Cheat’s rotisserie-style chicken gives you crisp skin, tender meat and richly flavoured roast vegetables in one tin. The spatchcocked bird roasts directly over potatoes, corn, peppers and jalapeños, so the juices drip down, season everything and leave you with a tray of golden, smoky, savoury comfort.
By Matt TebbuttFrom Saturday Kitchen Recipes
This cheat’s rotisserie-style chicken with roast potatoes and corn on the cobs comes out around a Nutri-Score C, balancing lean roast chicken and plenty of vegetables with added butter and oil. It is a hearty traybake-style roast dinner that leans savoury and satisfying rather than ultra-light.
Ingredients
For the rub
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp dried herbs de Provence
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp sweet smoked paprika
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
For the butter
- 200g/7oz unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
For the roast chicken and vegetables
- 1.5kg/3lb 5oz whole chicken, spatchcocked
- 2 corn on the cobs, cut into quarters
- 2 red peppers, cut in half and deseeded
- 8 whole jalapeño peppers
- 4 par-boiled potatoes in skins, cut into wedges
- 3 red onions, cut into quarters
- 4 tbsp olive oil, for roasting
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, for seasoning
Customise
- Swap some or all jalapeño peppers for extra red peppers if you prefer less heat, keeping the roasting time the same.
- Use sweetcorn rounds instead of whole corn on the cobs quarters if that is what you have; keep pieces chunky so they do not overcook.
- Trade a couple of potatoes for chunky sweet potatoes for a slightly sweeter, softer side, checking they do not brown too quickly.
Method
Preparation stage (20 minutes – can be done while oven preheats)
Begin by heating the oven and preparing your seasoning mixtures. The par-boiled potatoes can be prepared earlier in the day if that suits your schedule better.
- Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C Fan/Gas 7, positioning a rack in the centre with sufficient space underneath for the roasting tin.
- Make the spice rub by combining the onion powder, garlic powder, dried herbs de Provence, dried thyme, light brown sugar, sweet smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper and salt in a small bowl. Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are evenly blended.
- Prepare the tarragon butter by mashing the softened unsalted butter with the chopped fresh tarragon in another small bowl until smooth and well combined.
Chicken preparation (5 minutes – oven will be hot by now)
With the oven heating and seasonings ready, prepare the chicken. This stage overlaps nicely with any final vegetable trimming.
- Prepare the chicken by patting the spatchcocked bird completely dry with kitchen paper, then gently loosening the skin over both breasts and thighs by sliding your fingers underneath, taking care not to tear the skin.
- Insert the tarragon butter by pushing small amounts under the loosened skin across both breasts and thighs, then smoothing it gently from the outside to create an even layer that will melt into the meat during cooking.
- Apply the spice rub generously over the entire chicken, making sure to coat both sides completely and pressing the seasoning onto the skin particularly well so it adheres during roasting.
Roasting stage (60 minutes total cooking time)
The roasting tin positioned below the chicken catches all the flavourful juices as they drip down. Toss the vegetables occasionally for even cooking.
- Arrange the vegetables by placing the corn quarters, halved red peppers, whole jalapeño peppers, potato wedges and red onion quarters into a large roasting tin. Drizzle with the olive oil, season generously with salt and black pepper, then toss everything together until evenly coated in oil.
- Position for roasting by sliding the prepared roasting tin onto the lower oven shelf, then carefully placing the seasoned chicken directly onto the oven rack bars above the tin, starting with the skin-side facing down.
- Roast for 60 minutes total, turning the chicken skin-side up after about 30 minutes and tossing the vegetables once or twice during cooking to ensure they brown evenly and absorb the dripping chicken juices.
- Test for doneness by piercing the thickest part of the leg where it meets the thigh with a skewer or using a meat thermometer. The juices should run completely clear with no trace of pink, and the internal temperature should reach 75°C. Continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes if needed, then test again.
Resting and serving (10 minutes)
Allowing the chicken to rest is essential for the juices to redistribute through the meat, ensuring maximum tenderness.
- Rest the chicken by carefully transferring it to a carving board, then loosely covering it with aluminium foil. Leave to rest for a minimum of 10 minutes while the vegetables continue to develop colour in the warm roasting tin.
- Serve family style by jointing the rested chicken into legs, thighs, wings and breast portions, then arranging these over the roasted vegetables either in the tin or on a warmed serving platter. Finally spoon all the collected roasting juices from the tin over everything.