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Home / Cuisine / Asian / Chinese Five-Spice Roast Chicken

Chinese Five-Spice Roast Chicken

By: 👩‍🦳 Linda · Published: 🖨 January 9, 2012 · Updated: 💻January 2, 2021 · 🗨 34 Comments

Recipe ▼

Fragrant crispy Chinese Five-Spice Roast Chicken served with pepper salt. Perfect for Chinese New Year Reunion or a weekend dinner.

Chinese Five-Spice Roast Chicken served with pepper salt and shrimp crackers.

A chicken dish is a must-have for the Chinese New Year Eve reunion dinner. Typically, a whole chicken with the head and all is served to symbolize wholeness and prosperity. When I was a kid, the silky smooth Pak Cham Gai (in Cantonese dialect) or “white cut chicken” was very popular. This dish is similar to the silky smooth chicken in this popular Hainanese Chicken Rice post.

Kampung/Village/Organic Chicken

Most families will pre-order an organic chicken known in Malaysia as kampung or village chicken, for the purpose of preparing Pak Cham Gai. I remember one year, someone actually gave us a life chicken. Mom and aunt had to slaughter and prepare the chicken. Please use your imagination for the rest of the story. Suffice to say the dish wasn’t very popular with the kids that year.

Chinese Five-Spice Roast Chicken

An alternative to Pak Cham Gai is this Chinese Five-Spice Roast Chicken. Back in the old days, this roast chicken was a favorite at the Chinese 10-course wedding banquets. They would surround the whole roasted chicken with shrimp crackers and sliced cucumbers. There would be several small plates of pepper salt for diners to further flavor the chicken. This was one of the few dishes eaten with salt instead of soy sauce. Most kids enjoyed this dish and few were fazed with the chicken head. Thank goodness times have changed and that “garnish” is not a norm on the plate these days!

Fragrant crispy skin Chinese Five-Spice Roast Chicken.

Chicken Preparation for Roasting

Some people like to marinate the chicken overnight with ginger, scallion, and Shao Hsing cooking wine. It is then drained, air dried, applied with a rub, and air dried again for several hours before roasting. The version I am showing you here is a simplified one where the chicken is placed on a beer can roaster so that it sits upright during roasting. The juices drip into the pan producing a chicken with crispy skin. The fragrant salt is easy to prepare and is good with most meats.

Below is a picture of the beer can roaster I used. You have the option of placing a can of beer or soda in the center to flavor the chicken and keep the meat moist. One of these days, I will give that a try.

Beer can roaster

Similar Tools Used in Making This Chinese Five-Spice Roast Chicken

This post contains affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy here.

Aluminum Baking Sheet Set with Stainless Steel Cooling Rack
Stainless Steel Beer Chicken Roaster
Stainless Steel Beer Can Chicken Rack

Chinese Five-Spice Roast Chicken served with pepper salt and shrimp crackers.

Chinese Five-Spice Roast Chicken

Fragrant crispy skin Chinese Five-Spice Roast Chicken served with pepper salt. Perfect for the Chinese New Year Reunion Dinner or a weekend dinner.
Author : Linda Ooi
Course : Main Dish
Cuisine : Chinese
Keyword : five-spice roast chicken, roast chicken
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 1 hr 20 mins
Total Time 1 hr 30 mins
Servings : 4
Calories : 361kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 roasting chicken (3 to 4 lbs)
  • 3 tsp sea salt
  • 1½ tsp ground white pepper
  • 1 tsp five-spice powder
  • ½ tsp garlic powder

Instructions
 

  • Remove giblets and excessive fat from chicken. Rinse chicken including the inside. Pat dry the outside and place it on a beer can chicken roaster to drip dry for an hour.
  • Pan fry sea salt and ground white pepper over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until fragrant.
  • Combine half of the pan fried pepper salt, five-spice powder, and garlic powder in a small bowl. Reserve the other half of the pepper salt for serving.
  • Remove chicken from the roaster and liberally sprinkle or pat mixture on the inside and outside of the chicken. Place chicken back onto roaster and allow it to dry for another hour.
  • Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
  • Truss chicken by tying the lower part of the wings and legs together.
  • Roast chicken in pre-heated oven on the beer can roaster for approximately 1 hour 15 minutes or until thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh without touching the bone registers 180°F.
  • Remove roasted chicken from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes before carving.
  • Serve chicken with slices of cucumber, shrimp crackers, and pepper salt.

