Five Spice Baked Chicken

Please use skin-on chicken for this one… you’ll thank me later!

This recipe is from the week 8 plan in my 2nd cookbook, Money-Saving Meal Plans with Chelsea.

In the book, the recipe forms the first part of a ‘cook once eat twice’ pairing. The remaining five spice chicken is shredded to make an incredible chicken and corn soup.

I’ve amended the quantities below so that you can now enjoy this as a stand-alone recipe.

Five Spice Baked Chicken

Prep Time: 10 minutes + marinating time

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Servings: 4-5

GFO, DF, Freezer-friendly

INGREDIENTS

• 1.2-1.5 kg bone-in, skin-on chicken drumsticks or thighs

Marinade

• 1 clove garlic, crushed 

• 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger  

• 2 teaspoons Chinese five spice powder 

• 2 teaspoons caster sugar 

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil  

• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce 

• 2 teaspoons oyster sauce 

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil  

Stir-fried bok choy

• 1 bundle baby bok choy (2–3 heads), stems separated 

• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil  

• 1 small clove garlic, crushed 

• 2 teaspoons light soy sauce 

• ½ teaspoon sesame oil 

To Serve

• steamed rice

STEPS

Prep

• Crush the garlic and grate the ginger, then combine all the marinade ingredients in a large bowl and stir well. 

• Add the chicken to the marinade, turning to coat well. Cover the bowl with cling wrap and leave in the fridge for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.  

Cook

1. Heat Preheat the oven to 190°C and line a large baking tray with baking paper. 

2. Arrange the chicken pieces skin-side-up on the tray and bake for 45 minutes or until cooked through. If you have very large drumsticks, they might need an extra 5–10 minutes. 

3. When the chicken has been baking for 20 minutes, start steaming the rice.  

4. When the chicken has been baking for 30 minutes, start preparing the bok choy. Slice the base off each bunch and separate the stems. Give them a good wash and pat dry.  

5. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or frying pan over high heat. Add the garlic, stir-fry for 10 seconds, then add the bok choy. Stir fry for 4–5 minutes, until the stems start to soften. Add the soy sauce and sesame oil and stir-fry for 1 minute. Serve over steamed rice with the baked chicken. 

NOTES

• Dietaries: For gluten-free, use tamari instead of light soy sauce.  

• Rice: This dish will work beautifully with whatever rice you have in your pantry, but if you have it, jasmine rice is delish. 

• Leftovers: Store in the fridge for up to 2 days or freeze the chicken and rice for 1 month.