Crispy Peking Chicken Recipe Is Full of Asian Flavors & Budget Friendly by Donna John
Peking duck is a classic dish from Beijing that's been around since the Imperial era. The duck is known for its thin, crispy skin. With the cost of food right now, who can afford to buy a duck? On the other hand, chicken is still fairly inexpensive, making this Peking chicken recipe a budget-friendly option.
Be sure to allow plenty of time to marinate the chicken. I let mine marinate well over 24 hours. While the skin doesn't get as crispy as Peking duck (chefs have a lot of techniques they use when cooking this classic dish), it is crispy and full of Asian flavors and sweetness. Use the leftovers to make chicken salad or toss into fried rice.
Cuisine: Asian / American
Prep Time: 4 to 24 hours to marinate
Cook Time: 1 1/2 hours (approximately)
Total Time: 1 1/2 hours plus 4 to 24 hours to marinate
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken
Marinade
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce (I used sweet dark soy sauce)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 6 slices fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon five spice powder
Basting Sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
Here's how to make it:
- Combine all the marinade ingredients in a plastic food storage zipper bag. Add the chicken. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight. (Turn the bag over occasionally so all the chicken gets a good soak.)
- When ready to cook, remove the chicken from the marinade (save the marinade!). Put the chicken onto a baking rack in a baking pan. If you don't have a baking rack, wad up pieces of aluminum foil to create a raised base for the chicken to bake on. (This allows air to go all around the chicken.) Stuff the ginger pieces from the marinade into the chicken cavity. Put the chicken into a preheated 350-degree F oven.
- Pour the reserved marinade into a small saucepot. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring, for about 5 to 10 minutes.
- Add 2 tablespoons of honey to the marinade and stir. Turn off the heat and set aside.
- Cook the chicken for about 30 minutes then baste with any drippings in the pan. If there aren't any drippings yet, you can brush with a little oil. Continue to cook for 30 more minutes. After 1 hour of cooking, start basting the chicken every 15 minutes with the basting sauce.
- Remove chicken from the oven when cooked through (165 degrees F internal temperature). Allow the chicken to rest about 10 minutes before carving.
Note: Because raw chicken was in the reserved marinade, it is important to cook it at a rapid boil as described above.
Need help converting cooking and baking measurements? Here are some handy kitchen conversion charts.
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