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Oven Roasted Peking Chicken
5 from 22 votes

Oven Roasted Peking Chicken

This Oven Roasted Peking Chicken relies on a marinade with soy sauces, sugar, ginger, and five spice powder to infuse the whole bird with balanced savory and aromatic flavors. The chicken is marinated for several hours, then roasted to develop a golden, caramelized exterior, further enhanced by a maple syrup or honey basting sauce. The five spice's warm notes creatively scent the cavity, adding depth to the meat's flavor.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 30 mins
Additional Time
12 hrs
Total Time
1 hr 40 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 441 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients

  • 1 whole chicken 3 to 5 lbs / 1.5 to 2 kg
  • 1/2 teaspoon five spice powder for dusting the cavity
MARINADE
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce or soy sauce, light
  • 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce (or soy sauce) (*Footnote 1)
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 5-6 lices ginger about half a thumb
  • 1 teaspoon five spice powder for marinade
FOR BASTING SAUCE
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup (or honey)

Instructions

Marinate the chicken
    Cup of Yum
  1. Lightly dust the inside of the chicken with 1/2 tsp of five spice powder.
  2. In a large ziploc bag, combine the marinade ingredients and mix well. Add the chicken. Massage a few times so the chicken is evenly coated with the marinade. Marinate for a minimum of 4 hours, up to overnight. (Preferably overnight)
Prior cooking
  1. Remove the chicken from the fridge 30 minutes prior to cooking. Transfer the chicken from the ziploc bag to a big plate. Remove the ginger from the marinade and add it to the cavity of the chicken. Reserve the marinade for cooking the basting sauce.
Basting sauce
  1. Transfer the leftover marinade into a small pot. Cook it on the stove stop over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes.
  2. Add the maple syrup (or honey) at the end and remove the pot from the stove. Set aside for basting the chicken at the end of baking.
Roast chicken
  1. Preheat oven to 350F (177C).
  2. Set up a baking tray with an adjustable roasting rack (highly recommended, or a regular grilling rack) and set the chicken on it. If you don’t have a rack, you can crumple up foil balls and set the chicken on them. Or alternatively, you can cut onions into big pieces and set the chicken on top
  3. If you are using a probe digital thermometer, insert it into the thickest part of the chicken, usually into the thigh without touching the bone. (Not between the leg and the thigh, but the thigh itself)
  4. After 20 minutes, you should see oil drippings. Baste the chicken with the oil every 20 minutes or so, for an hour. If you don’t get any oil drippings, you can use 1-2 tablespoon of oil.
  5. For the last 30 minutes, start basting it every 10-15 minutes with the basting sauce. Note, make sure to close the oven door every time you’re basting the chicken, to prevent the oven temperature from dropping too much. The total baking time can range from 1 hour and 20 minutes (for a small chicken under 3 lbs / 1.4 kg) up to 2 hours (for a big chicken that’s 5 lbs / 2.3 kg).
  6. Remove the chicken when the internal temperature hits 165F (74C). If you don’t have a thermometer, slice the skin between the chicken thigh and body cavity. You should be able to pull the thigh easily from the body and the chicken meat near the joint should be white. If the chicken is not cooked, return it to the oven and let it cook until cooked through.
  7. Once done, let the chicken rest for 15 minutes before carving.
  8. Serve the chicken as a main dish over steamed rice. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Use tamari or coconut aminos to make this recipe gluten-free in place of soy sauce.
  • Dark soy sauce is preferred for its caramel color; regular soy sauce can be used but will yield lighter skin color.
  • Pair the chicken with Ginger Scallion Sauce for complementary flavor.

Nutrition Information

Serving 4g Calories 441kcal (22%) Carbohydrates 3.6g (1%) Protein 41g (82%) Fat 28.4g (44%) Saturated Fat 8.1g (41%) Cholesterol 192mg (64%) Sodium 633mg (26%) Potassium 17mg (0%) Fiber 0.1g (0%) Sugar 3.1g (6%) Calcium 30mg (3%) Iron 2.3mg (13%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4 servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 441

% Daily Value*

Serving 4g
Calories 441kcal 22%
Carbohydrates 3.6g 1%
Protein 41g 82%
Fat 28.4g 44%
Saturated Fat 8.1g 41%
Cholesterol 192mg 64%
Sodium 633mg 26%
Potassium 17mg 0%
Fiber 0.1g 0%
Sugar 3.1g 6%
Calcium 30mg 3%
Iron 2.3mg 13%

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