Chicken Sajji
A whole bird, restrained spice, patient heat.
- Marinade
- 4 to 12 hours
- Prep + cook
- 20 + 75 min
- Safe temp
- 74°C
- Yield
- 1 kg whole bird, 3 to 4 modest servings
A Balochi-style home version of whole chicken sajji, keeping the seasoning simple so the roast chicken stays central. This is an oven or covered outdoor-grill adaptation, not a claim to reproduce a traditional open-fire sajji setup. Quantities are for a 1 kg cleaned, unstuffed bird; scale seasoning for its actual weight.
Cook mode
Tick off ingredients and steps beside the grill. Tries to keep your screen awake.
Marinade timer
Recipe range: 4 to 12 hours, in the fridge. Defaults to the recipe minimum. A timer is a reminder, not a check of food safety or doneness.
Runs only in this browser. It will not ring or notify you, and phones may pause background tabs; the deadline is kept on this device so reopening the page shows the right time. Always marinate in the fridge, never on the counter.
Method
- 1
Thaw completely in the fridge. Remove the giblets, pat the chicken dry with disposable kitchen paper and do not wash raw poultry. Keep the cavity empty. Weigh the bird and scale the seasoning if it is not 1 kg.
- 2
Mix the salt, lemon, oil, cumin, pepper and optional garlic. Rub over the outside and inside the cavity with clean hands, then cover and refrigerate for 4 to 12 hours at 4°C or below.
- 3
For the oven, preheat to 200°C conventional or 180°C fan. Set the chicken breast-up on a rack in a roasting tray. Loosely tie the legs only if your cooking method needs it; keep the cavity open to heat.
- 4
Roast for roughly 60 to 80 minutes for a 1 kg bird, beginning temperature checks at 55 minutes. Larger birds take longer. If the skin browns before the centre is ready, tent loosely with foil and continue cooking.
- 5
For an outdoor covered grill, arrange an indirect cooking zone with a drip tray and maintain roughly 190 to 200°C under the lid. Keep the bird away from direct flames, rotate the tray as needed and allow about 70 to 90 minutes, checking with a thermometer rather than trusting the clock.
- 6
Probe the thickest breast and innermost thigh and wing without touching bone. Continue cooking until all checked areas reach 74°C. Transfer to a clean board, rest about 10 minutes for carving, then serve. Do not use raw marinade as a finishing sauce.
74°C
Safe internal temperature
Whole chicken must reach 74°C in the thickest breast and innermost thigh and wing, without touching bone. Check more than one spot; a browned surface is not a safety test. Times above are estimates; a probe thermometer is the only reliable check.
USDA safe temperature chartPitmaster notes
- Keep this sajji-style seasoning restrained; a yoghurt-heavy tikka coating is a different preparation.
- Do not pack rice into the cavity. Cook rice separately so the whole bird can cook evenly.
- Use only an outdoor grill outdoors, away from doors, windows and air intakes. Never bring lit or cooling coals inside for warmth or smoke flavour.
- Serve promptly, or hold the cooked meat at 60°C or above. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, or within 1 hour if conditions exceed 32°C.
On the table
- Naan
- Separately cooked rice
- Lemon wedges
- Onion salad
Questions people ask
Is this traditional pit-roasted sajji?
It is a Balochi-style home adaptation with simple seasoning and a whole unstuffed bird. An oven or covered grill does not recreate every part of a traditional open-fire sajji setup.
Can I use a larger chicken?
Yes. Scale the seasoning by the raw bird weight, allow extra cooking time and check the breast, thigh and wing all reach 74°C. Cooking time does not scale in a straight line with weight.
Can I add a hot coal indoors for smoke?
No. Never burn charcoal or bring lit or cooling coals indoors. Cook with a suitable indoor oven, or keep the entire outdoor-grill setup outdoors.
Complete the menu
Goes well with
Naan for tikka and kebabs
Explore naan to serve alongside your BBQ on our sister site, doubleroti.si.