Half Chicken Recipe

Prepare the chicken

Pat the half chicken dry thoroughly with paper towels. Dry skin helps it brown and crisp.

Make the marinade

In a small bowl combine 2 tbs olive oil, 1 tbs fresh lemon juice, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 tsp chopped rosemary, 1 tsp thyme, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1.25 tsp kosher salt, and 3 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Whisk until emulsified.

Marinate

Rub the marinade all over the chicken, under the skin where possible (gently loosen skin over the breast and thigh with your fingers and spread some marinade). Let rest at room temperature for 20–30 minutes or refrigerate up to 4 hours. If refrigerated, bring to room temperature for 20–30 minutes prior to roasting.

Preheat oven and prepare vegetables

Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Toss the quartered onion, carrot pieces, celery, and 3 smashed garlic cloves with 1 tbs olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Spread in an even layer in a roasting pan or ovenproof skillet.

Sear the chicken (optional but recommended)

Heat the pan over medium-high heat. Place the marinated chicken skin-side down and sear 3–4 minutes until the skin is well browned. Turn and sear the bone side 1–2 minutes. Remove chicken briefly and arrange the aromatics in the pan if you seared in a separate pan; otherwise leave chicken on top of the aromatics skin-side up.

Add stock and roast

Pour 120 ml chicken stock or water into the pan (around the vegetables, not over the skin). Transfer the pan to the preheated oven. Roast at 220°C (425°F) for 15 minutes to help brown the skin, then reduce oven temperature to 190°C (375°F) and continue roasting for another 25–35 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (not touching bone) reads 74°C (165°F). Total roast time typically 40–50 minutes depending on size.

Baste and monitor

Every 15 minutes brush pan juices over the skin to keep it moist and encourage browning. If skin is browning too quickly, tent loosely with foil.

Rest and finish

When the chicken reaches 74°C (165°F), remove the pan from the oven and transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Tent loosely with foil and rest for 10–12 minutes to let juices redistribute.

Finish and serve

While chicken rests, you can skim fat from pan juices and spoon some into a small saucepan with the melted butter. Warm briefly and stir in chopped parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice to make a simple pan sauce. Carve the half chicken into pieces and serve over the roasted aromatics with lemon wedges on the side. Spoon pan sauce over chicken to taste.