Shandong Roast Chicken

Prep Time: 10-20 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Total Time: 70-80 minutes
Marinating Time: Overnight, 30 minutes minimum

Ingredients:

  • 1 whole chicken, uncooked
  • 2 tsp salt

Marinade:

  • 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
  • 1 tsp ginger grated, juice only

Shandong Sauce:

  • ¼ cup black vinegar
  • 2 tsp soy sauce
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 2 red chilis
  • 1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic (4tsp)
  • 2 tbsp rendered chicken oil and juices

Directions:

  1. Optional: Rub chicken with salt to exfoliate the inside and outside; this will remove any dead skin from the chicken. Once done, pour hot water over the chicken to remove excess salt and tighten up the skin. These steps will help the skin get nice and crispy.
  2. In a bowl, add all of the marinade ingredients and stir until combined. Place the chicken in a larger bowl or bag and pour over the marinade, ensuring all of the chicken is covered. Marinate for 30 minutes (or for best results, overnight).
  3. Optional: Remove chicken from marinade and place on a lined baking dish. With a hair dryer set to hot, blow dry the chicken until the skin is dry and tight. We are attempting to recreate the process of hanging poultry in a breezy area (something many Chinese restaurants do) to dry out the skin to obtain an optimal crisp.
  4. In a preheated 400℉ oven, place the chicken on a lined baking dish and cook for approximately 1 hour until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165℉. Remove and let rest for 15 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine all of the Shandong sauce ingredients and mix until the sugar has dissolved. Don’t forget to add the rendered chicken fat and juices from the drippings of the cooked chicken to the sauce.
  6. Cut the chicken into pieces and serve with a generous portion of Shandong sauce.

Note:

  • Chinese ingredients were sourced from our local asian grocery store. Amazon is not suggested as they have limited options for significantly increased prices. Click the following links for the harder-to-find asian products at T&T: Black Vinegar, Rice Wine.
  • If preferred, this recipe also works well for chicken wings, drumsticks or chicken thighs.

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