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Soy-Brined Roast Chicken (Asian Style)

The secret to ridiculously juicy roast chicken? A proper overnight brine. This one’s packed with umami and Asian aromatics — soy, oyster sauce, black vinegar, garlic, ginger, and five spice.

The result: golden, burnished skin. Fragrant meat right to the bone. And a pan sauce that basically makes itself.

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Servings
4
Prep Time
20
mins
Cook Time
80
mins
Ingredients
12
Total Time
100
mins

Pantry bits

  • Soy sauce
  • Dark soy sauce
  • Oyster sauce
  • Black vinegar
  • Sugar
  • Chinese five spice

Ingredients

  • 1 whole chicken (about 1.6–1.8kg)
  • 1.5L water
  • 75g salt
  • 50g sugar
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tbsp black vinegar
  • 3 garlic cloves (smashed)
  • 5 slices ginger
  • 1 tsp Chinese five spice
  • Neutral oil, for roasting

Instructions

  1. In a pot, combine water, salt, sugar, soy sauce, dark soy, oyster sauce, black vinegar, garlic, ginger, and five spice. Bring to a simmer, stir to dissolve, then cool completely.
  2. Submerge whole chicken in brine and refrigerate overnight (8–12 hours).
  3. Remove chicken from brine, pat dry and leave uncovered in the fridge for at least 2 hours (this helps dry the skin).
  4. Preheat oven to 200°C. Rub chicken with neutral oil and place on a rack in a roasting tray.
  5. Roast for 1 hr 15–20 mins, or until juices run clear and skin is deep golden. Rest 15 mins before carving.

Other recipes

Dakgangjeong – Soy Garlic Fried Chicken
Lanzhou Beef Noodle Soup with Tendon (兰州牛肉面)
Cold Japanese Udon with Dashi Yuzu & Sesame Sauce (Bukkake Style)

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