Chinese Five Spice Chicken (五香烤鸡)

Spatchcock the chicken

When preparing a whole chicken for roasting, I prefer spatchcocking, aka butterflying. This method involves removing the backbone so that the chicken can be laid completely flat. The benefit is obvious: It takes less time to cook and the meat can be cooked more evenly.

Here is how you do it:

1. Place the chicken over a large tray with the breasts down and the legs towards you.
2. Find its backbone in the middle. Use kitchen scissors/shears to cut along both sides of the backbone, separating it from the ribs (You may reserve the backbone for making chicken stock).
3. 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 flattened completely.

Season and rest

To make your five spice chicken as tasty as it can be, it’s essential to season it ahead of cooking. This allows the flavour to penetrate the flesh instead of having it just on the surface, like how you’d marinate Peking Duck or Aromatic Crispy Duck for the optimal taste. Here are the ingredients and how to apply them.

For a chicken that weighs 1.8 kg/4 lbs, you’ll need:

• 2 teaspoons salt. Fine grain salt is preferable as it spreads more evenly.
• ¾ teaspoon five spice powder. I have a separate post on how to make it from scratch.
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder. It’s also known as garlic granule.
• ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce. You may replace it with light soy sauce (or regular soy sauce), but the dark version is better at browning.
• 1 teaspoon Shaoxing rice wine. Please feel free to skip it if you don’t want to include alcohol in the dish.

In two small bowls, mix the dry ingredients (salt, five spice, garlic powder and white pepper) and the wet ingredients (soy sauce, Shaoxing wine) separately. The honey in the image above is for brushing onto the chicken while roasting.

1. First, lay the butterflied chicken with the skin facing down. Rub half of the dry mix over the cavity side. Massage well to help it to stay on.
2. Flip the chicken over. Spread the wet mix evenly over the entire skin. Then rub the rest of the dry mix over.

After that, store the chicken in the fridge. The ideal resting time is between 12 to 24 hours. You don’t need to cover the chicken. The dry environment in the fridge will help to slightly dry out the skin thus helping to crisp up while roasting.

Check the doneness

The total cooking time required may vary depending on the performance of your oven. The size and type of the chicken are also influential factors. To check the doneness, here are two methods:

• Insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken. When it reaches 165F°/75C°, it’s fully cooked and safe to consume. Try not to overcook as it results in dryness, particularly in the breasts.
• Alternatively, pierce the thickest part with a skewer or a fork. If the juice flowing out appears clear, the chicken is done.

🛎 Tip: If your chicken is a little bigger than 1.8 kg/4 lbs (I wouldn’t recommend a very large one though), increase the cooking time in stage 2 by 5 minutes or so. If smaller, reduce the time accordingly.

Rest and serve

Don’t rush to serve the chicken! It’s crucial to rest it after cooking. 10 minutes would do wonders. Dr Stuart Farrimond explains in his book The Science of Cooking that during resting “Heat from the outer layers spreads into the core, and moisture from the cooler core diffuses outwards, giving a more even temperature and juiciness”.

Tender, moist and flavourful, five spice chicken tastes great on its own. So it’s not compulsory to eat it with sauce or gravy. Usually, it’s served as the centrepiece of a multi-course meal, along with other savoury dishes and steamed rice. Check out my vegetarian recipes to find some inspirations for pairing.

It also makes a great filling for Steamed Bao Buns, Peking Duck Pancakes, or Chinese Burgers. To enjoy it further and avoid any waste, use the carcass and leftover meat to make a delicious Chicken Noodle Soup.