Chinese Roasted Chicken

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Simplicity is the real beauty of this five-spice chicken recipe. This fragrant Chinese Roasted Chicken recipe is made with minimal ingredients, yet is packed full of flavors.

This Chinese roasted chicken has crispy skin on the outside with moist, juicy, and tender on the inside. It is absolutely tasty, the best way to roast chicken! It’s also low carb and keto-friendly!

If you are looking for the easiest chicken recipe to cook tonight, try this Chinese roasted chicken. A simple roast chicken recipe that tastes tastier than store-bought rotisserie chicken and so easy to make! A good chicken recipe that you will be making it again and again because your family will be craving and asking for it!

Be sure to skip the rotisserie chicken at the grocery stores or Costco, and make this chicken tonight!

Why You’ll Love this Recipe:

You’ll love this Chinese Roasted Chicken recipe because of the following reasons that make for an impressive meal that is simple to make and delicious:

·  Low Carb and Keto-Friendly.

· Minimal Ingredients. This chicken is seasoned with a 3-ingredient homemade spice rub plus salt, and oil that has a ton of flavors.

·  No braining. Say goodbye to that dreaded, dry chicken and hello to a tender and juicy chicken! This homemade roasted chicken doesn’t require a brining process, and you will save time in preparation without sacrificing the taste. I can guarantee you that this chicken is juicy, just like it should be!

·  Marinating is optional. It isn’t necessary but if you want to enhance the flavors you only need to do it for 30 minutes (or as long as 12 hours if you decide to season the chicken ahead of time).

·  Quick preparation and easy cooking process. The preparation involves chopping garlic, rubbing the spice rub onto the chicken, and trussing the chicken before cooking. The cooking process is done in the oven at 550° F for 15 minutes then 425° F for about 50 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked and safe to eat.

Now let’s talk about the amazing spice rub for the chicken!

The Savory Rub Seasoning for Chicken:

The Chinese Roasted Chicken is seasoned with five-spice powder, crushed black peppercorn, garlic, and kosher salt.

The five-spice powder is one of most popular seasonings used in Chinese cuisine, but always makes a great twist on American dishes too. It’s usually made with a combination of cinnamon, fennel, cloves, star anise, and white pepper. It’s also a salt-free seasoning.

You can use Chinese five-spice seasoning to flavor marinades for fish, poultry, seafood, vegetable, and tofu. It’s also great for sauces or pasta. It’s an absolutely staple pantry ingredient.

You can find the five-spice powder at any grocers, such as Kroger, Target, Sprouts, or Amazon. In this recipe, I used Simply Organic five-spice powder.

Black Peppercorn. It’s known for its sharp, earthy flavor and aroma. It’s a great addition to any dish to add a kick of heat without overwhelming the other ingredients. In this recipe, I used a mortar and pestle to crush about 1 tablespoon of whole black peppercorn that I purchased from Costco.

Check Out More Great Recipes Using Black Peppercorn:

• Steak Bites
• Crispy Grilled Chicken Wings

Kosher Salt. I use Kosher salt because it’s easier to distribute the larger grains evenly. I use a 4-pound chicken in this recipe and apply about 2 teaspoons of Kosher salt. If you are salt-sensitive, reduce the amount of salt to 1-¾ tsp.

Garlic, minced, and whole. The unique flavor and aroma make it an essential ingredient in cooking. You only need to use about 1 tbsp of minced garlic for a rub and a bulb of garlic for the cavity.

How to Rub the Seasoning onto the Chicken:

First, rub the spice mix (vegetable oil, five-spice powder, minced garlic, black peppercorn, and kosher salt) evenly all over the chicken, and under the skin of breasts and legs.

Second, season that cavity with a small amount of salt and pepper and insert the halved bulb of garlic. This aromatic garlic does a good job of infusing the flavor to the meat during cooking!

How to Prepare Chicken for Roasting:

The preparation includes a few important steps.

·  First, remove the giblet if there is one inside the chicken cavity. You can use the giblet to make gravy, sauce, or stock.

·  Second, pat the chicken dry with paper towels. As far as rinsing or not rinsing, you can make a decision based on the CDC recommendation on how to handle chicken safely to avoid food poisoning here.

·  Third, truss the chicken after you rub the chicken with the seasoning and insert the garlic into the cavity. Trussing a chicken means tying it with butcher’s twine. It helps a chicken cook evenly. Here’s a great tutorial on how to truss a chicken.

The best substitute for kitchen twine is unwaxed floss, soaked wooden skewers or toothpicks. Don’t sweat it, you can always proceed without this step and still come out with a great tasting chicken!

Type of Equipment You Need:

To make this delicious roasted chicken, you will need a roasting pan with a rack. This type of roasting pan will keep the bird above the pan resulting even browning on all sides while the tasty juices will drip down onto the pan.

I used a roasting pan for the turkey because that’s the only one I have in my kitchen. It’s a bit oversized but works fine. 

Since you will be cooking at 550 °F for 15 minutes you must make sure you have a roasting pan that is safe at that temperature. Most pans are not made for this temperature and using the wrong kind could be dangerous. If you don’t have anything suitable you can instead cook at 425°F.

