Whole Roasted Chicken Recipe

When it comes to chicken recipes, we don’t do bland here! Check out my chicken tagine, grilled spatchcock chicken and of course, saffron chicken to see what I mean. So there’s no question that when I started working on a whole oven roasted chicken recipe, there would be so much flavor involved. We’re talking a yogurt based marinade with spices and saffron plus a Persian inspired filling made with barberries and golden plums!

Now I want you to keep in mind that the filling is optional. The goal of this post is to show you how easy it is to roast a chicken at home without any specific skills or tools. With that in mind, let’s take a look at this detailed tutorial on how to roast chicken that will give you the juiciest most tender chicken every single time!

Tips For The Best Roast Chicken

• Season well: Make sure the marinade is well seasoned and if you’re not stuffing the chicken, make sure to season the cavity with salt and pepper.
• Truss: There are a few reasons to truss a chicken. First, you will have a beautifully roasted bird to present. Second, trussing will ensure even cooking and third, it will give you juicy meat since the air won’t circulate inside the cavity, drying out the bird. Trussing is a skill that you can master with a few tries.
• Use a thermometer: Nothing will determine if the bird is done as well as an instant read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the chicken thigh. It’s not an expensive tool and it will last you a long time.
• Let the chicken rest: By letting the chicken sit for 10-15 minutes before carving, you give it a chance to lock in the juices, resulting in tender meat.

Roast Chicken Ingredients

• Whole chicken: The chicken I used was about 5 pounds. Make sure the chicken is completely clean and dry on the inside and outside.
• Spices: You need a combination of onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, turmeric, salt and pepper.
• Saffron: You know I was about to bring my bloomed saffron into the equation, right? Here is the thing, you can leave saffron out if you don’t have it on hand, but please use it for this recipe if you have some. It’ll give the chicken that luxe bright flavor that cannot be found anywhere else.
• Olive oil: Some extra virgin olive oil to bring the marinade together.
• Yogurt: Just like my gyro and Greek chicken recipe, I use yogurt to tenderize the chicken as much as possible and keep it super juicy.
• Lemon: For some extra bright flavors, add freshly squeezed lemon juice.
• Onion and garlic: You need these for the filling as well as roasting the chicken.
• Walnuts, barberries and golden plums: These are used to make the filling. You can find barberries and golden plums online or Persian/Middle Eastern shops.
• Pomegranate molasses: To add a bit of tartness to the filling. You can make my homemade pomegranate molasses or purchase a bottle at Middle Eastern shops.
• Potatoes and carrots: Add some vegetables to the bottom of the pan to roast alongside the chicken.

How To Roast A Chicken

1. Prepare the marinade: In a bowl mix the olive oil, spices, bloomed saffron, lemon juice and yogurt and set it aside.
2. Prepare the chicken: Place the chicken on a sturdy board or on a baking sheet. Gently separate the skin from the meat on the breast. Take some of the marinade and spread it all over the chicken. Using your hands, rub the rest of the marinade under the skin.
3. Make the filling: Sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil. Add in the bell pepper followed by the turmeric, salt and pepper. Then add the walnuts, barberries, golden plums and pomegranate molasses. Give it a final stir and turn the heat off.
4. Stuff the chicken: Using a spoon, stuff the cavity of the chicken with the filling. Now truss the chicken using kitchen twines (full tutorial below). Trussing is not necessary, but it helps the chicken cook evenly. You can also simply tuck the wings underneath and tie the legs if preferred.
5. Final touches: Fill a cast iron skillet or roasting pan with vegetables such as potatoes, onions, garlic and carrots. Place the chicken on the vegetables and finish with a few sprigs of rosemary or thyme or some parsley if desired.
6. Roast and serve: Roast the chicken in the oven at 400 degrees F for about an hour and 40 minutes until the instant thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the chicken thigh reads 165 degrees F.

How Long To Roast A Chicken

Roasting time varies depending on the size of the chicken, whether or not it’s stuffed and the oven heat. It usually takes about 20 minutes per lb to roast a whole chicken that’s been stuffed. Keep in mind that it takes less time to roast the chicken if the bird is not stuffed.

How To Truss A Chicken

Trussing a chicken is a lot easier than what you might think. Not only it helps with beautiful presentation, trussing a chicken also ensures that the legs and wings don’t burn and that the bird cooks evenly, meaning the breast will stay juicy and tender. Here is how to truss a chicken:

• Cut about 3 feet of kitchen twin. Place the twin under the chicken below the wings and hold one end up in each hand.
• Bring each end over the thigh joint and under the legs.
• Cross the twine and pull to close the legs.
• Bring each end under the legs one more time.
• Tie the twine tightly and cut any excess.
• Finally, tuck the wings under the bird. The chicken is ready to be roasted now.

What To Serve With Roasted Chicken

While there are some veggies that will be roasted with the chicken, I always like to whip up a few sides to go with this comfort dinner as well. Some of our favorites are olive oil mashed potatoes, Persian tahdig, sauteed spinach, spanakorizo, Turkish tomato salad and Mediterranean roasted cauliflower salad.

Leftovers and Reheating

To store the leftovers, cut the chicken into pieces, store them in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. You can cut the chicken into bite size pieces or remove the bones if needed.

To freeze, it’s best to separate the bones and transfer the meat to a freezer safe container or a freezer bag. You can freeze roasted chicken for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.

To reheat the leftovers, place them in an oven-safe dish, cover with aluminum foil and heat in the oven at 300 degrees F for about 20 minutes or until it’s completely heated through.

There are many ways to use up the leftovers chicken, here are a few ideas:

• Sandwich: Use up the leftovers to make my favorite chicken pesto sandwich!
• Pizza: Top your Mediterranean pizza or quick flatbread with leftover chicken.
• Salad: You can add leftover chicken as protein to Mediterranean salad or orzo salad to make them into a complete meal.
• Soup: Use leftover chicken to make lemon chicken soup or avgolemono. You can also add it to my favorite mushroom barley soup.

Frequently Asked Questions

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