Salt-Baked Chicken 鹽焗雞

A classic Cantonese dish featuring a whole chicken baked in a crust of coarse salt, resulting in incredibly tender, aromatic, and flavorful meat.

Nutrition (per serving)

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken (approx. 1.2-1.5kg), cleaned
• 2 kg coarse sea salt
• 3 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 2 tbsp ginger juice (grated ginger squeezed through a cloth)
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp five-spice powder
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 4-5 slices ginger
• 2 stalks spring onion, cut into sections

Steps

1. Pat the chicken dry completely with paper towels. Rub the inside and outside of the chicken with Shaoxing wine, ginger juice, sesame oil, five-spice powder, white pepper, and sugar. Stuff the chicken cavity with ginger slices and spring onion sections.
2. In a large wok or Dutch oven, heat coarse sea salt over medium-high heat until very hot, about 5-7 minutes. Spread a layer of hot salt on the bottom.
3. Carefully place the chicken on top of the hot salt. Cover the chicken completely with the remaining coarse sea salt.
4. Cover the wok tightly with a lid and cook over low heat for 60-75 minutes, depending on the chicken size. Do not open the lid during cooking.
5. After cooking, carefully remove the chicken from the salt crust, brushing off any excess salt. Serve warm, optionally with a side of ginger-scallion dipping sauce.

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