Asian Roast Chicken with Ginger, Soy & Honey

Searching for inspiration on how to jazz up your roast chicken? Try this tasty idea...

Serves: 4–6
Prep: 20 minutes
Marinating: 2–12 hours
Cooking: approximately 1 hour 20 minutes for a 1.5 kg chicken
Resting: 15–20 minutes

Ingredients

For the chicken

• 1 Springfield Organics Organic Whole Chicken, approximately 1.5 kg
• 4 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 4 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 4 cm piece fresh ginger, finely grated
• 1 tsp Chinese five-spice
• 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
• ½ tsp chilli flakes
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

For the roasting tray

• 1 onion, cut into wedges
• 1 red pepper, roughly chopped
• 4 spring onions
• 1 orange, cut into wedges
• 150 ml water

To finish

• 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• Handful of fresh coriander
• 1 red chilli, finely sliced
• Lime wedges

Method

1. Prepare the chicken

Remove the giblets and save them for stock or gravy. Pat the chicken thoroughly dry with kitchen paper.

Carefully loosen the skin over the breast with your fingers, taking care not to tear it.

2. Make the Asian marinade

Mix together the soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, five-spice, sesame seeds, chilli and black pepper.

Rub about two-thirds of the marinade all over the chicken, working some underneath the breast skin.

Place the remaining marinade in the fridge — you'll use it for glazing later.

3. Let the flavours develop

Cover the chicken and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, ideally overnight.

Take it out of the fridge about 30 minutes before cooking.

4. Build the roasting tray

Heat the oven to 190°C fan / 210°C conventional.

Scatter the onion, pepper, spring onions and orange wedges over a roasting tray. Add 150 ml water.

Place the chicken breast-side up on top.

5. Roast

Roast for approximately 1 hour 15–30 minutes, depending on the exact weight of your chicken.

After about 40 minutes, brush generously with the remaining marinade.

If the skin is becoming too dark, loosely cover the breast with foil.

6. Make it sticky

During the final 10 minutes, brush once more with the pan juices and marinade.

You want the skin to become deeply golden, glossy and slightly caramelised.

The chicken is ready when the thickest part reaches 75°C, without the thermometer touching the bone.

7. Rest

Transfer the chicken to a board and loosely cover with foil.

Rest for 15–20 minutes before carving. This is what keeps the breast meat beautifully juicy.

🌿 Finish & serve

Scatter the carved chicken with spring onion, sesame seeds, coriander and fresh chilli.

Squeeze over plenty of lime.

For a fantastic Asian-inspired feast, serve alongside:

• Steamed jasmine rice
• Pak choi with garlic and sesame
• Cucumber salad with rice vinegar
• Charred tenderstem broccoli
• Steamed bao buns
• Extra lime and chilli