Chinese Five Spice Chicken (五香烤鸡)

Name: Chinese Five Spice Chicken (五香烤鸡)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Yield: 6 serving
Ingredients: 1 free range chicken; 2 teaspoon salt; ¾ teaspoon five spice powder; ¼ teaspoon garlic powder/garlic granule; ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper; 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce; 1 teaspoon Shaoxing rice wine; 1 tablespoon honey; ½ teaspoon dark soy sauce

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Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Marinate
12 hrs
Servings
6
Calories
542 kcal
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
Chinese

Chinese Five Spice Chicken (五香烤鸡)

Iris Warren

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Tender, juicy and thoroughly flavoured, Chinese five spice chicken brings roast chicken to a new level. Learn how to cook it perfectly.

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Ingredients

Servings

1 free range chicken about 1.8kg/4 lbs

For seasoning

2 teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon five spice powder
¼ teaspoon garlic powder/garlic granule
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon Shaoxing rice wine optional

You also need

1 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon dark soy sauce

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Instructions

Spatchcock

Place the chicken over a large tray with the breasts down and the legs towards you. Find its backbone in the middle. Use kitchen scissors/shears to cut along both sides of the backbone, separating it from the ribs (see images for reference in the post above).
Flip over the chicken so that the breasts are facing up. Use the palm of your hand to firmly push the middle of the chicken until it’s completely flattened.

Season

Pat dry the whole chicken with kitchen paper to remove any moisture.
Mix salt, five spice powder, garlic powder and white pepper in a bowl. Rub half of the mixture over the cavity side.
Flip over the chicken. Mix dark soy sauce and Shaoxing rice wine. Rub it over the skin side. Then spread the rest of the dry mix. Massage to evenly distribute.
Leave to rest uncovered in the fridge overnight (12-24 hours).

Roast

One hour before cooking, take the chicken out of the fridge and allow it to come back to room temperature.
Preheat a fan-assisted oven at 390F°/200C°, or 425F°/220C° if using a conventional oven.
Use a roasting tray with a wire rack that fits inside. Fill the tray with some water (lower than the rack) and put the chicken on the rack (skin facing up). Place the tray in the middle of the oven. Leave to cook for 15 minutes.
Turn the oven down to 320F°/160C° (or 350F°/180C° if using a conventional oven). Continue cooking for a further 20 minutes. If your chicken is a little bigger or smaller, increase or reduce the time by 5 minutes or so (Check the water level in the tray and top up if necessary).
Take out the chicken. Mix honey and soy sauce then brush a thin layer over the skin. Put back into the oven. Cook for another 5 minutes.
Turn the heat back up to 390F°/200C° (or 425F°/220C° for a conventional oven). Take out the chicken and brush a second time. Roast for 5 more minutes to finish.

Rest

Check the doneness (see footnote to learn how). Then take the chicken out and leave to rest for 10 minutes before carving into small pieces to serve.

Notes

The cooking time required may vary depending on the performance of the oven, as well as the size and type of the chicken. To check the doneness:
Option 1: Insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken. The temperature should be no lower than 165F°/75C°.
Option 2: Pierce the thickest part with a skewer. It’s cooked if the juice flowing out appears clear.