Roast Chicken Recipe With Five-Spice Powder

Written by
Rhonda Parkinson
Rhonda Parkinson is a freelance writer who has authored many cookbooks, including two Everything guides to Chinese cooking.
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Rhonda Parkinson
Updated 09/18/19
China, Partly carved marinated roast chicken
John Hay/StockFood Creative/Getty Images
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 90 mins
Total: 105 mins
Servings: 4 to 6 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
584 Calories
31g Fat
10g Carbs
64g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 584
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 31g 39%
Saturated Fat 8g 42%
Cholesterol 190mg 63%
Sodium 2672mg 116%
Total Carbohydrate 10g 4%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Protein 64g
Calcium 48mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This roast chicken recipe is an oven-roasted version of a recipe for Microwave Honey chicken. Before roasting the chicken, you can place a few slices of ginger and scallions under the skin of the chicken (tie the scallions into knots first).

Note: The prep time does not include time for marinating the chicken, as this will vary depending on whether you marinate the chicken for four hours or overnight.

Ingredients

  • 1 roasting chicken (3 to 3 1/2 pounds)
  • For the Marinade:
  • 2 scallions (green onions, or spring onions)
  • 1 cup dark soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons crushed rock sugar (if available, or 2 tablespoons granulated sugar)
  • 1 teaspoon five-spice powder
  • 2-3 slices ginger

Steps to Make It

  1. Clean the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Chop the scallions into thirds, lightly smashing the white sections.

  2. For the marinade, combine the dark soy sauce, rock sugar or granulated sugar, five-spice powder, ginger and the chopped scallions. Place the chicken in a large bag and add half the marinade. Reserve the remaining half of the marinade to baste the chicken during cooking. Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours (preferably all night) turning the bag occasionally so that all the chicken is coated in the marinade.

  3. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit (232 degrees Celsius, gas mark 8). Place the chicken on a rack in a roasting pan. Roast for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius, gas mark 5). Roast the chicken, basting frequently with the reserved marinade, for another hour or until it is cooked. (To check for doneness, pierce the chicken in the thickest part of the thigh. The juices should run clear. If using a meat thermometer, the temperature should read 170 degrees F (76 degrees C) in the thickest part of the thigh.

  4. Let the roasted chicken sit for 15 minutes before serving.