A simplified version of a classic delicacy, this salt baked chicken recipe requires minimal effort but yields wonderful results.
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What is salt baked chicken
Salt baked chicken, known as Yán Jū Jī/Yum Guk Hai/盐焗鸡 in Chinese, is a signature delicacy of Hakka cuisine (客家菜). Like Peking Duck, it’s renowned not only for its distinctive aromatic flavor but also for its unique cooking procedure.
The traditional version of this dish involves cooking a whole chicken wrapped in paper and buried in a generous amount of hot salt. Although the word “baked” is used to translate “Jū/焗”, this dish isn’t traditionally cooked in an oven, but rather on the stovetop in a tightly sealed pot over low heat (note that ovens aren’t common equipment in traditional Chinese kitchens).
The simplified version
Today’s recipe is a simplified version that I’ve tested with great success. This method doesn’t involve wrapping the chicken or using a large amount of salt. Plus, the cooking is done in the oven, requiring minimal attention.
Ingredients
Here are all the ingredients you need:
- A whole chicken, preferably organic corn-fed for a better taste
- Salt
- Sand ginger powder (learn more in the section below)
- White pepper
- Turmeric (optional, learn more in the section below)
- Scallions
- Ginger
About sand ginger
Sand ginger (or aromatic ginger), known as Shā Jiāng/沙姜 or Shān Nài/山奈 in Chinese, belongs to the ginger family, but it tastes very different from regular ginger, so they’re not interchangeable.
Sand ginger powder, which is ground from dried sand ginger, gives salt baked chicken its iconic flavor profile, distinguishing it from other chicken dishes.
You can find it in most Chinese/Asian grocery stores or popular online shopping platforms.
🌟 Can’t find sand ginger? Try other whole chicken recipes on my blog, such as Five Spice Chicken, or Smoked Chicken.
About turmeric
Turmeric is used to replace dried cape jasmine fruits (黄栀子), a natural coloring ingredient used in the traditional version of salt baked chicken. It lends an appetizing yellow tone to the chicken skin. Please feel free to skip it as this won’t alter the taste of the dish.
Cooking process
Step 1: Marinate the chicken
Use kitchen paper to gently pat dry the skin and the cavity of the chicken.
Mix all the seasonings (sand ginger powder, salt, white pepper, turmeric) with a little cooking oil to form a sticky paste.
Use your hands, with food-grade gloves if available, to rub the marinade paste all over the chicken, including the cavity. Massage gently enhance penetration.
Leave to marinate for 4 hours or overnight. Remember to take the chicken out of the fridge at least 1 hour before cooking, allowing it to come back to room temperature for more even heat distribution.
Step 2: Cook in the oven
Preheat the oven at 390°F/200°C/Gas 6 (Fan-assisted 360°F/180°C).
Transfer the marinated chicken to an oven-proof pot or a deep baking tray. Put scallions and ginger slices inside the cavity of the chicken.
Cover the pot with a tight lid, or use kitchen foil if you’re using a baking tray. This creates a closed environment to ensure minimal moisture escapes from the chicken during cooking.
Put the pot/tray on the middle shelf of the preheated oven. Leave to cook for 1 hour.
If you use a heavy cast iron pot that retains heat very well (similar to the one shown in the picture), take it out of the oven and let it cool for 30 minutes (remain covered).
If using a regular baking tray covered with kitchen foil, leave it inside the oven for 30 minutes after you turn it off.
Step 3: Make a sauce
Take out the chicken and keep the juice for the sauce. Once it’s cool enough to handle, cut the chicken into small chunks. Alternatively, tear the skin and flesh into shreds, like how you serve Bang Bang Chicken.
Put finely chopped scallions and ginger paste into a small bowl. Add a few spoonfuls of the chicken juice (heat it if it has gone cold). Mix well and use it as a dipping sauce, or pour it over the chicken to serve.
Serving ideas
This salt baked chicken makes a wonderful center dish for any special meal, such as the Chinese New Year Feast. Pair it with dishes made with other meats, or seafood, and several vegetable sides.
For a quick meal, simply serve it over steamed rice, accompanied by blanched vegetables like Gai Lan and a generous amount of the sauce for extra flavor.
🌟 TIP: If you have any leftover chicken juice, let it cool and congeal into aspic. Use it in the fillings for soup dumplings or pan-fried buns.
Other chicken recipes
Looking for more delicious ways to cook chicken? Try these classic Chinese recipes:
📋 Recipe card
Love this recipe? Please leave a 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating and a comment. Thank you!
Salt Baked Chicken, an Easy Version
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 1 medium chicken, about 3.3lb/1.5kg
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sand ginger powder, see note 1
- ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, for coloring (optional)
- 2 tablespoon cooking oil
- 3 stalk scallions, cut into sections
- 8 slice ginger
For the sauce
- 1 stalk scallions, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon ginger paste
Instructions
Marinate
- Pat dry the chicken, inside and out, with kitchen paper.
- In a small bowl, mix salt, sand ginger powder, white pepper, turmeric (if using), and cooking oil.
- Rub the mixture over the chicken, including the cavity, making sure it’s evenly coated.
- Leave to marinate for 4 hours or overnight in the fridge. Take it out 1 hour before cooking so it returns to room temperature.
Cook
- Preheat the oven at 390°F/200°C/Gas 6 (Fan-assisted 360°F/180°C).
- Insert scallions and ginger into the cavity of the marinated chicken, then place the chicken into an oven-proof pot fitted with a lid, or into a deep baking tray covered tightly with kitchen foil.
- Place the pot/tray on the middle shelf and leave to cook in the oven for 1 hour.
- Then leave to rest, without removing the lid/cover, for 30 minutes (see note 2).
Serve
- Take the chicken out and keep the liquid gathered at the bottom of the pot.
- Cut the chicken into small chunks to serve, or tear it into shreds.
- Put chopped scallions and ginger paste into a small bowl. Mix in 2-3 tablespoons of the chicken juice (heat it briefly if it has gone cold).
- Use the sauce for dipping, or pour it over the chicken.
Notes
Your Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Wow, wow, wow! The salt baked chicken, using sand ginger, recipe is a keeper. I made twice within a month. It was so yummy, fingers licking as my grandchildren said. It is easy to make and it is yummylicious. In my opinion, using a Le Creuset produced better result than the normal baking pot. Thank you Wei for sharing the recipe with me.
Thank you so much, Laurine! I’m so happy to hear you and your grandchildren loved it! Hope you’ll find other inspiration on my blog.
Since my last post on 30 June, I’ve baked this chicken again and with great success. The 1.7kg chicken was in the oven for 50 minutes and the result was a tender and moist chicken that didn’t fall off the bone. Such an easy recipe that is a winner so thank you, Wei.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! So happy to hear the recipe turned out so well for you. It sounds like you’ve perfected it. Enjoy many more delicious dinners!
This is a delicious salt baked chicken which is just so easy to cook and much enjoyed by the family when we had it for dinner. This can definitely be a dish to cook for guests as it has such a wow factor! I cooked the 1.8kg chicken in a Le Creuset pot for the suggested 1 hour but noted that the meat was almost falling off the bone. Is the meat meant to be this soft or should I only bake it for 50 minutes?
Thanks for trying out my recipe, Susan! The traditional Salt Baked Chicken usually is not as soft as you described as many Chinese enjoy the pleasure of chewing the meat off the bone. Please feel free to adjust the cooking time as it may vary depending on the performance of the oven.
Is sand ginger powder the same thing as galangal powder?
Based on my research, sand ginger and galangal belong to the same family and they have some similarities in taste. However, I haven’t tested this recipe with galangal powder so I’m not 100% sure.