Roasting a chicken is my go-to when I want a mostly hands-off dinner. I prep the chicken, pop it into the oven and forget about it for the most time until it’s time to take it out and leave it rest while I make any sides we’re having with it. For me, this is easy and leisurely. I almost always get lots of leftovers out of it as well, so it also means it gives me some easy options the follow day for lunch. This Honey Soy Roasted Chicken sort of came about when I was thinking about a teriyaki roast chicken or something along those lines. This is the result and it’s delicious!
You can serve this however you like, but I really like it over a bed of rice, preferably sticky rice with some Chilli Garlic Soya Beans (aka edamame) and some of the pan juices drizzled over the top. If you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, you’re in for a treat! Pull as much of the chicken meat off the carcass as you can and put that into a sealed container in the refrigerator. Likewise, you want to save the bones and pan juices, which you can either cover with cling film or put into a sealed container and pop into the refrigerator. Use the bones and juices with all their honey soy flavour to make a stock by covering them with boiling water. Add some veg and herbs if you have them to this mix and bring it to a boil before reducing to a simmer with the lid on. Keep it simmering for about an hour or up to two hours. Strain the stock, pop in the leftover chicken pieces and bring to a boil. Add some ramen noodles, chillis if you have them, maybe some coriander and anything else you’d like for a super flavourful chicken & noodles soup!
You won’t need much to make this chicken – a simple roasting tin or even a cake tin big enough to fit the whole chicken will work. Let’s get started!
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken, approximately 1.8kg
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 150ml soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons garlic oil
- 2 tablespoons chilli oil
- 5 tablepsoons honey
- Zest & juice of one lemon
- Sesame seeds (optional)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C / 160° Fan / 350°F. Unwrap the chicken and remove any trussing or packaging and place it into a roasting tin. Salt the chicken all over and set it aside.
- In a jug mix together the soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, garlic oil, chilli oil and lemon zest & juice with a rubber spatula or basting brush. Really swirl it around so the honey mixes in.
- Pour this mixture all over the chicken, even into the cavity, making sure it’s on every exposed surface of the bird. Use the brush if have one to brush it onto the chicken skin everywhere. If you don’t have one, just use a large spoon to sort of ladle the juices over the chicken.
- Pop the chicken into the oven for about 1 hour 45 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked, basting at least 2 or 3 times during the cooking process. About 10 minutes before the chicken needs to come out of the oven, generously sprinkle sesame seeds across the top of the chicken. Let the chicken rest after cooking for at least 15 minutes but up to 30 minutes with two layers of tin foil tented over the tin and a tea towel draped over top to keep in the heat. Serve hot with sticky white rice, edamame or whatever sides you like and some pan juices drizzled over top.
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