I know claiming a recipe is “perfect” is pretty bold. And I openly admit this label is completely subjective on my part. But once I’ve landed on a recipe that I don’t feel needs any more tweaks, I’m inclined to call it perfect. And that’s where I’m at with this perfect herb-roasted chicken recipe.
The journey to my personal “perfect” roast chicken recipe was originally inspired by Ina Garten’s spatchcock chicken recipe (because of course it was). It was the first time I had ever tried spatchcocking a chicken and I never looked back. It cooks so much more evenly and in much less time compared to an un-spatchcocked chicken. Plus, it’s easier to get the flavors and seasonings into every nook and cranny when the chicken has been flattened first. I’ve been tweaking the recipe for a few years now and have finally landed on a simple, straightforward, go-to roast chicken recipe.
How To Make My Perfect Herb-Roasted Chicken Recipe
Unsurprisingly, you start with a whole chicken. I usually get a 3-4 pound chicken. Bigger or smaller would work, too. You’ll just have to adjust your cooking time. This general concept/method could also work with bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or breasts if you wanted. Again, you’d just have to keep an eye on the time.
Cooking the chicken on a bed of sliced onions is low effort and insanely good. The onions cook and caramelize in the drippings as the chicken cooks and become tender and sweet and savory and delicious. You can use any white or yellow onion for this recipe. I also like to add sliced fennel to the mix for some added flavor and interest. If you don’t have or don’t like fennel, feel free to skip it and use more sliced onion instead.
Personally, I think butter is the best fat to use for roasted chicken. But if you prefer, you could use olive oil or avocado oil.
For the herbs, I love the combination of sage and rosemary. Both of these complement chicken so nicely. I prefer to use fresh because the flavor tends to be much better than dried but you could certainly use dried in a pinch.
In addition to adding loads of perfect flavor to this roast chicken, regularly incorporating rosemary and sage into your dishes brings additional nourishing benefits…
- Rosemary is famously used for enhancing memory, plus it strengthens slow, stagnant digestion and brings relief during cold and flu season.
- Sage also has beneficial effects on memory and promotes digestion, especially for people who struggle to digest fats.
With colder weather making my body want to spend more time snuggled in my house (aka sedentary) and craving comfort foods, anything that gives my digestion a little extra support is more than welcome.
I’m pretty sure the original recipe I started with only called for a couple of garlic cloves. Frankly, that’s nowhere near enough in my opinion. I use six and, honestly, you could probably even throw a couple more in for good measure. Roasting it mellows the garlic’s bite and chicken can handle the extra flavoring.
Herbal Tip: Mince garlic and let it sit for 10-15 minutes before adding it to cooking. This triggers an enzyme reaction that allows garlic to retain its healing properties (like boosting the immune system, for example) even after it’s been cooked.
Adding wine (or chicken stock, if you prefer) to the dish near the end of cooking turns those caramelized onions into a delicious, jammy consistency that is absolute heaven when spooned over the cooked chicken. Or eaten straight out of the pan with a spoon, if that’s your thing. (It’s my thing.)
Some Recipe Notes
I always make this in an oven-safe skillet—either stainless steel or cast iron. Ten to 12 inches usually does the trick nicely. You could also use a casserole dish or a small roasting pan. The only catch is that you don’t want the onion base to dry out and overcook. So be sure to tuck them in snugly under the chicken and keep an eye on things. You may need to use a bit more wine and add it a bit earlier to keep things from drying out.
If you’ve never spatchcocked a chicken before, don’t be intimidated. So long as you have a strong, sharp pair of kitchen shears, it’s not hard at all. Basically, you’re cutting out the backbone from the chicken, then flipping it over and flattening it out. Check out Martha Stewart’s tutorial here for step-by-step guidance.
Perfect Herb-Roasted Spatchcock Chicken
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons butter softened
- 1 lemon zested and then sliced into rounds
- ¼ cup lightly packed fresh sage finely chopped
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary leaves removed and finely chopped
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1-2 onions depending on size
- 1 fennel bulb optional
- Whole chicken 3-4 pounds
- ½ cup dry white wine or chicken stock
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- In a small bowl, combine the softened butter, lemon zest, herbs, garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine and set aside.
- Halve the onions and remove the outer skin. Then slice each onion half into ½-inch slices. Spread evenly on the bottom of a 10- or 12-inch oven-safe skillet. Season with a bit of salt and pepper.
- Place lemon slices evenly on top of the onions.
- On a large cutting board, carefully cut along one side of the chicken’s backbone. Cut along the other side of the backbone to remove it completely. Flip the chicken over and flatten along the center of the breastbone with the heel of your hand. Pat the chicken dry.
- Carefully loosen the skin over the chicken breasts and thighs. Take about half of the butter mixture and spread it under the skin. You can distribute it by massaging the outside of the skin.
- Microwave the remaining butter mixture until it’s just melted. Brush half of the melted butter on the underside of the chicken.
- Place the chicken breast-side-up on the onions and brush with the remaining butter mixture.
- Place the chicken in the preheated oven and roast for 30 minutes. Carefully pour wine into the pan around the chicken, not on the chicken, and roast for an additional 15 minutes. Check the chicken with a meat thermometer at the thickest part of the thigh without touching the bone. The internal temperature should be 165°F.
- Remove chicken and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Resources: Alchemy of Herbs by Rosalee de la Foret
