Servings
Font
Back
Roast Chicken (Pakistani Steam Roast)
5 from 42 votes

Roast Chicken (Pakistani Steam Roast)

Roast Chicken (Pakistani Steam Roast) features a whole skinless chicken injected with a tangy, spiced butter marinade, then coated with a fragrant paste of ginger, garlic, Serrano peppers, and smoky spices. This roasting method yields juicy, well-flavored meat with a smoky and mildly spicy surface, common in Pakistani cooking. The recipe emphasizes marinating under the skin and careful cooking to retain moisture.

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 30 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 199 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian, Pakistani

Ingredients

Poultry Injection Marinade
  • 4 lb chicken see notes, whole
  • 1 lemon
  • ¼ cup white distilled vinegar
  • ¼ cup chicken broth low sodium
  • 2 tablespoon butter
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 2 teaspoon red chili powder
Chicken Marinade (For Surface)
  • 2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 inch ginger see notes, piece
  • 8 garlic see notes, cloves
  • 2 Serrano peppers (see notes)
  • 2 teaspoon red chili flakes
  • 2 teaspoon smoked paprika (see notes)

Instructions

Skin The Chicken
    Cup of Yum
  1. Traditional Pakistani Roast Chicken is made without skin on the chicken. If you source your chicken from a Pakistani butcher they will skin it for you. If not, follow the instructions in the video below!
Inject The Marinade
  1. To insure that the chicken is juice and flavored really well on the inside I like to inject it with a spicy liquid marinade as well as massaging the outside with a prepped mixture.
  2. Melt the butter, squeeze the lemon juice and then mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl.
  3. Using a poultry injection syringe, work your way around the chicken and inject the liquid just under the skin (see notes)
  4. The rule is to inject 1 oz of liquid per pound of meat. Too much, and it will start oozing out. Of course, there will be some leakage, as the video below reflects. Just massage this into the surface of the chicken.
Marinate The Surface Of The Chicken
  1. The most important step is to make sure the chicken is well salted, so rub the salt and massage it in well into the skin. I find ½ teaspoon a pound of chicken sufficient as the broth I use has some salt in it too. Feel free to adjust if necessary.
  2. Next I grind my ginger, garlic and serrano peppers in my mortar and pestle and rub them all over the chicken to flavor it.
  3. The last step is to use the crushed red chili pepper flakes for some spice and the smoked paprika for some added flavor and color (see notes)
Cook The Chicken
  1. Heat the cooking oil.
  2. Sear the meat lightly on all four sides on full heat.
  3. Add 4 cups of water, cover the pot tightly, lower the heat to medium-low, and let the steam cook the meat.
  4. Once the meat is cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, dry out the liquid to a thick gravy and pour it over the roast just before serving.

Notes

  • Use a whole skinless chicken, ideally between 2-4 pounds; remove skin yourself if needed.
  • Make a fragrant ginger, garlic, and Serrano pepper paste to apply thoroughly on the surface and inside the cavity for aroma and to neutralize meat odors.
  • Inject marinade under the skin with no more than 1 ounce per location to prevent leakage; have paper towels handy for drips.
  • Smoked paprika can be used instead of Kashmiri red chilies for easier sourcing and a smoky flavor.
  • Adjust cooking times if using leg quarters or thighs, reducing by 10-15 minutes.
  • After cooking, pour the cooked liquid over the chicken when plating to keep meat moist.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1serving Calories 199kcal (10%) Carbohydrates 4g (1%) Protein 26g (52%) Fat 9g (14%) Saturated Fat 3g (15%) Polyunsaturated Fat 2g (12%) Monounsaturated Fat 3g (15%) Trans Fat 0.1g (5%) Cholesterol 125mg (42%) Sodium 748mg (31%) Potassium 395mg (8%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 1g (2%) Vitamin A 689IU (14%) Vitamin C 9mg (10%) Calcium 31mg (3%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8 servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 199

% Daily Value*

Serving 1serving
Calories 199kcal 10%
Carbohydrates 4g 1%
Protein 26g 52%
Fat 9g 14%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g 12%
Monounsaturated Fat 3g 15%
Trans Fat 0.1g 5%
Cholesterol 125mg 42%
Sodium 748mg 31%
Potassium 395mg 8%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 1g 2%
Vitamin A 689IU 14%
Vitamin C 9mg 10%
Calcium 31mg 3%
Iron 2mg 11%

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