Asian-inspired chicken roast that will transform Sunday dinners

This whole roasted chicken gets an umami kick with Asian flavors like soy sauce and toasted sesame oil.

Almost every Sunday I simultaneously roast two chickens — one for dinner that evening and another to use for salads, quesadillas or some other application later in the week. The bird I serve warm is a chance to experiment, but I have to admit I don’t take advantage of the opportunity as often as I should. There’s nothing wrong with a straightforward roasted chicken, but when it comes to food, variety is literally the spice of life.

So, to break my recent rut of run-of-the-mill Sunday dinners, I added some Asian flair to our chicken roast. What I thought would simply be a nice change, a little something different, turned out to be the tastiest bird I’ve ever prepared. The savory flavors of soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, fresh ginger and garlic made for a salty, umami kick. A squeeze of honey added a sticky, subtle sweetness that had me licking my fingers between greedy bites. I’ll be making this version again for sure, and I imagine it will be quite some time before we tire of it.

Asian-inspired roast chicken

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 (1/2 inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 scallions, white parts finely chopped and green parts thinly sliced
• 1 (3 to 3 1/2 pound) whole chicken
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, honey, oil, garlic, ginger and scallion whites until mixed.
2. Truss the chicken. Fold the wings into the back of the bird, then start with your kitchen twine centered along the front, pulling it to the rear under the legs, then pull the ankles together and tie the twine around them. Place the chicken in a skillet or small baking dish and place in the preheated oven.
3. After 20 minutes, brush the chicken with the soy sauce mixture. Brush again at 30 minutes, then pour the remaining mixture over the bird at 45 minutes. Remove after the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F, about 1 hour, and sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds and scallion greens. Rest at least 10 minutes before carving and serving warm.

This post is sponsored by Marie Callender’s Pot Pies. Delicious anytime.

More roast chicken recipes

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Chicken roasted in beer
One-dish wonder: Crispy roast chicken with mango and lemon