Butterflied Spiced Roast Chicken

7 Feb

Preparation time: 60-80 minutes + overnight marination | Serves: 4-6 people

Whenever anyone asks me about my go-to recipe for hosting, my answer is always a simple roast chicken, perfectly cooked and paired with a whole bunch of dips, salads and breads to bulk it up.

Why you’ll love this Roast Chicken Recipe -
A good roast chicken recipe is like a wildcard in your pocket, it’s a crowd-pleaser, versatile and cheap. Once you nail the technique, you can set and forget it in the oven while you’re prepping the rest of the meal.

I also like to butterfly my chicken as it reduces the cooking time significantly. You can use a whole roast chicken (I’ve included a recipe below) or even swap to boneless chicken thighs or breasts, or chicken drumsticks in a pinch - just remember to adjust the cooking time.

See more suggestions and tips in the recipe notes below.

Ingredients

1kg whole chicken
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground fennel
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp mixed herbs (rosemary & oregano)
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
Half a lemon
2 tbsps olive oil
1 onion
4-5 cloves garlic
Few sprigs thyme
Salt, as needed

Method

Butterfly the chicken and place it in a deep bowl.
Mix the dried spices and herbs, lemon juice (save the peel), molasses, oil and salt until it forms a paste.
Rub the chicken with the marinade (reserve 1 tbsp) and set aside to marinate for up to 4 hours or overnight.
Take the chicken out at least 40 mins before cooking.
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Place chicken in a baking dish (I prefer a large skillet pan) and stuff the cavity with the lemon, onion, garlic and thyme.
Roast for 30 mins, baste with the leftover paste, and roast for an additional 30-40 mins or till cooked through.
Pop under the grill for 10 minutes before serving to get that extra crispy skin.
Serve straight out of the oven with your choice of sides.

RECIPE NOTES

Swaps, Serves & Storage

Can I make this chicken without butterflying it?
Yes, you can make this chicken without butterflying it but adjust the cooking time. Cover the chicken with a foil and roast for atleast an hour at 160ºC. Uncover, baste and roast for an additional 30-40 minutes at 180ºC. Grill for the last 10 minutes before serving.
Can I use a different cut of chicken?
You can use the same marinade for chicken breasts, chicken thighs or drumsticks. Remember to adjust the cooking time accordingly,
What can I use instead of pomegranate molasses?
You can use honey instead of pomegranate molasses in the recipe.
How long can I store leftover chicken?
You can store the chicken in the fridge for up to 5 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Tips & Tricks

Butterflying the chicken - Butterflying the chicken is a a great hack for when you want to reduce the cooking time of a whole chicken. Here’s a link to an easy tutorial on how to do it. I like to freeze the backbone for my homemade chicken stock.
Do I have to marinate the chicken?
While my recipe calls for marinating the chicken overnight, in a pinch, you can skip that step and simply baste it a few more times while cooking. It’s also a great meal prep option– perfect for making wraps, pairing with salads or anything else you would use a rotisserie chicken for.