Quick Roasted Whole Chicken
1 pastured chicken (3 to 4 pounds (1814 g)), rinsed and patted dry
3 tablespoons (45 ml) ghee, softened
Zest of 1 lemon
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons (30 ml) minced fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Lemon pinwheels, for serving
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
- To spatchcock your chicken, lay it flat on a cutting board, breast side down. Using kitchen shears, cut along both sides of the backbone to remove it. (We suggest saving the backbone for use in making your own chicken stock!) Once the backbone has been removed, flip your chicken over and press down to flatten the bird. You may hear bones cracking, and that is totally normal.
- In a small bowl, combine the ghee, lemon zest, garlic and parsley. Carefully reach under the skin on the chicken breasts and thighs and massage in some of the ghee mixture throughout. Rub any remaining ghee mixture on the outside of the skin.
- Sprinkle the chicken all over with salt and pepper and place in a large ovenproof skillet (12 to 14 inches in diameter) or on a broiler pan.
- Place the chicken in the oven and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the chicken thigh meat registers 165°F (74°C) on a meat thermometer. Serve with lemon.
VARIATION: There are so many ways you can season the bird. Use whatever seasonings you most prefer and enjoy!
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This quick roasted whole chicken is spatchcocked - backbone removed, bird flattened - so it roasts in just 35-40 minutes instead of hours. Ghee massaged under the skin with lemon zest, garlic, and parsley keeps every piece juicy. The skin comes out shatteringly crisp.
Pro Tips
- Spatchcock the bird: cut out the backbone with kitchen shears, flip the chicken over, and press down firmly to flatten. The bones may crack - that is normal and exactly what you want.
- Save the backbone for stock. Homemade chicken stock is half the reward of roasting your own birds.
- Massage the ghee mixture under the skin over the breasts and thighs. Fat tucked under the skin bastes the meat from the inside as it roasts.
- Pat the chicken completely dry before seasoning. Dry skin is what crisps up in the 450°F oven.
- The bird is done when the thigh meat registers 165°F on a thermometer - and the seasoning is endlessly adaptable to whatever you prefer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does spatchcocking do for the chicken?
Flattening the bird exposes more skin to the oven's heat, so it roasts in 35-40 minutes with crisp skin and evenly cooked meat.
Is this roasted chicken paleo?
It is - just a pastured chicken, ghee, lemon zest, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper.
Can I use butter instead of ghee?
Ghee keeps the recipe dairy-free and has a higher smoke point, but softened butter works if you are not avoiding dairy.
How do I know when the chicken is fully cooked?
A meat thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh should read 165°F, and the juices should run clear when pierced.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste Lemon pinwheels, for serving
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- To spatchcock your chicken, lay it flat on a cutting board, breast side down.
- Using kitchen shears, cut along both sides of the backbone to remove it. (We suggest saving the backbone for use in making your own chicken stock!)
- Once the backbone has been removed, flip your chicken over and press down to flatten the bird. You may hear bones cracking, and that is totally normal.
- In a small bowl, combine the ghee, lemon zest, garlic and parsley. Carefully reach under the skin on the chicken breasts and thighs and massage in some of the ghee mixture throughout. Rub any remaining ghee mixture on the outside of the skin.
- Sprinkle the chicken all over with salt and pepper and place in a large ovenproof skillet (12 to 14 inches in diameter) or on a broiler pan.
- Place the chicken in the oven and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the chicken thigh meat registers 165°F on a meat thermometer.
- Serve with lemon. VARIATION: There are so many ways you can season the bird. Use whatever seasonings you most prefer and enjoy!
