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    Homepage » Recipes

    Roasted Half Chicken

    Published: Aug 6, 2020 · Modified: Aug 6, 2020 This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads · 13 Comments

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    Roasted Half Chicken Recipe

    A simple roasted half chicken that is packed with flavors. The half chicken is oven-roasted to perfection, seasoned with homemade lemon thyme spice rub! Golden brown on the outside, tender, and juicy on the inside.

    Today, I'll be sharing one of my favorite chicken recipes. This roasted half chicken is easy to prepare and make. Perfect for stress-free weeknight meals. It’s entirely done in one sheet pan or a skillet! A very comforting and hearty meal that your family will enjoy!

    Roasted Half Chicken

    This roasted half chicken is seasoned well with a very basic seasoning blend of fresh lemon juice, paprika, thyme, garlic, and, peppercorn. Simple seasoning, yet the flavorful chicken result that we all crave.

    To make it a full meal, the chicken is roasted together with some baby potatoes. So delicious that even a picky eater will enjoy this dish!

    Now, let's talk about the preparation and cooking methods.

    Jump to:
    • How to Prepare the Whole Chicken for Roasting:
    • The Benefits of Cutting Chicken in Half: 
    • How to Halve the Chicken:
    • Season the Half Chicken:
    • How to Roast Half Chicken:
    • Roasted Half Chicken

    Flavorful Roasted Half Chicken

    How to Prepare the Whole Chicken for Roasting:

    • First, you need to remove the giblet if there is one inside the chicken cavity. Freeze the giblet to make gravy, sauce, or stock.
    • Second, pat the chicken dry with paper towels. As far as rinsing or not rinsing, you can make a decision based on the CDC recommendation on how to handle chicken safely to avoid food poisoning here.
    • Third, halve the chicken.
    • Fourth, rub the chicken with the seasoning blend. Marinating is an optional step. I personally marinated the chicken for about 30 minutes to enhance the flavor.
    Half Chicken

    The Benefits of Cutting Chicken in Half: 

    1. Faster cooking time 

    2. Crispier skin and juicier meat 

    3. It's cheaper to buy a whole chicken and cut it in half than buying pre-cut 

    4. You can use the backbones to make a stock 

    How to Halve the Chicken:

    First, you will need a 4-pound whole chicken to make this recipe. Here's how to halve the chicken:

    • First, place the chicken breast-side down. With the tip of a sharp knife or a pair of sharp kitchen scissors cut along both sides of the cartilage at the end of the breastbone, then remove the cartilage (similar to spatchcocked).
    • Second, make sure that the skin is evenly distributed across the front of the bird.  Cut lengthwise down the center of the chicken to split it into halves.
    • Last, don't throw away the backbone. You can use it to make chicken stock, so be sure to freeze it for later use.
    Roasted Half Chicken

    Season the Half Chicken:

    First, make the spice rub by combining the fresh lemon juice, thyme, peppercorn, paprika, oil, garlic, and kosher salt. After that, spread the seasoning blend all over the chicken.

    Baked Chicken with Lemon Thyme

    How to Roast Half Chicken:

    To roast the half chicken, you will need a baking dish, roasting rack, or oven-safe skillet. In this recipe, I used an enameled skillet.

    My favorite way to cook the chicken is to roast it at a high temperature. This method always works wonders, resulting in crisp skin, juicier meat, caramelized juices, and intense flavors.

    Roasted Half Chicken

    Here are some steps to follow:

    • Place the chicken, breast side up in an oven-safe skillet or baking pan and cook in the oven at 500°F for 15 minutes to get that nice golden brown color on the skin. Baste the chicken once.
    • Remove the skillet or baking dish from the oven, then use those drippings to brush the chicken. Basting helps keep the meat moist and adds flavor. Don't worry, the chicken skin will stay nice and crisp.
    • Cut the potatoes into smaller pieces, and place them onto the bottom of the pan then transfer the pan to the oven.
    • Reduce the temperature to 425°F and cook for about 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked (a thermometer inserted into the thigh should ideally register 165°F). Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving.
    • Test the potatoes to make sure they are done. If not, transfer the chicken to a cutting board and return the potatoes into the oven until cooked through.

    In this recipe, I halved the baby potatoes. They are relatively small and cooked perfectly at the same time as the chicken. You can also add other vegetables, such as carrots if the pan is big enough.

    Check Out These Side Dish Recipes:

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    I hope you’ll this roasted half chicken recipe! If you try it out please don’t forget to come back and rate the recipe card! 

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    Roasted Half Chicken
    4.89 from 17 votes

    Roasted Half Chicken

    Rika
    A simple roasted half chicken that is packed with flavors. The half chicken is oven-roasted to perfection, seasoned with lemon thyme spice rub! Golden brown on the outside, tender, and juicy on the inside.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 40 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Servings 4
    Calories 104 kcal

    Equipment

    • baking dish, baking sheet, or oven-safe skillet

    Ingredients
     

    • 1 whole chicken, (about 4 pounds) or use pre-cut half chickens, 2 pieces
    • 2 teaspoon minced garlic
    • 1 teaspoon crushed black peppercorn
    • 3 tablespoons freshly squeeze lemon juice
    • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    • ½ tablespoon paprika
    • 1 teaspoon dried thyme , (about 1 ½ tablespoon fresh thyme)
    • 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, (use less or more according to your liking)

    Optional:

    • 1 pound baby potatoes

    Instructions
     

    Preparation:

    • Remove the chicken giblets and pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Cut the chicken in half. Set aside.
    • Wash, scrub, dry and cut the baby potatoes in half. Set aside.

