Here’s a recipe for roasted chicken with a twist—a crispy crust made by patting the bird with a generous amount of grated Parmesan. We spatchcocked the chicken by removing the backbone and flattening it, for more even and faster cooking. Then it’s roasted atop aromatics for a quick one-dish weeknight meal. Be sure to scoop out the garlic for spreading on the chicken—or crusty bread served alongside.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 2 hr 20 min |
| Active: | 20 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme, plus 3 large sprigs
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary, plus two large sprigs
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 lemon, cut into 4 wedges
- 1 medium onion, cut into 6 wedges
- 1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise through the center
- 2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
- One 3 1/2-to-4-pound whole chicken
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Instructions
- Combine the minced thyme, minced rosemary, 1 tablespoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Scatter the herb sprigs, lemon and onion wedges, garlic and carrots in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Using poultry shears, cut along both sides of the backbone to remove it. Open the chicken breast-side up and press firmly in the center of the breast to flatten. Sprinkle the salt mixture over both sides of the chicken. Place the chicken on top of the aromatics in the baking dish, tucking the wing tips under, and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
- When ready to roast, position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F.
- Drizzle the chicken with the olive oil and sprinkle all over with the Parmesan. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into a thigh reaches 165 degrees F, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the chicken rest for 15 minutes before carving. Serve on a platter with the roasted carrots, lemon, onion and garlic.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 790 |
| Total Fat | 54 g |
| Saturated Fat | 15 g |
| Carbohydrates | 14 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 3 g |
| Protein | 60 g |
| Cholesterol | 225 mg |
| Sodium | 1265 mg |
Reviews
Delicious! I’ve made it twice, and the second time I used garlic powder sprinkled over the veggies and mixed with the salt and herbs instead of the head of garlic. TDoes anyone else feel like the garlic cloves in the original recipe were awkward to eat due to the peeling still being on them? Oh, and I’ve added potatoes both times after another reviewer suggested it.
My family absolutely loves this dinner! When you put it on the table everyone thinks you are a master chef and it is so easy!
This is a great recipe, I used dried time, otherwise I followed the directions, timing was correct, chicken juicy and the outside was crispy, my family loved it.
Clean you chicken! Awesome recipe!
Very tasty, very succulent. Added small potatoes to the pan also. Love that more surface area of the chicken touches the lemons and herbs so has more flavor infused (and cooks faster!)
Beautiful & Delicious!
Probably the best roasted chicken I have ever made. Definitely the most evenly cooked. I did add more carrots, then I made sure they were under the chicken when it was cooking. I surrounded the carrots with the remaining vegetables and lemon quarters, creating a wall. The carrots were perfect as was the chicken. While the chicken was seasoning, I put the back in a saucepan, seasoned, and covered with water. Made gravy to go with it.
Good but not great. Despite all of the seasoning and salt, I found it bland except for the Parmesan flavor.
I tried this chicken recipe for something different as a roasted change. It was moist and very flavorful. The parmesan cheese gives it a salty and nutty flavor, herbs add earthiness and lemon adds moist composition. I will make it again.
Absolutely easy and so moist and delicious. The mix of rosemary and lemon are perfect for chicken.