Beggars Chicken (Clay Wrapped)
Singapore-style Beggars Chicken: a whole chicken marinated, wrapped in lotus leaf and clay (or dough/foil) then slow-baked for tender, aromatic meat.
About this dish
Beggars Chicken is a dramatic, old-school Chinese banquet dish that fits right into Singapore's love of sharing plates — imagine unwrapping a fragrant parcel at a family zi char dinner or serving it centre-stage at a festive reunion. Traditionally encased in clay and lotus leaf, the method traps steam and aroma so the meat emerges succulent, infused with ginger, Shaoxing wine and five-spice. In Singapore homes we often adapt the clay technique to an oven-friendly dough or heavy foil wrap, making this impressive dish doable in an HDB kitchen or condo pantry.
This recipe balances Cantonese-style savoury notes with local pantry shortcuts. Lotus leaf gives that distinctive earthy perfume (you can find it at Cold Storage or wet markets), while star anise and pandan add a Singapore twist. Texturally you'll get glossy, sticky skin where a honey glaze meets dark soy, and fall-off-the-bone flesh that still reads as roast rather than stew. It suits weekend family dinners, CNY spreads, or a special potluck where everyone gathers round the table to crack open the parcel together.
Serving is part of the theatre: slice the chicken at the table, scatter spring onions and coriander, and pair with plain jasmine rice or carrot-and-cucumber achar for contrast. Leftovers make brilliant lunchbox rice or fried rice the next day — just shred the meat and wok-fry with garlic and leftover sauce, hawker-style.
Ingredients
- 1.6 kg whole chicken, giblets removed and patted dry
- 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp five-spice powder
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp fine sugar
- 20 g fresh ginger, cut into 5–6 thick slices
- 4 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
- 3 spring onions, 2 tied into a knot for the cavity and 1 sliced for garnish
- 2 large dried lotus leaves, soaked in hot water until pliable (about 20 minutes)
- 50 g dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated and halved (optional, for a festive version)
- 1 star anise and 1 small cinnamon stick (for aromatics inside cavity)
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp honey mixed with 1 tbsp hot water (for glaze)
- Salt, 1 tsp or to taste
- 300 g plain flour + 120–150 ml water and a pinch of salt (to make sealing dough) — OR — 400 g baking clay as an alternative to dough/foil
- 2 pandan leaves, knotted (optional, adds local fragrance)
Step-by-Step Method
- Mix the marinade: in a bowl combine Shaoxing wine, light soy, dark soy, oyster sauce, sesame oil, five-spice, white pepper and sugar until sugar dissolves.
- Prepare the chicken: rub 1 tsp salt all over and into the cavity, then massage the marinade inside and outside the chicken. Tuck the ginger slices, garlic, star anise and knotted pandan into the cavity along with the tied spring onions. Marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight for best flavour.
- Soak and prep lotus leaves and mushrooms: soak lotus leaves in hot water until pliable, rinse; if using shiitake, slice and pat dry. Reserve some marinade for glazing later.
- Assemble the wrap: lay one lotus leaf out, place the chicken in the centre, scatter rehydrated shiitake around if using. Wrap the chicken snugly in the lotus leaf, folding edges so it becomes a sealed parcel.
- Seal the parcel: for traditional dough, mix plain flour with water and a pinch of salt to form a thick paste/dough and cover the lotus-wrapped chicken fully; or use baking clay to encase the parcel. If short on supplies, wrap tightly in several layers of heavy-duty foil (not traditional but works).
- Bake low and slow: preheat oven to 180°C. Place the sealed parcel on a tray and bake for 90 minutes, then reduce heat to 160°C and bake for another 60 minutes (total ~150 minutes). The long, gentle heat allows steam to cook the chicken evenly. If you have a probe thermometer, target an internal temperature of 74°C (75°C) at the thickest part of the thigh.
- Glaze and brown (optional): remove chicken from oven, carefully crack open the outer seal (clay/dough/foil). Brush the skin lightly with honey glaze and place under a hot grill/broiler for 3–5 minutes to colour the skin — watch closely so it doesn’t burn.
- Rest then reveal: let the chicken rest for 10 minutes sealed to keep juices in. Bring to the table and crack open the lotus leaf for the theatrical reveal, then transfer to a cutting board.
- Carve and serve: slice or chop the chicken into pieces, spoon any collected jus over the meat and garnish with sliced spring onions and coriander. Serve family-style with steamed jasmine rice, blanched kai lan and a chilli dipping sauce like sambal or sliced chilli in light soy.
- Leftovers & reheating: shred leftover chicken and quickly wok-fry with garlic and a splash of light soy for a hawker-style fried rice, or reheat gently in the oven wrapped in foil at 160°C for 15–20 minutes to avoid drying out.
Tips & Serving Ideas
- If you can't find lotus leaves at your local wet market, Cold Storage or Sheng Siong often stock them frozen; rehydrate in hot water until pliable.
- No baking clay? Make a simple flour-and-water dough to seal the parcel, or use heavy-duty foil — the goal is to trap steam, not the material itself.
- Adjust aromatics to local taste: add pandan for a familiar Singapore fragrance, or tuck in a few slices of dried tangerine peel for a Cantonese twist.
- Keep oven temperatures steady and bake low and slow for even cooking — this avoids dry breast meat and gives fall-off-the-bone thighs.
- For spice-loving diners, serve with a side of sambal belacan or sliced fresh chilli in light soy; for kids, a mild sweet-soy glaze works well.
- Make-ahead: marinate overnight and wrap in lotus leaf the next day before sealing and baking; cooled chicken also makes excellent fried rice for lunchboxes.
- When glazing under the grill/broiler, watch carefully — sugar in the honey and dark soy burns fast. A quick 2–4 minutes is usually enough for colour.
- To reheat leftovers without drying, steam gently or wrap in foil and warm in a 150–160°C oven for 10–15 minutes.
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