For the thermometer, an instant-read thermometer is the best tool for determining the temperature of your chicken. You want to make sure that the meat has reached a safe internal temperature that is hot enough to kill harmful germs that can cause food poisoning.

For the whole bird, you should insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh without touching the bone. It should be registered at 165°F for both white and dark meat. For more information, you can check out FoodSafety.gov website.

What To Serve with Roasted Chicken:

• TOMATO CUCUMBER SALAD (WITH RECIPE VIDEO 🎥)
• ROASTED YELLOW SQUASH WITH PARMESAN CHEESE AND HERBS
• ROASTED BABY POTATOES WITH ROSEMARY AND GARLIC

How to Roast Chicken Without Drying it Out:

The secret to getting the juiciest, most tender chicken is to cook at high temperatures.

First, cook the chicken for about 15 minutes at 550°F. Once you see the nice brown on the skin, reduce the temperature to 425°F and cover the chicken loosely with foil, then continue cooking for about 50 minutes or until the meat is registered at 165°F.

I personally used an oven-safe parchment paper to cover the chicken because I think it’s a healthier option that foil, just my opinion so feel free to look into both.

Most oven-safe parchment papers are usually safe for oven use up to 425°F. They usually get darker but not burnt during the entire cooking process. To put any safety worries to rest, call or check out the company website who made the product to find out more about how to use the product safely.

CHECK OUT MORE DELICIOUS CHICKEN RECIPES:

• HEALTHY BAKED CHICKEN TENDERS (AKA CHICKEN STRIPS)
• CHICKEN SHAWARMA (OVEN-ROASTED + INSTANT POT INSTRUCTIONS) – WITH VIDEO 🎥
• OVEN-BAKED CHICKEN BREAST (SO TENDER AND JUICY!)
• HARISSA CHICKEN RECIPE – WITH RECIPE VIDEO 🎥
• CREAMY CHICKEN MARSALA
• MEDITERRANEAN ROAST CHICKEN WITH VEGGIES
• INSTANT POT GARLIC PARMESAN CHICKEN WINGS (NINJA FOODI + OVEN-BAKED INSTRUCTIONS)
• DRY RUB CHICKEN WINGS (OVEN-BAKED/INSTANT POT/NINJA FOODI)
• INSTANT POT CHICKEN WINGS WITH BUFFALO SAUCE

This recipe is inspired by Ming Tsai’s. He is a very popular celebrity chef and personality. I adjusted the ingredients and cooking temperature to get the best of it! I hope you’ll enjoy it! 

5 from 13 votes

Chinese Roasted Chicken

Rika Livingston

This fragrant Chinese roasted chicken is made with minimal ingredients, yet is packed full of flavors. The chicken has crispy skin on the outside with moist, juicy, and tender on the inside. It is absolutely tasty, the best way to roast chicken!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 1 hr 5 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Chinese

Servings 5

Calories 434 kcal

Equipment

• a medium-size roasting pan with a rack (safe up to 550°F)
• a thermometer

Ingredients

 

• 4 pounds whole chicken
• 1½ tsp five-spice powder
• 1 tbsp whole black peppercorn (crushed)
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 2 tbsp vegetable or canola oil
• 2 tsp kosher salt

For Chicken Cavity:

• 1 garlic bulb (halved)

Instructions

 

Preparation:

• Remove the chicken giblets and pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
• Crush the whole black peppercorns with mortar and pestle, or heavy-duty pot.

Make a Spice Rub:

• In a small bowl, combine oil, five-spice powder, minced garlic, salt, and crushed black peppercorn.

Rub the Chicken:

• Place the chicken in a large bowl or zip lock. Pour the marinade all over it, massage, rub deep, and make sure you get the spice rub under the skin.

  Let rub sit on the chicken for 30 minutes or up to 12 hours in the refrigerator. 

Roasting:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 550° F.
• Stuff the cavity with a head of garlic halved. Tie the legs together with kitchen string.
• Put the chicken breast side up on a roasting rack in a medium (9×13-inch or similar) flameproof baking dish or roasting pan.

  Cook for about 15 minutes, until the skin is browned. Be sure to watch carefully as the skin can burn quickly when cooked for too long of a duration.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 425°, cover the chicken loosely with foil or oven-safe parchment paper and cook for about 50 minutes or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. 

  For the whole bird, you should insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh without touching the bone. It should be registered at 165°F for both white and dark meat before removing from the heat.
• Allow the bird to rest for at least 15 minutes before carving. Save any leftover sauce for dipping.
• Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Important: Since you will be cooking at 550°F for about 15 minutes,  you must make sure you have a roasting pan that is safe at that temperature.

Most pans are not made for this temperature and using the wrong kind could be dangerous. If you don’t have anything suitable you can instead cook the chicken at 425°F.

Nutrition

Calories: 434kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 33gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 131mgSodium: 1053mgPotassium: 376mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 255IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 40mgIron: 2mg

Keyword Chinese Roasted Chicken, Five Spice Chicken, Five Spice Roasted Chicken, Simple Roasted Chicken

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