Peking Chicken

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Peking Duck Pancakes are one of my favorite things to enjoy eating. Whether at home or at a good Chinese restaurant, they’re a delicacy that is so indulgent. This recipe emulates all those wonderful flavors and textures of the famous dish but replaces Duck with Chicken Breast. We’re proud to say that this Peking Chicken recipe using skin-on Chicken Breast is an awesome version of the original, and given it uses Chicken, is a lot more adaptable and accessible than the Duck version

What is Peking Chicken?

Simply put, we are replicating the elements of Peking Duck, but using Chicken instead of Duck. The dish consists of perfectly cooked Chicken which comes completes with a lovely, crispy skin. Thin Chinese style Pancakes that the duck is wrapped up in. Finally, the addition of Scallions and Hoisin Sauce complete the dish

The Chicken is sliced into individual portions, ensuring each bite has an adequate amount of crispy skin (which is the best part!). It’s placed on top of the unwrapped pancake. Toppings of Scallions and a generous amount of Hoisin Sauce is added and then it’s all wrapped up

The ‘correct’ way to enjoy eating Peking Duck is to pick up the pancake parcel with Chopsticks and delicately eat it in small bites. Now, that may be all well and good for some, but for me – I like to dive right in with both hands. I’ll eat the thing like I’m devouring a Burger, and one to two bites is enough. But again, that’s just me!

How to make the best Peking Chicken ever

There are three elements to Peking Chicken, and I’ll admit for our recipe we’re keeping things simple and doing a few shortcuts on one of them. That is, the pancakes. Making homemade Duck Pancakes can be done, it just requires so much effort that it’s not worth it

We’re all about convenience in the kitchen here at Dinnertime Somewhere. Therefore, we recommend buying Pancakes that have already been made. You can find them in the frozen food aisle at your grocery store. You can also use Spring Roll wrappers which work just as well. Simply cover them in cling film and microwave them for 1 minute and they’ll be ready

Preparing the Chicken

The most important element of making homemade Peking Chicken is, of course, the Chicken. For this recipe we are using Chicken Breast, but you could definitely use Thighs if you prefer. Regardless of what cut you prefer; you must use Chicken with the skin on

When preparing Peking Duck, drying out the skin is a huge process, taking several days and multiple techniques to prepare. For Peking Chicken, you don’t require as much attention, but we do recommend drying out the Chicken skin before cooking

The best technique to drying out protein skin is to lightly Salt it and then place it in the refrigerator uncovered. For Duck, we recommend leaving it for 2 – 3 days to dry out the skin, same for Pork. For Chicken you don’t need as much time; 1 day will be plenty

The dry air of the refrigerator will dry out the skin, and the Salt will extract any excess moisture from the skin. Dry skin means crispy skin once cooked, so we recommend taking the time to follow this step for the best result

How to get Crispy Chicken Skin

We oven roast the Chicken for this recipe for a few reasons. We need to alternate the heat during the cooking process, which is much easier to manage in the Oven. Secondly, we apply a delicious glaze to the Chicken about 10 minutes before it is done. The glaze gives the chicken it’s beautiful dark caramel color and wonderful flavor

To begin cooking the Peking Chicken, crank your oven to the highest temperature it can go. Anywhere between 450F – 500F is where you want to be. Once the oven is at temperature, place the Chicken in the center of the oven on a sheet pan

The high temperature will begin to immediately cook the outside of the Chicken. You’ll notice about 5 – 10 minutes that the Chicken skin will start to bubble and already crisp up in places. This is what we want!

At this point, drop the heat down to a more moderate temperature, around 350F and slow roast the Chicken for the rest of the cook. We recommend checking on the Chicken temperature periodically, because once its internal temperature reaches 120F, it’s time to apply the Glaze

Applying the Chinese Five Spice and Honey Glaze to the Chicken

We make a very simple glaze to coat the Chicken midway through it’s roasting time. The glaze is a mixture of Chinese Five Spice and Honey. We also add a little bit of Cinnamon to the glaze for a bit more added richness in the flavor

Once the Chicken hits that internal temperature of around 120F, take it out of the oven and generously brush it with the glaze. Make sure the whole Chicken is covered, and get a thick coating all over, including the skin

The sugar content in the glaze will immediately begin to caramelize once it goes back into the oven, giving the skin the most amazing texture and flavor. The whole Chicken will darken in color, and the longer it cooks, the darker it goes

This is why we only add the glaze about halfway through the cook. If we applied the glaze at the beginning of the cook, it would completely burn by the time the Chicken is finished cooking. You want to time it so the glaze has caramelized and turned a beautiful dark golden color by the time the Chicken is cooked. That is, when it’s internal temperature reaches 160F

Once cooked, remove the Chicken from the Oven and allow to rest. Resting will enable the juices to redistribute throughout the Chicken leaving it beautiful and moist. It will also allow the glaze to cool slightly, as the hot sugar will be very hot. So, just be careful when slicing!

Slice the Chicken and it’s time to serve!

Once the Chicken has rested, slice it lengthwise with several diagonal cuts. Make sure each slice has a good amount of Chicken skin on it. Serve alongside the finely chopped Scallions, Hoisin Sauce, and Chinese Pancakes, which should be steaming hot from a quick microwave

Peking Chicken is a fun, interactive meal best enjoyed when everyone can make their own Pancakes. So, like a Mexican Feast, just include all the elements of the meal on the table and allow people to make their own

Peking Chicken Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 Large Chicken Breasts, skin on
• 10 Peking Duck Pancakes (you can substitute with Spring Roll wrappers)
• 2 Scallion Stalks, cut into thin strips
• 2 tbsp. Honey
• 1 tsp. Chinese Five Spice
• 1 tsp. Cinnamon
• ½ cup Hoisin Sauce
• Salt

Instructions

1. Salt the skin of the Chicken Breasts and then leave uncovered in the refrigerator for 1 day to dry out the skin. When ready to cook, remove from refrigerator and bring it back to room temperature
2. Set your oven to it’s highest temperature (450F – 500F) then place the Chicken in the oven on a large sheet pan. Roast for 6 – 7 minutes until the skin begins to bubble. Drop the heat to 350F
3. While the Chicken is cooking, prepare the glaze by mixing Honey, Chinese Five Spice, Cinnamon, and a pinch of Salt in a small bowl
4. Once the internal temperature of the Chicken reaches 120F, remove from oven and generously brush the glaze over the Chicken. Place back in oven and continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 160F. Remove from Oven and allow Chicken to rest
5. Cover the Pancakes in cling film and microwave for 1 minute. Place the pancakes, sliced Scallions, and Hoisin Sauce on separate plates / bowls for serving
6. Once rested, slice the Chicken diagonally into several pieces and plate. Serve along with the other ingredients and allow folks to assemble their own Pancakes at the table
   
   

Recipe Notes

• You can make this recipe without refrigerating the Chicken. The skin may not be as crispy, but it will still come out great
• An optional method is to finish the skin with a blow torch for extra crispiness once cooked
  
  

That’s our delicious recipe for amazing homemade Peking Chicken. A great alternative to Peking Duck that is so much more accessible given we’re using Chicken. Much cheaper too!

One of our favorite foods to prepare in cooking is crispy skin. We’ve got loads of recipes on our website that feature perfectly prepared dishes with crispy skin. Here are a few of our favorites that we highly recommend you try:

• Crispy Skin Roast Pork Shoulder
• Peking Duck Pancakes
• Cuban Sandwich Bites
• The Perfect Roast Chicken Dinner
  
  

Happy Cooking!