Best Chinese 5 Spice Chicken Recipes

CHINESE FIVE SPICE CHICKEN (五香烤鸡)

Steps:

• Place the chicken over a large tray with the breasts down and the legs towards you. Find its backbone in the middle. Use kitchen scissors/shears to cut along both sides of the backbone, separating it from the ribs (see images for reference in the post above).
• Flip over the chicken so that the breasts are facing up. Use the palm of your hand to firmly push the middle of the chicken until it's completely flattened.
• Pat dry the whole chicken with kitchen paper to remove any moisture.
• Mix salt, five spice powder, garlic powder and white pepper in a bowl. Rub half of the mixture over the cavity side.
• Flip over the chicken. Mix dark soy sauce and Shaoxing rice wine. Rub it over the skin side. Then spread the rest of the dry mix. Massage to evenly distribute.
• Leave to rest uncovered in the fridge overnight (12-24 hours).
• One hour before cooking, take the chicken out of the fridge and allow it to come back to room temperature.
• Preheat a fan-assisted oven at 390F°/200C°, or 425F°/220C° if using a conventional oven.
• Use a roasting tray with a wire rack that fits inside. Fill the tray with some water (lower than the rack) and put the chicken on the rack (skin facing up). Place the tray in the middle of the oven. Leave to cook for 15 minutes.
• Turn the oven down to 320F°/160C° (or 350F°/180C° if using a conventional oven). Continue cooking for a further 20 minutes. If your chicken is a little bigger or smaller, increase or reduce the time by 5 minutes or so (Check the water level in the tray and top up if necessary).
• Take out the chicken. Mix honey and soy sauce then brush a thin layer over the skin. Put back into the oven. Cook for another 5 minutes.
• Turn the heat back up to 390F°/200C° (or 425F°/220C° for a conventional oven). Take out the chicken and brush a second time. Roast for 5 more minutes to finish.
• Check the doneness (see footnote to learn how). Then take the chicken out and leave to rest for 10 minutes before carving into small pieces to serve.

CHINESE FIVE-SPICE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place the chicken pieces in a large dish or plastic bag.
• Mix the remaining ingredients and pour over the chicken.
• Marinate refrigerated overnight or for 1 to 2 hours if time is short.
• Transfer the chicken to a baking dish and brush with the marinade.
• Cook uncovered in a preheated 350F (180C) oven, brushing once or twice with the marinade, until the chicken is done, about one hour.

BAKED CHINESE FIVE SPICE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven for 400 degrees. Put together garlic, five spice, vinegar, sugar and salt in a bowl. Mix together. Set aside.
• Wash, clean and pat dry chicken breasts. Place chicken in a large ziploc, pour and cover chicken breasts with five spice mixture. Marinade for 30minutes to overnight.
• Place chopped onions on a baking dish, drizzle with olive oil. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Put chicken on top of the onions. Put it in the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until chicken is tender and juice from chicken runs clear when pierced with knife. Chicken should be moist not dry.
• Garnish with chopped parsley or cilantro and serve warm.
• Enjoy!

CRISPY FIVE-SPICE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Cut chicken breasts in half lengthways.
• Dust lightly with cornflour and set aside.
• Combine all coating ingredients in a shallow bowl or plate.
• Dip chicken into beaten egg and then press firmly into the coating mixture.
• (You can double coat as well, to ensure a good coating. Just dip again in egg, then the coating mixture.) Heat 1 cm of oil in frying pan over med-high heat.
• Fry the chicken 2-3 minutes each side, until golden and crisp.
• Do not crowd the pan.
• Fry in batches if necessary.
• Drain on absorbent paper.

CHINESE FIVE SPICE LACQUERED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Chicken:.
• Preheat oven to 425*F.
• Stuff the chicken cavity with the scallions, ginger, and orange zest. Set a v or regular rack in a roasting pan and brush with 1 teaspoons of the peanut oil. Whisk the rermaining 1 teaspoons peanut oil with the sesame oil, honey, and soy sauce. Brush the soy mixture over all of the chicken and sprinkle with five spice powder.
• Tuck the wings under the back, cross the legs, and tie them with kitchen twine. Place the chicken breast side down on the rack and roast until the back is golden brown, 35-40 minutes.
• Remove chicken from the oven and turn it over, breast side up. Cut the string where it holds the legs together and gently open the legs a bit. Baste the chicken with the pan drippings and roast again until the breast is golden brown and a meat thremometer inserted in the thigh registers 170*F., 20-25 minutes more. Move to a carving board and let rest for 10 minutes before carving.
• To make sauce:.
• Whisk the soy sauce with the rice vinegar, sesame oil, orange zest, ginger, garlic and scallion in a small bowl.
• Carve the chicken into 8 pieces, serve, and pass the dipping sauce at the table. Enjoy!

AUTHENTIC CHINESE FIVE SPICE ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• To make five-spice salt: Combine 5 tablespoons salt with 1 tablespoon five-spice seasoning. Place five spice salt in a dry skillet. Cook & stir over low heat 3-4 minutes.
• Rub salt mixture (1 teaspoon five spice salt per lb. of chicken) on inside and outside of chicken. Cover and refrigerate seasoned chicken for 4 hours or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 500 F.
• Insert green onions into chicken cavity.
• Place chicken, breast side down, on a rack sprayed with nonstick cooking spray in a shallow roasting pan.
• Roast chicken for 35 minutes. Turn chicken over and continue roasting another 20-25 minutes or until chicken tests done. (Chicken skin should be crisp).
• Serve slices of chicken hot or chilled with plum sauce.