Craving something other than turkey on Thanksgiving? Then try this whole roasted chicken – it's the perfect alternative! Seasoned with easy ingredients like thyme and rosemary, and dry brined to achieve moist and flavorful meat. The chicken is spatchcocked, to get a quicker roast with delicious crispy skin! Serve this easy prep main course with all of your favorite Thanksgiving sides!
In my family, we usually do two Thanksgiving celebrations, one huge one where a big turkey is a must for a party of 20, and one smaller one for my family of four. I like to roast a whole chicken for our smaller Thanksgiving meal, which cooks to perfection in under an hour and a half when spatchcocked.
Spatchcocking is a technique where the backbone of the bird is removed, allowing it to be laid flat when roasting for quicker and more even cooking. The end result is a super moist chicken with that yummy golden skin that everyone loves.
This recipe also makes for a great one-pan meal by cooking the bird with potatoes, carrots, onions and garlic!
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Ingredients
Whole Chicken - I am using a 4-5 pound chicken.
Herbs and seasoning - For Thanksgiving flavors, use thyme and rosemary with salt for dry brining.
Butter – To rub on the skin when roasting for a nice, golden color.
For the roasted vegetables, you can use root vegetables of your choice. Potatoes and carrots are easy and cook well with the chicken.
Red onion and garlic are great herbs to flavor the vegetables and taste so great with the chicken when roasted.
Instructions
1). To spatchcock the chicken, locate the backbone. Using kitchen scissors, cut the right side of the backbone from the tail to neck, following about an inch or so from the center of the back.
2). Repeat on the left side.
3). Remove the backbone and save it for later use (such as gravy, au jus, broth).
4). Turn the chicken over, with the skin side facing up. Use the heel of your hands, apply pressure on the upper middle of the breast bone to break it on each side. You may hear a small crack.
5). Spread the chicken out flat. Pat the seasoning thoroughly on both sides of the chicken and let it dry brine, uncovered overnight in the refrigerator, or up to two days.
6). When ready to cook add the seasoned vegetables to the sheet pan and roast with the chicken at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 60 minutes. To brown the chicken and crisp up the skin, add 1 tablespoon of butter onto the skin and spread it evenly. Put it under the broiler for about 10-15 minutes.
Serve with my refreshing Thanksgiving fruit salad and fresh green bean casserole!
Pro Tips
- Using a meat thermometer, take the temperature at the thickest part of the breast meat, making sure it is 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Dry brining the chicken will help achieve flavorful and moist chicken meat.
- Spatchcocking the chicken will help it cook more evenly, ensuring the breast and thigh meat reaches a safe minimum temperature at the same time.
- By laying the chicken flat, you can roast a whole bird much quicker!
Frequently Asked Questions
No, don't cover it, you want the skin exposed to the hot air so it turns nice and golden brown.
No, for this recipe the chicken is laying flat on the roasting pan, you definitely don't want water touching your dry-brined bird!
The best thing you can do to prevent meat from drying out is to not overcook it. Invest in a decent meat thermometer, and after 45 minutes, check the temperature in the thickest part of the breast. The chicken is done when it reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit in the breast.
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Thanksgiving Roasted Chicken
Equipment
- 1 roasting sheet pan
Ingredients
- 5 pound whole chicken
Chicken seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt if using table salt, use half the amount
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon butter
For the vegetables
- 1 ½ pounds baby potatoes, washed and scrubbed
- 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 red onion, peeled and cut into 1 inch thick slices
- 1 bulb garlic, peeled and smashed
- 1 tablesoon olive oil
- kosher salt, to taste
- ground pepper, to taste
Instructions
- To spatchcock the chicken, locate the backbone. Using kitchen scissors, cut the right side of the backbone from the tail to neck, following about an inch or so from the center of the back. Repeat on the left side.
- Remove the backbone.
- Turn the chicken over, with the skin side facing up. Use the heel of your hands, apply pressure on the upper middle of the breast bone to break it on each side. You may hear a small crack.
- Thoroughly pat the chicken dry on both sides with paper towels.
- In a small bowl, combine the thyme, rosemary, pepper and kosher salt.
- Pat the seasoning mixture to both sides of the chicken.
- Spread the chicken out flat, skin side up on the roasting pan. Cut the wing tip off or tuck it behind the chicken. This prevents the wing from drying out and burning when roasting.
- Place the chicken in the fridge, uncovered overnight or up to 2 days.
- When ready to cook, preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a large bowl, mix the olive oil, salt, pepper, smashed garlic, onion, carrots and potatoes together.
- Spread the seasoned vegetables on to the sheet pan with the chicken.
- Place the chicken on the middle rack of the oven uncovered and roast for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, check the temperature for doneness. Insert a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the breast, it's done when it reaches 165 degrees F in the breast, and 175 F in the thighs. Roast for 15 -20 more minutes as needed until it reaches 165 F in the breast.
- To brown the chicken and crisp up the skin, add 1 tablespoon of butter onto the skin and spread it evenly. Put it under the broiler for about 10 to 15 minutes or until it reaches a golden brown color to liking.
- Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes. Cut and serve.
Notes
- Cooking time varies depending on the weight of the chicken.
- Dry brining the chicken will help achieve flavorful and moist chicken meat
- Spatchcocking the chicken will help it cook more evenly, ensuring the breast and thigh meat reaches a safe minimum temperature at the same time.
- By laying the chicken flat, you can roast the chicken much quicker!
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