Herb Marinated Roast Chicken

I have been making this Herb Marinated Roast Chicken for years and it comes out perfect every single time. Besides being delicious, this recipe is ridiculously easy and super versatile.

Another secret to this juicy herb marinated roast chicken is the way in which I butcher it. I prefer to spatchcock my chicken. This simply means removing the back and flattening it. Doing this ensures even cooking and it cooks faster! You can totally roast this chicken whole but If you are intrigued and would like to try to spatchcock a bird, click here for a step by step tutorial from The Spruce Eats.

Mise En Place

Heres what we’re going to need to make this delicious herb marinated roast chicken.

Equipment:

• Bowl to marinate chicken
• ziplock bag or air tight container to store marinated chicken
• Sheet pan to roast chicken
• cutting board and knife to cut herbs and mince garlic or just use a food processor

Ingredients:

• 4-5 pound chicken. -Buy the best chicken you can afford. Good quality meat tastes different…good different;-)
• Cilantro. -Leafy herb also known as coriander, some of you are shocked I know lol. no worries so was I. it has a deep smoky lemony limey taste.
• Garlic. -Pungent and spicy. Taste mellows out with cooking.
• Cumin. -Dried seed of the plant, can be used ground or whole. Its earthy and very aromatic.
• Coriander. -Seed of the plant. This recipe calls for ground coriander. if you have whole seeds, toast them first then grind them.
• Crushed red pepper. -Adds slight heat, completely optional.
• Lemons. – Essential for the marinade and for serving. Compliments all the herbs and spices really well.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil. – Used in the marinade for flavor and it helps with the beautiful brown color when roasting.
• Kosher Salt and Black Pepper.- Necessary flavor enhancers. The salt Seasons and tenderizes chicken, while the pepper adds a different layer of heat.

Let’s make Herb Marinated Roast Chicken!

This recipe is super easy! Once you get this recipe down pact, feel free to experiment and use different herbs and spices. A good rule of thumb for beginners is to use herbs and spices that are in the same family. You can’t go wrong with that. Need to know, what plants and spices go together? Google it! Google is a great resource.. use it;-)

First up we chop up the herbs and garlic and mix it with the spices and oil. Taste the marinade before you use it on the chicken. After will be too late. The marinade should be a little salty.

The chicken needs to marinate for at least 2 hours, overnight is best. This part is important, so do not skip it. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator half hour before you plan on roasting it. This lets the chicken come up to room temp and it will cook evenly. Heres another chef tip for you. Take some lemons and cut them half and roast them alongside the chicken during the last 5-10 minutes. When ready to serve squeeze the warm, slightly tart lemon juice all over the chicken. Its sooo good, trust me. Serve with Perfectly Fluffy White Rice and a salad for a complete meal.

One last tidbit before we actually get to Cookin. Chicken needs to be cooked to an internal temp of 165F. The only accurate way to gauge this is by using a thermometer. If you don’t have a thermometer then the juices should run clear when pricked near the thigh bone. That means you should not see blood. Blood is no bueno!

Not making it today? Prep it.

This recipe is easy to prep ahead, its actually beneficial to make this in advance.

1. Wash, thoroughly dry and properly store your herbs the day you buy them. This is a huge time saver.
2. Spatchcock the chicken and marinate it the day before you want to make it. No more than 2 days though. Unless you freeze it properly (freezer safe ziplock) .. it’ll be good for 3 months

Herb Marinated Roast Chicken

Yield: serves 5-6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Additional Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

An herbaceous and galicky marinade is the key to making this delicious Roast Chicken.

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Ingredients

• 3.5-4.5 pound chicken, butterflied (optional)
• cilantro, Handful, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper 
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 Tbsp kosher salt 
• 2 tsp ground black pepper 
• 1/2-2/3 cups Extra virgin olive oil
• Lemons and limes for serving, optional 

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients for the marinade (except for the last one- lemons and limes) .
2. Slather the marinade all over the chicken, get all up under the skin, you want the marinade to touch all parts, including the legs and thighs. Let it marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for at least 2 hours. Overnight is always best.
3. Take the chicken out of the fridge 30 minutes to up to 1 hour before you plan to cook.. room temp chicken will cook evenly every single time.
4. Take everything out of your oven, you know who you are 😉 and preheat to 375 degrees F
5. Place the chicken, marinade and all on a sheet pan and transfer to the oven. Roast for about 1 hour no more than 1.5 hours. Optional- slice the lemons and roast with the chicken for the last 5-10 minutes. The chicken is done when the juices run clear after being pricked with a knife near the thigh bone. If you have a thermometer it should read 165F
6. Let the chicken rest, for at least 5-10 minutes before you cut it up and serve. Squeeze the roasted lemon juice over the chicken.
7. Enjoy!
   

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 2
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 324Total Fat: 22gSodium: 110mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 2gSugar: 1gProtein: 146g

nutrition information is not always accurate