This Chinese roast chicken is marinated overnight in a mix of honey, Shao hsing wine and soy sauce and then baked while being basted with a sweet honey sauce to create a flavorful inside and crispy skinned chicken. The small chicken used in this recipe can usually be found in most local grocery stores and usually comes in varying sizes between 4 to 6 pounds. Just keep in mind that the cooking time may be slightly longer depending on the exact size of the chicken. Try this Chinese roast chicken recipe and let me know what you think in the Chinese food forum, enjoy!

1 whole small chicken (4 to 5 lbs.)

Marinade:
¼ cup hot water
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp sugar
½ tsp garlic salt
2 tbsp Shao hsing wine
2 tbsp soy sauce

Basting Sauce:
¼ cup of honey
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp peanut oil
½ tsp garlic salt

1. Remove the neck and gizzards from the inside of the chicken and save them to use in a soup or other recipe. Then rinse the entire chicken under cold water, pat it dry, and set it aside.


2. Next prepare the marinade by first mixing together the hot water, honey, sugar and garlic salt preferably in a cup with a pour spout. Stir until the sugar and garlic salt dissolve.


3. Then mix in the Shao hsing wine and soy sauce, cover with plastic wrap, and place it in the refrigerator until it becomes cool.


4. Once the marinade cools place the chicken in a large bag and carefully pour the marinade in.


5. Then seal the bag and move the marinade around inside the bag so that it thoroughly coats the chicken.


6. Next, after washing your hands carefully place this inside another bag just so that the chicken juices are contained and won’t contaminate the refrigerator. Then let it marinate over night.


7. The next day prepare a roasting rack by lining the bottom with foil and then lightly oiling the rack itself with peanut oil.


8. Then remove the chicken from the marinade and place it on the prepared roasting rack.


9. Preheat the oven to 325F and while it’s preheating prepare the basting sauce.


10. In a cup with a pour spout mix together all of the ingredients for the basting sauce.


11. Next make a “pocket” in the chicken’s breast, by placing your hand under the skin of the breast and pushing to pull the skin away from the meat. Repeat this process on the other side.


12. Then pour a little of the basting sauce into each “pocket” and push it around evenly with your hand.


13. Next baste the outside of the chicken.


14. Then tie the legs together and tuck in the wing tips so that they don’t burn and place it in the preheated oven.


15. Let the chicken cook for about an hour and a half, basting it with the sauce every 20 minutes. The cooking time may differ depending on the oven and the size of your chicken; just make sure that the internal temperature reaches 165F. If the chicken starts to over brown in some spots, or the breast becomes brown before the internal temperature reaches 165F, simply cover those spots or the whole breast with foil.


16. Once it is cooked through and the skin is nice and brown, remove it from the heat and serve.

To see a video of how I make this Chinese roast chicken at home click here.