    Mix the Seasoning Blend:

    • In a small bowl, mix the lemon juice, garlic, peppercorn, salt, thyme, paprika, kosher salt, and oil.
    • Rub the seasoning all over the chicken and marinate for 30 minutes in the fridge.

    Roasting:

    • Preheat the oven to 500°F.
    • Place the chicken, breast side up in an oven-safe skillet or baking pan then put it on the low rack in the oven. Cook for 10 minutes, basting the chicken once with the drippings. Continue cooking for 5 minutes.
    • Remove the pan from the oven, add halved potatoes onto the bottom of the chicken. Brush the chicken and halved potatoes with some dripping juice. Transfer the pan back to the oven.
    • Reduce the temperature to 425°F and continue cooking for about 20-25 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 165°F. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving.
    • Test the potatoes to make sure they are done. If not, transfer the chicken to a cutting board and return the potatoes into the oven until cooked through.

    Notes

    If the skin gets too dark, cover it up with baking paper or foil. 
    You can use an oven-safe skillet (like cast iron), roasting pan, or deep baking sheet. Just make sure to use the right size of the pan. It shouldn't be too small or too large but of course big enough to hold the chicken and potatoes. 
    The nutrition facts are for chicken and potatoes. 
    Nutrition Facts
    If you scroll down you can view nutrition facts for the chicken only.
     
     

    Nutrition

    Sodium: 874mgCalcium: 12mgVitamin C: 5mgVitamin A: 419IUSugar: 1gFiber: 1gPotassium: 46mgCholesterol: 1mgCalories: 104kcalSaturated Fat: 2gFat: 11gProtein: 1gCarbohydrates: 3gIron: 1mg
    Keyword oven baked half chicken, roasted half chicken
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Emily Liao

      August 07, 2020 at 1:12 pm

      5 stars
      Wow, this roasted chicken had so much flavor from simple spices! Loved this combination 🙂

    2. Christian Guzman

      August 07, 2020 at 1:16 pm

      5 stars
      It just makes you want to reach out there and grab it. Thanks for the recipe!

    3. Carrie Robinson

      August 07, 2020 at 1:33 pm

      5 stars
      Wow! I love that you made this in a cast iron skillet. 🙂

    4. Patty at Spoonabilities

      August 07, 2020 at 1:42 pm

      5 stars
      What an amazing oven-to-table dinner! So simple yet such an elegant meal. Yum!

    5. Jennifer

      August 07, 2020 at 2:33 pm

      5 stars
      Your instructions made it so easy to cut the chicken in half! I've always been a bit awkward when it comes to cutting chicken pieces, and this was the simplest way I've ever tried. Game changer! And delicious chicken too!

    6. Rika Livingston

      August 15, 2020 at 12:56 pm

      Thank you!

    7. Rika Livingston

      August 15, 2020 at 12:56 pm

      I am glad that you liked this recipe, Emily!

    8. Peg

      July 04, 2021 at 4:51 pm

      5 stars
      Outstanding. This is the first recipe for roasted chicken halves where I could get a crispy, caramelized skin. The high temps seem to be the key. As far as the spices, I used the same, except the only difference was I didn't have Thyme so I sprinkled a little bit of sage and a little bit of Mrs. Dash table seasoning. I did throw it under broiler for 5 more minutes for extra crispy skin. It was delicious. Thank you for this recipe because it's the 1st time I was able to get it crispy and caramelized. Wow!

    9. Rika

      July 04, 2021 at 5:40 pm

      Hi Peg,

      Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback! I am glad that you liked this recipe 🙂

      I hope to hear from you again soon!

      Best,

      Rika

    10. Nicole

      November 02, 2021 at 5:21 pm

      This was absolutely delicious! I added baby carrots and mushrooms along with the potatoes I also used the drippings to make gravy it came out so tender and juicy this one is definitely a keeper

    11. Rika

      November 02, 2021 at 6:20 pm

      Hi Nicole,

      I am glad that you liked it! The dripping is one of my favorite things about this recipe.

      Best,

      Rika

    12. Janice Wielusz

      November 14, 2021 at 5:59 am

      5 stars
      This is seriously my favorite recipe for roasted chicken. My husband agrees! Even my two grandchildren (2 and 4) ate it all up! Just had to remove the skin for them. I used my ginormous 17" cast iron skillet and I bought 3 small half chickens. The sauce is sublime!!😋😁👍

    13. Rika

      November 14, 2021 at 8:29 am

      Hi Janice,

      Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback. I am glad that you and your family loved this roasted chicken recipe. The 17" cast iron skillet sounds very useful, I should have one in my kitchen too!

      Best,

      Rika

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    Hi, I'm Rika! Through Posh Journal I share my passion for food, travel and other things I enjoy along the way.  Don’t let the name fool you, most of my recipes are easy to cook and can be enjoyed on a daily basis. 

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