Description

This Chinese Roast Chicken recipe offers a deliciously crispy, flavorful Cantonese-style roast chicken made easy with a simple marinade and a clever baking method to ensure juicy meat and perfectly crisp skin. Perfect for a budget-friendly family dinner, it includes a secret tip for extra crispy skin and a honey-soy glaze to finish.

Ingredients

Scale

Chicken

1 whole chicken (about 1.4 kg or 3 lbs)

Marinade

6 tablespoons light soy sauce (reduce to 5 tbsp if using baking powder-salt rub)
3 tablespoons oyster sauce (Lee Kum Kee recommended)
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce (or substitute with sweet soy sauce/kicap manis, adjust sugar accordingly)
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (or sake/Chinese cooking wine substitutes)
½ teaspoon Chinese five spice powder (optional)
1 tablespoon sugar (white or brown)
1 teaspoon salt (omit if using baking powder and salt rub)

Stuffing

2 inch fresh ginger, washed, smashed, sliced (no need to peel)
1 whole fresh garlic bulb, washed, smashed, peeled (no need to slice)

Optional Rub for Extra Crispy Skin

½ teaspoon baking powder
1½ teaspoons salt

Glaze

1 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon dark soy sauce

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Instructions

Prepare the marinade: Mix all marinade ingredients including light soy sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, Chinese five spice powder, sugar, and salt in a bowl until well combined.
Marinate the chicken: Place the whole chicken and marinade into a large ziplock bag or plastic container. Massage the marinade thoroughly into the chicken skin and turn several times to coat evenly. Refrigerate and marinate for at least 24 hours for best flavor absorption.
Prepare for roasting: Remove the chicken from the refrigerator about 50-60 minutes before roasting to bring it to room temperature for even cooking. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 220°C (428°F) or 200°C (392°F) if using a fan oven.
Setup baking tray: Place a wire rack over a baking tray and pour some water into the tray without touching the rack. The water catches drippings to prevent burning and mess.
Place chicken on rack: Put the chicken on the wire rack, breast side up, and let it rest at room temperature for about 50-60 minutes while the oven heats up.
Initial high heat roast: Roast the chicken at 220°C (428°F) or 200°C (392°F fan) for 20 minutes to start crisping the skin.
Reduce heat and rotate: Lower oven temperature to 180°C (356°F) or 160°C (320°F fan). Remove the tray, turn it around 180 degrees to avoid hot spots causing uneven cooking, and roast for an additional 30 minutes.
Apply glaze and finish roasting: Remove the chicken from the oven and brush all over with the honey and dark soy sauce glaze. Return it to the oven and roast for another 10-15 minutes, or until the thickest part of the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) and juices run clear.
Rest the chicken: Remove chicken from oven using oven gloves. Let it rest for 10 minutes before carving to allow juices to redistribute and ensure tender meat.
Optional safety tip: Boil leftover marinade for 10 minutes to kill bacteria; this reduction can be used as a dipping sauce or substitute hoisin in wraps, but do not use it to glaze the chicken to avoid excess saltiness.

Notes

Leftovers can be repurposed into chicken congee or various leftover chicken dishes.
The marinade time is important for flavor; less than 24 hours may yield less flavorful meat.
Turning the tray during roasting prevents uneven cooking due to oven hot spots.
Using a wire rack with water underneath helps catch drippings and avoid burnt residue.
The nutritional information is an estimate and may vary depending on ingredient brands and sizes.