Nutrition

Calories: 361kcal
Tried this recipe?Mention @RotiNRice or tag #RotiNRice

Pepper Salt

If you do try this Chinese Five-Spice Roast Chicken, definitely reserve some of that fragrant pepper salt for dipping. It really does make the chicken tastes even more flavorful. It is also great with the cucumber slices.

Golden and fragrant crispy Chinese Five-Spice Roast Chicken.

Categories: 🗂 Asian, Chinese New Year, Main Dish, Poultry Tags: 📋 Chinese, five-spice

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Comments

  1. rebecca says

    January 9, 2012 at 2:48 pm

    love this great idea to roast chicken with 5 spice doing this soon

    Reply
    • Biren says

      January 9, 2012 at 9:15 pm

      I think you will not be disappointed. It may look simple but it is very tasty. 🙂

      Reply
  2. Zoe says

    January 9, 2012 at 3:51 pm

    I always like this very traditional way of home-roasting chicken but not brave enough to roast one on my own. I find your step by step instructions very helpful and will definitely use your instructions if I’m roasting my own chicken.

    Reply
    • Biren says

      January 9, 2012 at 9:17 pm

      I hope you will give it a try. It is really quite simple. 🙂

      Reply
  3. Katherine Martinelli says

    January 9, 2012 at 5:13 pm

    This looks so good! A great way to change up classic roast chicken. I’ve never used a beer can roaster or even seen such a device – so interesting! Thanks!

    Reply
    • Biren says

      January 9, 2012 at 9:14 pm

      That beer can roaster is a convenient “gadget” to have in the kitchen. It was a very inexpensive way to replace my rotisserie oven. 🙂

      Reply
  4. Juliana says

    January 9, 2012 at 5:18 pm

    Beautiful roasted chicken, I especially like the 5 spice rub…so tasty. Beautifully done.
    Hope you have a wonderful week ahead Biren 🙂

    Reply
    • Biren says

      January 9, 2012 at 9:16 pm

      Thanks Juliana! 5-spice is wonderful with chicken.

      Reply
  5. The Mom Chef ~ Taking on Magazines One Recipe at a Time says

    January 9, 2012 at 6:08 pm

    Oh my gosh, that looks delicious. I love 5-spice powder and plan to make this very, very soon. I have to say, I hope no one ever gifts me with a live chicken! That must have been horrifying for your mom. What a story though!

    Reply
    • Biren says

      January 9, 2012 at 9:09 pm

      Thanks Christiane! I hope you enjoy the recipe.

      Thankfully I grew up towards the end of the era when women had to dress their own fowl. We lived in the city and Mom was relieved that she could buy dressed chicken at the markets. I would have given the chicken away… 🙂

      Reply
  6. Wen's Delight says

    January 9, 2012 at 8:55 pm

    This is a nice chicken dish for CNY reunion dinner! If you are interested may consider submitting this post to Aspiring Bakers #15 – Auspicious Dishes for CNY (Jan 12) hosted by me.

    http://wensdelight.blogspot.com/2012/01/aspiring-bakers-15-auspicious-dishes.html

    Happy New Year!

    Reply
    • Biren says

      January 9, 2012 at 9:02 pm

      Thanks for the invite. Will check out the post soon. 🙂

      Reply
  7. denise @ singapore shiok says

    January 9, 2012 at 10:03 pm

    Would you believe I just had this wonderful dish a few days ago at a cousin’s wedding? After we cleared the chicken pieces off the plate, there was the head with beak and all, staring at the ten of us, seated around the table. I did feel a bit guilty, but what can I say? It was delicious! Your roast looks perfectly done.Crisp golden skin and I can imagine how juicy that plump thigh must be. I could easily go for another round 😉

    Reply
    • Biren says

      January 9, 2012 at 10:13 pm

      Good to see you here, my friend. 🙂 Haha…so they do still serve it with the head!! I wonder how my boys will react to such a sight. It is one thing to grow up with it but I can imagine it must be quite shocking to someone not familiar with it at all. Miss those wedding banquets.

      Reply
  8. Curry and Comfort says

    January 10, 2012 at 6:05 am

    Beautiful Roast Chicken!! I bet the five spice made it sing! Love your roasting device too. Have a great week! ~ Ramona

    Reply
  9. PolaM says

    January 10, 2012 at 6:38 am

    That chicken looks delightful! I love roasted chicken and I have to try this version! Looks so crispy and tasty!

