I give you permission to lick your screen. I know I’ve been tempted to do so a couple of times while editing these pictures but I managed to resist the urge and get down to business. But here’s the good news, this chicken is as good as it looks. 
It’s juicy, sweet, salty and fully of that Asian flavor that we all seem to love. Originally when I created this recipe I was tempted to fry the chicken and make a dipping sauce with the marinade but decided to create a healthier dish, so I roasted it instead. 
My friends, in no way did I sacrifice taste by roasting it instead of deep frying this bad boy. It was divine. I was in heaven. 
From the moment I carved the chicken and had to duck from the juice squirting back at me, I knew that this couldn’t be a bad thing. Cooking the chicken covered on a lower temperature creates a very juice bird that soaks up some of the marinade. 
I think the flavor overall was very close to some of the Chinese Fried Chicken I’ve had from Guyanese Chinese restaurants and that made me a very happy girl. 
- 5 lb whole chicken
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup water
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- ½ tsp chili flakes
- 1 star anise
- ¼ tsp 5 spice powder
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 3 slices of ginger
- 3 scallions, finely chopped
- 2 pieces of orange peel
- 1 tbsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp water
- In a bowl small bowl, add soy sauce, water, brown sugar, hoisin sauce, chili flakes, star anise, 5 spice powder, garlic, orange peel, ginger and scallion and mix to combine. Set aside.
- Place the whole chicken on a cutting board and with a sharp knife cut along the back bone of the chicken, starting at the tail end. Once the back bone has been cut all the way through, spread the chicken open. Now press the knife down the center of the breast bone cutting all the way through. You should now half two halves.
- Place the half in a large ziplock bag and add marinade. Allow to marinate for at least 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Place chicken skin side up and all of the marinade in a large baking dish. Cover tightly with foil then place into preheated oven. Bake covered for 1 ½ hours.
- After 1 ½ hour, turn the oven up to 425 and bake chicken uncovered for 30 minutes basting every 5 minutes.
- In the last 10 minutes of cooking, mix 1 tbsp of cornstarch with 2 tbsp of water and pour into baking dish. Stir carefully to combine.
- Now continue to cook the chicken and baste every 2-3 minutes with thickened sauce.
- Remove from oven and let sit for 15 minutes before serving.
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This post was inspired by the reaction I usually get when I say “oh I’m done cooking lunch” and it’s only 9am. The looks or reactions are usually equally to that of seeing a unicorn. It’s actually quite funny to me as I know it’s not the norm but we create our own normal. So here’s a peek into my typical day:
7 am: I usually make a quick breakfast such as oatmeal with fruit or eggs with turkey bacon and toast for Nolan and his dad. I’ll have a bowl of fruit, but not before my morning coffee. Once breakfast is over, I walk the dogs and then set out their food.
10 am: I usually done cooking at this point and will play with my son a bit or chat it up with my sister on the phone.
3-5pm: My son is usually up at 3 pm so I give him a snack and we play. Shortly after his father comes to join us and the craziness ensues. They play as boys play and sometimes the dogs join in. At this time, I relax a bit and browse online, usually reading up on new blog updates and such.
7pm: I sit at my desk and write a blog post and schedule it to be published the following day.
