Salt Baked Chicken
A chicken buried in three kilos of hot coarse salt and baked until it is cooked through by conducted heat alone. Hakka, and the salt is reusable.
Photograph credit: Salt-Baked Chicken Rice - Hakka Teahouse, Glen Waverley AUD9 lunch special by avlxyz · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Flickr · this resized copy is shared under the same licence
Method
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Rub the chicken inside and out with the wine, salt, chicken powder and white pepper, and push the ginger and spring onions into the cavity.
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Leave it uncovered in the fridge 2 hours to dry the skin.
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Wrap the chicken tightly in two layers of baking paper, tucking the ends under so no salt can get in.
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Heat the rock salt in a large dry casserole over high heat 15 minutes, stirring, until it is very hot and pours freely.
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Scoop out two thirds of the salt, set the wrapped chicken in the pot, and bury it completely with the salt you removed.
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Cover and bake at 200C fan / 220C / gas 7 for 75 minutes.
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Lift the parcel out, brush the salt off and let it rest 15 minutes before unwrapping.
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Mix the chopped ginger, spring onion and salt in a bowl and pour the smoking oil over.
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Tear the chicken into pieces by hand and serve with the sauce.
Chef’s Tips
- Wrap it properly. The salt is heat, not seasoning.
- Heat the salt until it pours freely before the chicken goes in.
- Tear it by hand. It stays juicier than carving.
Common Substitutions & Variations
- Out of spring onions? A small regular onion, finely sliced, or a few chives stirred in at the end both cover the job.
- A quarter-teaspoon of ground ginger per tablespoon of fresh is the standard ratio if you are working from the spice rack rather than a fresh root.
Pairing Suggestions
- Steamed rice
- Ginger scallion oil
- Blanched greens
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerated for 3 days. The salt can be cooled, sieved and reused several times.
Common questions
How long does Salt Baked Chicken take to make?
About 2 hours of hands-on work — 30 minutes of preparation and 1 hour 30 minutes of cooking — plus 2 hours of drying the skin uncovered in the fridge, so allow 4 hours from start to finish. The recipe serves 6.
What are the key tips for making Salt Baked Chicken?
Wrap it properly. The salt is heat, not seasoning. Heat the salt until it pours freely before the chicken goes in. Tear it by hand. It stays juicier than carving.
What should I serve with Salt Baked Chicken?
Steamed rice; Ginger scallion oil; Blanched greens.
How should Salt Baked Chicken be stored?
Refrigerated for 3 days. The salt can be cooled, sieved and reused several times.
Is Salt Baked Chicken suitable for a special diet?
This recipe is dairy-free, gluten-free, high-protein, low-carb, keto and no added sugar. Those labels are checked against the ingredient list, so a dish is only marked when nothing in it contradicts the claim.
How many calories are in Salt Baked Chicken?
About 500 kcal per serving, with 50 g protein, 3 g carbohydrate and 32 g fat. The figures are calculated from the ingredient list and are an estimate.
Nutritional Highlights
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.
Reader Reviews
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Written and tested by Turab
One person, one kitchen — no test kitchen, no team. How every recipe on this site is checked before it goes up.
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