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Chinese Roast Chicken
5 from 21 votes

Chinese Roast Chicken

Chinese Roast Chicken is a whole bird marinated in a savory blend of soy sauces, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, and five-spice powder, then roasted to develop flavorful, moist meat with a rich, glazed skin. The chicken is stuffed with fresh ginger and garlic to infuse aromatic flavor from the inside during roasting, enhancing the overall taste.

Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Marinating Time
1 d
Servings: 5 people
Calories: 382 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients

  • 1 chicken I used a 1.4kg chicken (3 lb.) A bigger chicken would need more marinating and cooking time. A smaller chicken would require less, whole
For the marinade
  • 6 Tablespoons soy sauce Reduce to 5 Tablespoons if doing the baking powder- salt rub, light
  • 3 Tablespoons oyster sauce I use Lee Kum Kee brand
  • 1 Tablespoon dark soy sauce You can make your own black soy sauce or substitute with sweet soy sauce/ kicap manis (reduce the sugar if you do so)
  • 1 Tablespoon Shaoxing wine You can use sake or 1 of these Chinese cooking wine substitutes
  • ½ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder Ideally, for the freshest flavor, make your own five spice mix at home. If you can't get it, feel free to omit
  • 1 Tablespoon sugar white or brown suagr work.
  • 1 teaspoon salt Omit if rubbing with salt and baking powder later.
For stuffing the chicken
  • 2 inch ginger wash, smash with the back of your knife (or a rolling pin), and slice. No need to peel, fresh
  • 1 whole garlic wash, smash, peel. No need to slice, fresh
Optional rub for extra crispy skin (will include extra 12-24 hours of resting time in the fridge)
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1½ teaspoons salt
Glaze
  • 1 Tablespoon honey
  • ½ teaspoon dark soy sauce

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Mix the sauce ingredients, then pour over the chicken and massage into skin. Ideally marinade in a Ziplock bag, so you can easily turn the chicken around, to ensure the entire bird gets the sauce.
  2. Marinade for at least 24 hours in the fridge. (I tried it for 16 hours and the skin was flavorful, but the meat was a bit bland.)
24 hours after marinating
  1. Pre-heat oven to 220C/ 200C (428F/392F fan.)
  2. Remove the chicken from the fridge 50-60 minutes before you want to roast.
  3. Place a wire rack on a baking tray. Pour some water into the tray, ensuring it doesn't wet or touch the wire rack. Note: the water will help catch the drippings, and prevent it from burning on the tray and making a mess.
  4. Place the chicken on the wire rack and let it return to room temperature (about 50-60 minutes, depending on the size of your bird.)
  5. Bake at 220C/ 200C (428F/392F fan) for 20 minutes.
  6. Reduce to 180C/ 160C fan. Remove the tray, and turn it around then bake for another 30 minutes.(Ovens have hot spots, so if you don't turn the tray, one part of the chicken will be more burnt than others.)
  7. After 30 minutes, remove and glaze with the honey mixture. Bake for another 10-15 minutes or till the internal temeprature of the thickes part measures 165F. (Use a food thermometer. The juices should also run clear when cut later.)
  8. Money-saving tip: Whilst the chicken is finishing baking, boil the marinade ingredients for 10 minutes (to kill off all the bacteria.)The reduction can be used as a dip for the chicken meat (if you didn't have time to marinade it, and it's less flavorful) or to replace hoisin sauce when making chicken wraps etc. However, do not use the reduction to glaze the chicken because it will make the skin much too salty.
  9. Once the chicken is cooked, use oven gloves to remove the tray from the oven. Rest the bird for 10 minutes before cutting and serving

Notes

  • Allow the chicken to marinate at least 24 hours for best flavor penetration.
  • Bring chicken to room temperature before roasting to promote even cooking.
  • Use a wire rack over a water-filled tray to catch drippings and prevent burning during roasting.
  • Optional baking powder and salt rub improves skin crispness but requires additional resting time in the fridge.
  • Leftover chicken works well for soups or other recipes such as chicken congee.

Nutrition Information

Calories 382kcal (19%) Carbohydrates 10g (3%) Protein 31g (62%) Fat 23g (35%) Saturated Fat 7g (35%) Polyunsaturated Fat 5g (29%) Monounsaturated Fat 10g (50%) Trans Fat 0.1g (5%) Cholesterol 114mg (38%) Sodium 2889mg (120%) Potassium 362mg (8%) Fiber 0.4g (2%) Sugar 6g (12%) Vitamin A 216IU (4%) Vitamin C 3mg (3%) Calcium 53mg (5%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 5 people

Amount Per Serving

Calories 382

% Daily Value*

Calories 382kcal 19%
Carbohydrates 10g 3%
Protein 31g 62%
Fat 23g 35%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Polyunsaturated Fat 5g 29%
Monounsaturated Fat 10g 50%
Trans Fat 0.1g 5%
Cholesterol 114mg 38%
Sodium 2889mg 120%
Potassium 362mg 8%
Fiber 0.4g 2%
Sugar 6g 12%
Vitamin A 216IU 4%
Vitamin C 3mg 3%
Calcium 53mg 5%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.