Chinese Roast Chicken

The holidays season might be over but for those celebrating Lunar New Year, the festive season has just begun.

The year of Dragon falls on January 23, 2012 and marks the celebration of Lunar New Year.

Walk down the aisles of Asian grocery stores, especially Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese here in the United States, you’ll see lots of Lunar New Year goodies out on display.

This year, I’m going to share a series of delicious Chinese New Year recipes so you’ll be able to prepare a full course Chinese menu with my recipes!

Chicken is a must-eat during Chinese New Year.

Whole chicken is especially auspicious and it’s prepared for prayers to the ancestors in traditional Chinese homes.

While regular boiled or steamed chicken is a common dish to serve, I’m partial to roast chicken, especially Cantonese BBQ style.

My roast chicken is the kind you would get at Chinatown.

There are certain techniques and secret ingredients involved to get to the desired taste and texture.

I marinated the chicken overnight, and then air dry it for a few hours before roasting.

I also created a special concoction for the skin to ensure crispiness.

The best part of the roast chicken is the juice seeping out during the roasting process; drizzle the juice on steamed rice while you sink your teeth into the moist and tender pieces of chicken.

This Chinese-style roast chicken is simply delicious and imparts the signature “烧腊” (Cantonese BBQ) aroma and flavors.

You definitely have to check out my secret Chinese roast chicken recipe.

Lunar New Year celebration lasts for 15 days, so below are more chicken recipes to whet your appetite.

Also, don’t forget that I have 80+ Chinese recipes in my cookbook “Easy Chinese Recipes.” Pick up a copy today and celebrate Dragon year with scrumptious and authentic Chinese food.

How Many Calories per Serving?

This recipe is only 494 calories per serving.

What Dishes to Serve with This Recipe?

For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.

Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Garlic Noodles

Fried Rice

Basil Butter Corn

Yield: 4 people

Chinese Roast Chicken

Print

Chinese roast chicken recipe. Flavorful, juicy, and absolutely mouthwatering, and it's quick and easy to make for the entire family!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 chicken, about 2 1/2 - 3 lbs. (1.5 kg-2 kg)
• 4 cloves garlic, lightly pounded
• 1- inch (2cm) piece ginger, peeled and sliced

Marinade:

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Chinese rose wine (or Shaoxing wine)
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 dashes white pepper

Skin Coating:

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon honey

Instructions

1. Clean the chicken with water and pat dry inside and out. Truss the chicken. (I did only the legs part and not whole body.)
2. Mix the Marinade ingredients well in a small bowl and rub it generously on the skin of the chicken and also the cavity. Insert the garlic and ginger inside the cavity and then transfer it into a Ziploc bag. Pour the remaining Marinade into the bag and marinate the chicken overnight. You can turn the plastic bag to make sure that the chicken is evenly marinated.
3. Take the chicken out of the plastic bag, discard the garlic and ginger in the cavity. Air dry the chicken for about 30 minutes at room temperature or until the skin surface is no longer wet. You can turn on a fan. Mix the Skin Coating ingredients well in a small bowl. Set aside.
4. Heat up the oven to 400°F (207°C). Place the chicken in a roasting pan (at the lower rack) and roast for about 45 minutes. Check the chicken at 30 minutes point and if the skin is browned too soon, cover the chicken with a sheet of aluminum foil. Remove the chicken from the oven and turn it to the underside of the chicken and roast for 15 minutes. Remove it from the oven and brush the entire chicken with the Skin Coating mixture. Continue to roast the chicken for about 5-10 minutes on each side, or until both sides of the chicken become a golden-hued brown in color. Remove from the oven, let cool, chop up and serve immediately. Save the juice from the chicken and serve with steamed rice.

Nutrition Information

Serving Size

4 people
Amount Per Serving Calories 494Total Fat 33gSaturated Fat 8gCholesterol 142mgSodium 1034mgCarbohydrates 10gFiber 0gSugar 8gProtein 37g