Chicken Sajji
چکن سجی
Sajji comes from Balochistan, where whole lambs and chickens are skewered and stood upright around an open fire, seasoned with little more than salt, and left to roast slowly for hours. The result is simple and surprisingly rich: crisp, salty skin and meat that tastes of the fire. This home version uses a whole chicken, a short marinade and indirect heat on the grill, with an oven method if you don't have one.
- ⏱ Total: 1 hr 35 min
- Prep: 20 min
- Cook: 1 hr 15 min
- Medium
- Serves 4
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Pat the chicken dry. With a sharp knife, make deep cuts across the breast, thighs and legs so the seasoning reaches the meat. Tuck the wing tips behind the back.
Mix the salt, lemon juice, ginger, garlic, black pepper, chili powder (if using) and oil. Rub it all over the chicken and into the cuts. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
Light the coals and push them to one side of the grill so you have a hot side and a cool side. Skewer the chicken lengthways with a long, sturdy skewer.
Roast the chicken on the cool side of the grill, away from direct flames, turning every 10 minutes, for 60–75 minutes. It's done when the juices from the thickest part of the thigh run clear.
Move it over the hot coals for the last 5 minutes, turning, to crisp and colour the skin.
Rest the chicken for 10 minutes, sprinkle with chaat masala and serve with naan, raita and salad.
Kitchen notes
Oven method: roast on a rack over a tray at 200°C for 60–70 minutes, turning once halfway, then grill under the top heat for 3–4 minutes to crisp the skin.
Use a meat thermometer if you have one: the thickest part of the thigh should reach 75°C.
A dish from the open fire
Sajji belongs to the Baloch tradition of cooking outdoors. On long journeys and at gatherings, lambs or chickens would be threaded onto wooden skewers, planted in the ground around a fire and left to roast slowly in the heat, rather than directly over the flames. Today sajji has spread across Pakistan, and roadside sajji houses along the highways and in Quetta, Karachi and Lahore serve it by the whole bird.
Slow, indirect heat
The most important thing about sajji is patience. The chicken should cook in the heat beside the coals, not over them, which renders the fat slowly and keeps the meat juicy while the skin dries and browns. Only at the end does it go over direct heat to crisp up. Rush it over hot coals and you get a burnt outside and a raw middle.
Keep the seasoning simple
This is not a dish to hide under masala. Salt, lemon, garlic and pepper are enough; the flavour should come from the smoke and the slow roasting. Cutting deep slashes into the meat lets the salt penetrate and helps the thick parts cook evenly.
Serving
Sajji is usually brought to the table whole and pulled apart by hand. Serve it with naan or the Balochi flatbread known as kaak, kheera raita, lemon wedges and a simple kachumber salad. For a Karachi-style feast, stuff it with yakhni pulao as described in the FAQ.
Questions people ask
Is real sajji just salt?
Traditional Balochi sajji is seasoned with little more than salt and sometimes a little raw papaya. City restaurants add lemon, garlic and spices, which is what this recipe does. Leave the chili out for a more traditional taste.
What is sajji stuffed with rice?
In Karachi, sajji is often stuffed with spiced rice before roasting. Cook a half quantity of yakhni pulao, cool it, pack it into the cavity and secure it with toothpicks, then add 10–15 minutes to the roasting time.
Can I use chicken pieces instead of a whole bird?
Yes. Leg quarters work best. Marinate them the same way and roast for 35–45 minutes on the cool side of the grill.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 475
- Protein
- 45 g
- Fat
- 32 g
- Carbs
- 2 g
