Balsamic rosemary roasted chicken and yams is one-pot comfort at its most fragrant: browned chicken pieces roasted over rosemary sprigs, sweet yams, red onion, and garlic, with a glug of aged balsamic tying it all together. The covered bake keeps the chicken succulent, then a final broil crackles the skin. Sweet, savory, and complete in a single Dutch oven.
SERVES 4
The balsamic vinegar balances out this one-pot meal by adding the perfect hint of sweetness and acidity. I recommend using a high-quality balsamic vinegar for the best results.
INGREDIENTS
1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
sea salt and pepper
2 tbsp/30 g ghee
1 red onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp/30 ml balsamic vinegar, preferably an aged, syrupy variety
3 yams, peeled and chopped
2 sprigs rosemary
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 400°F/204°C. Heat a large Dutch oven or a heavy-bottomed, oven-safe pan over medium heat. Generously salt and pepper the chicken. Add 2 tbsp/30 g of ghee to the pan.
Add the chicken to the pan, skin side down. When the skin releases easily, after about 5 minutes, flip and brown the other side for about 3 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate. Add the onions and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the balsamic vinegar and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to get up any brown bits. Turn the heat off the pan. Add the yams and toss with the onion mixture. Generously salt and pepper the mixture. Lay the sprigs of rosemary on top of the yams. Place your browned chicken on top of the rosemary. Cover the pan with a lid and bake for 45 minutes. Turn your oven from bake to broil. Remove the lid and broil for 10 minutes or until your chicken skin is nice and crispy but not burned. Discard rosemary sprigs.
Pro Tips
- Brown the chicken skin-side down until it releases on its own — about 5 minutes. If it sticks, it isn't ready to flip and won't crisp properly later.
- Use an aged, syrupy balsamic if you can; its natural sweetness and thickness glaze the yams far better than thin supermarket vinegar.
- The rosemary sprigs lay directly under the chicken so their oils steam up into the meat during the covered bake — discard them before serving.
- Turn the oven from bake to broil for the final 10 minutes with the lid off; that's what transforms soft skin into proper crackling.
- Salt the yam-onion mixture generously before the chicken goes back on — the potatoes need more seasoning than the meat does.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use sweet potatoes instead of yams?
Yes — in most US stores what's labeled 'yam' is actually a sweet potato, so the substitution is essentially automatic. Any firm orange-fleshed variety roasts perfectly here.
How do I keep the chicken skin crispy?
The 10-minute broil at the end is essential. If your broiler runs hot, watch closely — the difference between crackling and burned is about 60 seconds.
Can I use chicken pieces instead of a whole chicken?
Absolutely — eight cut-up pieces are exactly what the recipe calls for. Thighs and drumsticks are the most forgiving; breasts are done a little sooner.
Does this recipe keep well?
Leftovers refrigerate for three days. Reheat uncovered in the oven so the skin re-crisps rather than steaming soft under foil.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- COOKING INSTRUCTIONS Preheat oven to 400°F/204°C.
- Heat a large Dutch oven or a heavy-bottomed, oven-safe pan over medium heat. Generously salt and pepper the chicken.
- Add 2 tbsp/30 g of ghee to the pan.
- Add the chicken to the pan, skin side down.
- When the skin releases easily, after about 5 minutes, flip and brown the other side for about 3 minutes.
- Transfer chicken to a plate.
- Add the onions and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the balsamic vinegar and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to get up any brown bits.
- Turn the heat off the pan.
- Add the yams and toss with the onion mixture. Generously salt and pepper the mixture. Lay the sprigs of rosemary on top of the yams.
- Place your browned chicken on top of the rosemary.
- Cover the pan with a lid and bake for 45 minutes.
- Turn your oven from bake to broil.
- Remove the lid and broil for 10 minutes or until your chicken skin is nice and crispy but not burned.
- Discard rosemary sprigs.
