Night Market Charcoal-Grilled Honey-Glazed Chicken Steak, Home-Style Charcoal-Grilled Chicken Steak Sanhe Branch)
Address: No. 130, Zhongyang North Road, Sanchong District, New Taipei City (at the intersection of Zhongyang North Road and Changshou Street in Sanhe Night Market)
Phone: 0986 770 728
Business Hours: Daily 16:00 – 01:00
Look at this impressive lineup of chicken steaks! We were attracted by all these fried chicken steaks and legs. It looks like the owner is placing the freshly fried chicken steaks and legs on an iron tray to go into the grill for sauce and charcoal grilling.
These chicken steaks have a golden crispy skin that looks super crunchy, and each piece is thick and full. Just seeing them makes you hungry. There are already a few grilled chicken steaks in the back~ They look really delicious.
Although I don't know how much the honey-glazed chicken legs and chicken steaks cost 20 years ago, even now the charcoal-grilled chicken steak hasn't broken NT$100 per piece, which is a relatively affordable price. I remember the queued charcoal-grilled chicken steak at Shilin Night Market costs NT$110 per piece~ Compared to that, this is more budget-friendly.
The owner is fully focused on flipping the chicken steak over the charcoal fire, holding scissors ready to cut the grilled chicken steak into pieces for easy eating. This fry-first-then-grill method gives the chicken steak not only the fried texture but also the charcoal-grilled aroma~
The grilled chicken steak has a crispy skin while the inside stays tender and juicy. It's just briefly grilled in the oven and then brushed with a special honey glaze sauce, turning an ordinary fried chicken steak into a different level of delicious street food.
Finally got it! This is the legendary 20-year-old charcoal-grilled honey-glazed chicken steak loved by locals in Sanchong! The owner thoughtfully cuts it into small pieces and packs it in a paper bag for easy eating on the go. You can see the chicken steak skin has absorbed a lot of honey glaze and is shiny with oil, making you want to eat it right after taking photos.
After charcoal grilling, the chicken meat looks very firm yet retains fine fibers. Even though it's originally chicken breast, it doesn't dry out at all after grilling.
As for the taste, I can only wonder if people in Sanchong like sweet food?
Although this grilled chicken steak is honey-glazed, I think it's a bit too sweet. While it still has the salty charcoal-grilled flavor, the sweetness makes it a bit hard for me to enjoy.. but overall it's not bad, just a little sweet~
Also, it feels a bit greasy after eating. Maybe because I've been eating drier chicken steaks recently, but I still prefer purely savory charcoal-grilled chicken steak, like the one at Shilin Night Market. However, if you're tired of fried chicken steak and want to try a different flavor, you can give this charcoal-grilled version a try.