One ingredient, seven recipes: Chinese five-spice powder

Seven recipes—traditional and not-so-traditional—make use of Chinese five-spice powder. Recipes below.

[su_dropcap style=”flat”]H[/su_dropcap]ow many times have you bought a spice for a specific recipe and then never used it again? It just sits there among your other spices, taunting you. If Chinese five-spice powder falls into that category for you, here are some delicious ways to use it up—or excuses to go buy some.

Chinese five-spice powder is a staple in Chinese cooking. There are many variations on the individual ingredients and the balance of the spices, but the ones most commonly used are star anise, cloves, cinnamon, Szechwan pepper and ground fennel seeds. The result is a wonderful mix of sweet, savory and tingly that beautifully complements meats (especially rich, fatty ones) and stir-fried vegetables.

Chinese Duck Pasta with Mushrooms

For the Chinese pasta dish shown above, duck legs are steamed with ginger, garlic, star anise and Chinese five-spice powder before roasting them, infusing the meat with flavor and moisture.

Chinese Pork Tenderloin

Pork tenderloins are marinated overnight with hoisin sauce, soy sauce, Chinese five-spice powder, fresh ginger and other pan-Asian ingredients. Then they’re quickly roasted in the oven for a weeknight-quick dinner with big, complex flavor.

Tea-smoked Grilled Chicken with Star Anise & Orange

We’re not firing up our grill yet, but if you are, this tea-smoked chicken is amazing. The ancient Chinese cooking technique uses black tea, orange zest and a host of aromatics to delicately infuse the chicken with complex flavors.

Vietnamese Beef Stew

The Chinese aren’t the only cooks who’ve discovered what Chinese five-spice powder can do for meat. Marion makes this meaty stew that draws its inspiration from when Vietnam was called French Indochina. It’s served with baguettes instead of rice.

Braised Pork Roast with Five-Spice Rub and Apple/Onion Compote

Pork is particularly well-suited to combining with sweet elements—in this case, apples, apple cider and onions. Five spice powder is the only Asian ingredient in this sweet/savory, slow-cooked dish.

Mushroom Lamb Burger

Again, five-spice powder shows up in a totally non-Asian dish. And mushrooms supply half the umami in these delicious, less meaty burgers.

Marion’s Gingerbread

Five-spice powder can even work its magic on dessert. Here, Marion teams it up with dark molasses and black pepper to give her gingerbread—a family favorite—big flavor and a nice, spicy bite.