The Easiest Whole Peking Chicken Recipe

Peking chicken is the answer for those days when you want the flavor of peking duck. But you just can’t be arsed to deal with the rigamarole of cooking a good peking duck. Because as undeniably delicious as it is – a perfectly crispy, moist, flavor-infused peking duck is not the easiest to pull off.

But here’s the good news: a beautifully charred and crispy, juicy and flavorful Peking chicken is pretty much effortless.

Plus, chicken is so easy to find, easy to prep, and easy to cook. There is no pumping air under the skin and there is no hanging it up to dry overnight.

It’s just a quick blanch, a simple marinade, a little stuffing, a basting or two, and roast.

Does it taste like peking duck? Not really. It is chicken, after all. Is it delicious? Yes! It is crispy, super moist, full of flavor and absolutely scrumptious.

Served alongside pancakes, cucumbers, and duck sauce, it will satisfy everyone’s peking duck craving – for a fraction of the price and effort.

Why This Recipe Works

It’s easy. The marinade is simple and quick to put together. The process of prepping the chicken is quick and easy – most of it is hands off. It all comes together pretty quickly, making for a weeknight meal that seems a lot fancier and more complicated than it actually is.

It’s pretty much fail-proof. With the marinade and the stuffing, you will absolutely end up with the juiciest, most flavorful chicken. Guaranteed.

The chicken stock. Listen, guys – this peking style chicken is delicious. But if you save the carcass and boil it up, you’ll get an incredibly flavorful chicken stock that is absolutely ideal for making pho.

Peking Chicken Ingredients

There’s a good reason I recommend peking chicken to everyone who loves a good roast chicken – you really don’t need much to make it.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Chicken. I’m using a whole chicken weighing 1.75 kg (almost 4 lbs).

Marinade. The marinade is a combination of salt, sugar, ginger powder, five spice powder, soy sauce, and Shaoxing wine. You’ll already have most of the ingredients in your pantry and the rest – i.e. five spice powder and Shaoxing wine – are easy to find, especially if you’re in the UK. They sell them at Sainsbury’s, Ocado’s, and so on.

Stuffing. This is optional but recommended for a juicier, more flavorful Peking chicken. Roughly chop and stuff the chicken with 1 head garlic, 1 to 2 green onions, 1 shallot, 1 apple, 2 star anise, and 2 bay leaves.

That’s it. Let’s get to cooking up some peking style chicken…

How to Make Peking Roast Chicken

Here’s the step-by-step process to making peking style roast chicken. There are a couple steps involved but it’s overall an easy recipe that pays off massively with a favorable effort-to-taste ratio.

Here’s what to do…

Blanch the skin

Place the chicken on a raised platform in the sink. I’m using a metal colander, you can use a baking rack or a cookie cooling rack.

Gently pour about 1.5 liters of boiling water over the entire skin skin to blanch and tighten it.

Flip the chicken and do the same scalding technique on the back.

Let it rest while you prepare the marinade.

Marinade the Chicken

Mix together the salt, sugar, ginger powder, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and five spice powder in a bowl.

Rub it all over the chicken, inside and out. Use a small silicone spatula if you have to. Just try to get the marinade under the skin without ripping it.

Place the marinated chicken into a large bowl and cover with cling film or place in a large Ziplock bag. Let it marinade in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. If you can, aim to marinate anywhere from 3 hours to overnight.

Stuff the Chicken: Optional

This is an optional step but I like to do it because it leads to a juicier, more flavorful chicken. Take the chicken out about 20 to 30 minutes before you’ll be cooking it and stuff the cavity with:

• 1 head garlic
• 2 green onions
• 1 shallot, quartered
• 1 apple, quartered
• 2 star anise
• 2 bay leaves

Cook It Up

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C), if using a convection oven. If using a conventional oven, preheat it to 400°F (220°C).

Fold the chicken legs under the bird to prevent burning. Truss the chicken using its own skin.

Place the chicken onto a roasting or cooling rack on the middle rack of the oven. Place a large pan or roasting tin filled with about an inch or two of water beneath it to catch dripping and keep the chicken moist. Baste it before popping it in the oven.

Reserve the leftover marinade!

Cook the chicken for an hour to an hour and a half time. How long it takes will depend on the size of your chicken and the oven you’re using. The best way to make sure is to check the internal temperature. The thickest part of the chicken should read 165°F.

For reference – my 1.75 kg chicken took a little over an hour to cook through.

Baste at the End

When the chicken is nearly cooked, pour the leftover marinade into a pan or skillet and bring to a boil and then let simmer for 5 minutes so any bacteria gets killed.

You’ll now have a nice and thick glaze to give the Peking chicken a final basting with.

Just open the oven door and baste the chicken. No need to do the bottom – just apply the glaze generously over the breast, thighs and wings.

Now turn the broiler on, set it to high, and let the chicken broil for about 3 to 5 minutes – keep an eye on it so it doesn’t completely burn.

Let Rest

Your roast chicken is piping hot and smells so good. But don’t forget to let it rest for 15 minutes before serving. Cover the chicken with tin foil and let it rest for about 15 minutes. This resting period seals in moisture and lets the juices redistribute. Result? More tender, juicier, and flavorful chicken.

What to Serve with Peking Chicken?

Anything you want. But I like to go with all the usual Peking duck accoutrements – pancakes, cucumber, and plenty of hoisin sauce.

It’s a simple – yet feels deluxe – dinner that all comes together without much work on your part.

If you haven’t done it before, here’s how to eat Peking chicken pancakes…

Wrap it all up and eat!

Note: I highly recommend that you save all the leftover bones and chicken carcass, put it in a large pot with water and simmer for 2 to 3 hours. You’ll get an insanely flavorful chicken stock from the remains of this Peking chicken, it’d be a shame to waste the bones.