    Reply
  10. Dongxing says

    January 10, 2012 at 6:43 am

    Dear Biren,

    Happy New Year to you and your family! I have been reading all your posts but I have not been able to put my comments in, apologies! This chicken is absolutely delicious – just made it last night with 2 chicken leg quarters. I had forgotten how delicious this simple rub can be. My husband liked it too, even though he is not a fan of 5-spice. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Biren says

      January 10, 2012 at 10:04 am

      Thanks for reading and following along! I am happy that you have tried quite a few of my recipes and I do appreciate your feedback as well. So glad to hear this went down well with the family. 🙂

      Reply
  11. Kitchen Belleicious says

    January 10, 2012 at 8:09 am

    anything with 5 spice is an A+ in my book. this chicken looks so flavorful and perfect for guests

    Reply
  12. Angie's Recipes says

    January 11, 2012 at 9:45 am

    I love 5 spice too. The chicken is perfectly roasted. Miss shrimp crackers.

    Reply
  13. Quay Po Cooks says

    January 12, 2012 at 7:43 am

    Biren, I think the five spices is magical. It enhances the taste of all kinds of meat. I am sure when you roast this chicken, the whole house is filled with the spice fragrance. While typing this comment, I can feel myself salivating. The beer can device look so interesting. I will definitely buy one and use it if I spot it someday!

    Reply
  14. Victoria says

    January 12, 2012 at 9:39 am

    5 Spice is a wonderful spice mixture. Chicken is a perfect vessel for it. Your beer can roaster is a neat gadget! Never seen one before!

    Reply
  15. Tina (PinayInTexas) says

    January 12, 2012 at 10:25 am

    This sounds so simple to make but looks really tasty & flavorful. Hope I could try this one of these days!

    Reply
  16. Nami | Just One Cookbook says

    January 12, 2012 at 1:12 pm

    You must be so busy preparing for CNY! We always celebrate it with friends at a restaurant so I’m not very familiar with traditions or traditional food that people make at home. This roasted chicken looks so yummy! We can eat it for regular days, maybe for me with drummets or drumsticks. Drooling as I imagine the taste!

    Reply
  17. Roxana GreenGirl {A little bit of everything} says

    January 12, 2012 at 2:13 pm

    that’s a great looking chicken Biren.

    Reply
  18. tigerfish says

    January 12, 2012 at 8:13 pm

    Easy and delicious roast chicken with five-spice! Yum!

    Reply
  19. Hyosun Ro says

    January 12, 2012 at 9:09 pm

    Biren – My next roast chicken will definitely have the 5-spice powder. I also need to try this beer can method. I keep hearing about it but have never actually tried. Your chicken looks really crispy!

    Reply
  20. Lyndsey @The Tiny Skillet says

    January 15, 2012 at 8:44 am

    I love hearing of all the dishes and what goes into the CNY celebration. I love beer can chicken, you should really try it that way sometime. I have seen the beer can gadget at Walmart. It reminds me to pull mine out again and use it…funny how we get away from some methods for awhile. I am using your simple but delicious 5 spice blend.

    Reply
    • Biren says

      January 15, 2012 at 9:32 am

      Yes, I must definitely try the beer can roast chicken soon. I hope you will give this a try as I think you will enjoy it. It is so simple too!

      Reply
  21. Russell at Chasing Delicious says

    January 16, 2012 at 6:38 pm

    Yum! What a recipe. I have a chicken waiting to be cooked and I think I’m going to try this!

    Reply
  22. Asmita says

    January 17, 2012 at 7:32 pm

    Wow, this chicken looks awesome!

    Reply
  23. Cat says

    January 28, 2012 at 5:29 pm

    looks easy and yummy! I can’t wait to try!

    Reply
  24. yummyboy says

    October 16, 2012 at 11:30 pm

    Any idea where can I get that beer can roaster?

    Reply
    • Biren says

      October 17, 2012 at 7:13 am

      In the US, this beer can roaster can be found in any of the major retailers, grocery and kitchen stores.

      Reply

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My grace is sufficient for thee…
2 Corinthians 12:9

Hi, I’m Linda! I make quick, easy meals, and spin on classics and old favorites with focus on Malaysian, Chinese, and American cuisines. Read more →

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