Don Signature Crab - Singapore Food Guide

Roast Chicken (Singapore Hawker Style)

Singapore-style hawker roast chicken: golden, soy‑glazed roast chicken with a lick of five‑spice and honey, roasted until the skin is crisp — perfect for kopi‑stop supper or family makan.

Roast Chicken (Singapore Hawker Style)

About this dish

This Roast Chicken (Singapore Hawker Style) is inspired by the cosy buzz of a heartland hawker centre where time-tested marinades meet simple, honest roasting. Think of late‑night zi char stalls and kopitiam plates — a whole chicken lacquered in a sweet‑savory glaze with a hint of five‑spice and sesame, served family‑style with rice, achar and chilli. It’s an accessible homely roast that channels hawker flavours rather than restaurant fuss.

At home this recipe suits busy weeknight dinners, weekend family gatherings in HDB flats or a show‑stopping potluck for Hari Raya or CNY. The skin crisps up in a hot oven while the marinade penetrates the meat, giving fragrant notes of garlic, ginger and a touch of shaoxing rice wine — flavours Singaporeans recognise from roast meat hawker stalls. Pair it with sambal chilli or a zesty cucumber achar for that familiar hawker contrast of sweet, sour and spicy.

Texturally you’ll get glossy, sticky skin and juicy meat with the occasional charred edges like a roast stall’s counter. Local twists include serving with pandan‑fragrant rice, a side of sambal chilli padi or a spoon of kecap manis for extra smokiness. Whether you’re cooking in a Bukit Timah condo or an East Coast flat, this recipe adapts to oven or rotisserie and uses ingredients readily found at NTUC, Cold Storage or Sheng Siong.

Ingredients

  • 1.6 kg whole chicken, giblets removed and patted dry
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt, plus extra for seasoning cavity
  • 1 tsp white pepper
  • 1 tbsp five‑spice powder
  • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp dark soy sauce (for colour)
  • 2 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 2 tbsp honey (or 1 tbsp maltose dissolved in 1 tbsp warm water)
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 2 cm piece ginger, grated
  • 1 tbsp shaoxing wine (or dry sherry / mirin)
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil (for rubbing)
  • 1 lime, zested and juiced
  • 4 stalks spring onion, tied into a knot and placed in cavity
  • 2 pandan leaves, tied (optional, for aromatic roast)
  • Small bunch coriander or parsley, for garnish
  • 1 cucumber, thinly sliced for serving
  • Sambal chilli or storebought chilli sauce, to serve (approx. 80 g)
  • Optional: 1 tsp chilli padi, finely chopped for extra heat

Step-by-Step Method

  1. 1. Prep the chicken: Remove any excess fat and pat the chicken very dry with paper towels. Season the cavity with 1/2 tsp salt and add the spring onion knot and pandan leaves if using.
  2. 2. Make the marinade: In a bowl, combine light soy, dark soy, oyster sauce, honey, sesame oil, shaoxing wine, grated ginger, crushed garlic, brown sugar and five‑spice. Stir until sugar dissolves and taste — it should be sweet‑savory and fragrant.
  3. 3. Marinate: Rub the chicken inside and out with vegetable oil, then massage the marinade all over the skin and under the skin where possible (use fingers to loosen skin at the breast). Zest and squeeze half the lime over the chicken. Refrigerate uncovered for at least 2 hours, ideally overnight, to dry the skin for crisping.
  4. 4. Bring to room temperature: Remove chicken from fridge 30 minutes before roasting so it cooks more evenly. Preheat oven to 220°C (fan 200°C).
  5. 5. Roast at high heat then turn down: Place chicken on a rack over a roasting tray. Roast at 220°C for 15 minutes to help the skin start to blister and caramelise, then reduce oven to 180°C and continue roasting for 35–45 minutes (approx. 20 minutes per 500 g) until an internal temperature of 75°C at the thickest part of the thigh is reached.
  6. 6. Glaze for shine: In the last 10 minutes brush extra honey mixture (1 tbsp honey mixed with 1 tsp warm water) over the chicken and increase oven heat briefly to 200°C for 5 minutes to set a glossy glaze — watch carefully to avoid burning.
  7. 7. Rest: Remove the chicken and rest on a cutting board for 10–15 minutes before carving. Resting lets the juices redistribute so the meat stays tender.
  8. 8. Carve and finish: Carve the chicken in familiar hawker counter style—breast off in slices, wings and legs separated. Serve with steamed rice or pandan rice, sliced cucumber, achar and a small bowl of sambal chilli or kecap manis to dip.
  9. 9. Taste & adjust: Encourage diners to taste and adjust with extra light soy or a squeeze of lime, just like a zi char stall tweak. If you prefer more heat, spoon over chopped chilli padi mixed with a dash of fish sauce.

Tips & Serving Ideas

  • Dry the skin in the fridge uncovered for a few hours or overnight — this helps the skin go extra crispy like a roast stall.
  • If you don't have shaoxing wine, use mirin or a splash of dry sherry; these are readily available at NTUC and Cold Storage.
  • For charcoal‑grill flavour at home, finish the chicken briefly on a hot gas grill or under the broiler for a minute to mimic hawker charring — watch closely to prevent flare‑ups.
  • Adjust heat by adding or omitting chopped chilli padi; sambal on the side lets everyone customise their spice (good for family or potluck).
  • Leftovers keep well: shred meat for chicken rice, sandwiches or nasi goreng the next day. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
  • To get a deeper glaze without burning, use dark soy sparingly and rely more on honey or maltose for shine.
  • If you prefer a quicker option, roast spatchcocked chicken (butterflied) for faster, more even cooking and crispier skin.

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