Roasted Peking Chicken Breasts

Roasted Peking Chicken breast is a new recipe to help me in my quest to expand my culinary horizons. When I look for easy, delicious recipes, I cracked open my copy of The All New Good Housekeeping Cookbook by Susan Westmoreland. First off, I still love this cookbook. It was first published on December 31, 2001.  My copy is falling apart at the spine. Consequently, I bought a slightly used copy from eBay.  Oddly enough, I am still using the tattered copy. 

The cookbook has so many recipes I love, such as Thai Beef with Basil, Stir-fried Beef and Broccoli, Tzatziki, Spicy Black Bean Soup, and today’s recipe: Roasted Peking Chicken Breasts. This recipe packs a ton of ginger and garlic flavor.  There are also sweet notes from the hoisin sauce and the honey. 

A Little About Peking

According to Flavor & Fortune, Peking originates from the Peking/Beijing region. It is also known as Northern cuisine. Dishes made for the Emperor at the Imperial Palace eventually leaked to “common” people.  From there, the recipes took on a whole new life as cooks added their spin.

This dish, as well as others, is usually served with a Mandarin pancake.  However, in the United States, flour tortillas have replaced the pancake.  A whole chicken can replace the bone-in skin-on chicken breast. The cooking time will be increased to fifty minutes before adding the glaze.

The skin will get nice and crispy.  To aid this process, be sure to pour the boiling water SAFELY and SLOWLY over chicken on both sides.  Doing this will help render the fat in the skin.  In essence, the fat is “frying” the skin. 

Wrap the tortillas in heavy-duty aluminum foil and place them in the oven after turning the heat off and taking the chicken out to rest.  You can also cover the tortillas with paper towels and pop them in the microwave at 15-second intervals until the desired temperature is reached.

I hope you enjoy this Roasted Peking Chicken Breasts recipe as much as I did.  What are some of your favorite recipes?  Tell me in the comments below!

Roast "Peking" Chicken

Tay M.
Good Housekeeping produced the All New Good Housekeeping Cookbook; which is one of my favorite cookbooks. They have a recipe for a whole Roast Peking Chicken. I decided to alter it, to better fit my needs.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Resting Time 10 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian Inspired
Servings 2 people
Calories 190 kcal

Equipment

  • Baking Rack
  • Saucepan small
  • Bowl small
  • Whisk or Wooden Spoon
  • Basting Brush

Ingredients
  

  • 2 ea Chicken Breasts Bone-in, skin-on
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp ginger fresh or paste
  • 2 ea garlic cloves
  • tsp ground red pepper cayenne
  • 4 ec flour tortillas
  • ¼ c hoisin sauce
  • 2 ec green onions green and white, each cut crosswise into thirds and sliced lengthwise into thin strips

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 450°F. Rinse with running cold water, then pat dry with paper towels
  • Place chicken on a rack in the sink, skin side up. Slowly pour 2 cups of boiling water over the chicken; turn the chicken over. Slowly pour 2 more cups over the back of the breasts. This step helps the fat render easier from the chicken meat. It also helps the skin get super crispy!
  • Place the chicken skin side up on a rack in a small roasting pan -roast chicken for 20 to 25 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine honey, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, garlic, and red pepper.
  • After the chicken has roasted for 20 to 25 minutes, brush with half of the honey glaze; roast for five more minutes. Brush with remaining glaze and roast about 5 minutes longer. Chicken is done when the temperature registers 165 with a thermometer.
  • Move to a warm plate and let rest for 10 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, warm tortillas per the directions. Remove roasting rack and skim off any excess fat. Add broth and water to roasting pan and bring to boil. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a whisk or wooden spoon to dissolve browned bits. Stir in hoisin sauce.

To Serve

  • Slice chicken and wrap in tortillas with hoisin-sauce mixture and green onions.
Keyword Asian Inspired, chicken, Peking

Introducing Tay Tastes Things

Hey guys! I’m thrilled to bring another segment to the TBPK blog: introducing Tay Tastes Things (TTT)!

After over four decades of life, I had a good handle on my likes and dislikes regarding culinary delights.  However, over the last ten years, I’ve noticed taste buds are changing.  Brussel sprouts, green beans, collard greens, spinach, and avocado have taken up space on my mental “Do Not Eat” list for as long as I remember.  Fast forward to the present, brussels sprouts, spinach, and green are among my favorite vegetables!

So, what changed my mind?  I can’t recall what provoked the ah-ha moment, which had me singing a new tune. In all honesty, the difference between like and dislike came down to preparation. As it turns out, mushy vegetables were the real culprit. I like the majority of my non-scratchy veggies cooked to still be likely crunchy, like my marinated green beans.  As soon as the veggies began to soften, I find my happy place.  When talking about the leafy greens, I prefer them raw like my Spinach Salad nine times out of ten.

Tay Tastes Things will focus on my adventures, trying new culinary delights to explain my culinary horizons further.  My goal is to try or retry five ingredients each week. “Ingredients” can be as simple as spices and seasonings to an elaborate dish featuring something new.

For October, I am committing to creating one meal each day. To that a step further, I will also be trying five new ingredients each week! When thinking about how I would add accountability, I came up with the idea for Tay Tastes Things!

I am very excited to bring this new segment to TBPK.  Look for all upcoming TTT blog posts each Sunday!

It is my hope you’ll join me in challenging your food beliefs.  Use the hashtag #PickyNoMore on your social media posts!

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