When you want to lower the amount of time it takes to roast a whole chicken, you’re going to want to buy a spatchcock chicken! Spatchcocking is when a chicken’s backbone is removed so the chicken lays flat. It’s pretty easy to find a spatchcock chicken at your local grocery store or butcher!
Roasted chicken is the perfect cool-weather dinner. It’s so homey and comforting and makes your kitchen smell fantastic. In the fall, I always have harissa paste in my fridge, which is a Tunisian (African) hot chili pepper paste. There are many variations of harissa paste but typically the paste is moderately spicy, containing a variety of roasted peppers and spices like garlic, coriander and caraway seeds, and a bit of olive oil. It typically comes in a little jar in the grocery store or at a specialty foods store. It’s also available on Amazon!
Not only is harissa roasted chicken absolutely delicious and fragrant, but it’s so easy. You basically stick the chicken on a pan and roast it for an hour, adding harissa paste to it towards the end. Does dinner get simpler than that?
Makes: for 4 people
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Total time: 1 hour and 30 minutes
The Ingredients
5-6 pound spatchcock chicken
24 ounces (about 3 cups) baby carrots (you can get rainbow or regular orange carrots!)
4 medium beets (you can use purple or golden beets!)
1 heaping tablespoon harissa paste, or more. This quantity is mild/medium heat!
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt
OPTIONAL: add 1 sliced sweet onion to the veggie mix.
OPTIONAL: add 1 teaspoon of dried tarragon to the veggies.
The Steps
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
For harissa: In a small bowl, combine harissa with ¼ cup olive oil. Set aside.
For veggie prep: Prep roasted veggies by placing baby carrots on a baking sheet. Add peeled and 1-inch cubed beets. Add sliced onion and dried tarragon if desired. Toss all veggies with about ¼ cup olive oil until just coated. Sprinkle with salt.
For roasting chicken and veggies: On a separate roasting pan or baking sheet, lay whole spatchcock chicken (with nothing on it!). Roast chicken for 50 minutes on middle rack. About 10 minutes after the chicken has gone in the oven, place veggies on lower rack.
After chicken has roasted for 50 minutes, lower oven temperature to 350 degrees. Use a basting brush or spoon to cover chicken completely with harissa/olive oil mixture. Roast chicken brushed with harissa for an additional 10 minutes, keeping veggies in oven as well.
Test chicken for doneness in a thick part of the chicken. Chicken should be 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Remove chicken and veggies from oven. Let chicken rest for 10 minutes. Serve carved with a side of roasted veggies.
TOTAL COOKING TIME: 1 hour for chicken, 45-50 minutes for veggies
The Steps with Pictures
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
For harissa: In a small bowl, combine harissa with ¼ cup olive oil. Set aside.
For veggie prep: Prep roasted veggies by placing baby carrots on a baking sheet. Add peeled and 1-inch cubed beets. Add sliced onion and dried tarragon if desired. Toss all veggies with about ¼ cup olive oil until just coated. Sprinkle with salt.
For roasting chicken and veggies: On a separate roasting pan or baking sheet, lay whole spatchcock chicken (with nothing on it!). Roast chicken for 50 minutes on middle rack. About 10 minutes after the chicken has gone in the oven, place veggies on lower rack.
After chicken has roasted for 50 minutes, lower oven temperature to 350 degrees. Use a basting brush or spoon to cover chicken completely with harissa/olive oil mixture. Roast chicken brushed with harissa for an additional 10 minutes, keeping veggies in oven as well.
Test chicken for doneness in a thick part of the chicken. Chicken should be 165 degrees Fahrenheit or slightly over.
Remove chicken and veggies from oven. Let chicken rest for 10 minutes. Serve carved with a side of roasted veggies.
TOTAL COOKING TIME: 1 hour for chicken, 45-50 minutes for veggies
