Buffalo roast chicken with a blue cheese salad

Golden spatchcocked buffalo roast chicken with crispy herby potatoes, crisp celery lettuce salad and blue cheese dressing Chef Donal Skehan delivers a fiery twist on classic roast chicken, combining American buffalo wing flavours with a hearty British roast dinner. The result is an addictive balance of heat, richness and freshness that makes this buffalo roast chicken a standout weekend showstopper.

This buffalo roast chicken recipe scores a Nutri-Score A, reflecting its lean spatchcocked chicken, herby roasted potatoes and fresh salad balanced against the rich blue cheese dressing.

Per serving: approximately 1,297 kcal, 87g fat, 33g saturated fat, 53g carbs, 8g sugar, 75g protein, 7g fibre, 2.8g salt.

Method

1. Preheat the oven (5 mins)
   Heat your oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Getting the oven up to temperature before the chicken goes in ensures you get that golden, crispy skin from the start – crucial for proper buffalo roast chicken.
2. Spatchcock the chicken (10 mins)
   Put the chicken breast-side down on a sturdy board. Using poultry shears or sturdy kitchen scissors, cut down either side of the backbone and remove it completely (save it for stock if you like). Open out the chicken and turn it breast-side up. Press firmly down on the breastbone with the heel of your hand until you feel it crack and the chicken lies flat. This spatchcocking technique halves the roasting time and gives you incredibly crispy skin all over.
3. Season and roast the chicken (45-50 mins)
   Put the spatchcocked chicken in a large roasting tin. Drizzle with the sunflower oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Sprinkle over the smoked paprika and cayenne pepper, then rub everything into the chicken skin. Roast for 45-50 minutes, or until golden and cooked through. The chicken is done when the juices run clear with no trace of pink when you pierce the thickest part with a skewer, or when a meat thermometer reads 75C at the thickest part of the thigh.
4. Roast the potatoes (35 mins)
   While the chicken roasts, put the baby potatoes in a roasting tray and drizzle with the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, add the stripped rosemary and thyme leaves, then toss to coat everything evenly. Roast alongside the chicken for 35 minutes, or until cooked through and golden. Swap the roasting tin and potato tray around halfway through if needed so they colour evenly – this herby potato side is the perfect companion to the spicy buffalo chicken.
5. Make the buffalo sauce (15 mins)
   For the sauce, put the butter, hot chilli sauce, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika and cayenne pepper in a saucepan. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until slightly thickened. This buffalo sauce is the heart of the dish – spicy, tangy and utterly addictive. Taste and adjust the heat level to your preference.
6. Glaze the chicken (2 mins)
   When the chicken is cooked through, brush it generously with some of the buffalo sauce. The residual heat helps the sauce cling beautifully to the crispy skin. Let it rest for 5 minutes before carving – this keeps the juices locked in.
7. Make the blue cheese dressing (5 mins)
   For the dressing, mash 100g of the blue cheese with the sour cream, mayonnaise and lemon juice using a fork until smooth. The creamy, tangy dressing is the perfect counterpoint to the fiery buffalo chicken – it cools the heat while adding its own rich, savoury depth.
8. Prepare the salad (5 mins)
   Put the finely sliced celery and separated, sliced baby gem lettuce in a serving bowl. This crisp, fresh salad cuts through the richness of the chicken and potatoes beautifully. The celery leaves add extra herbaceous flavour, so don’t discard them.
9. Carve and serve (5 mins)
   Cut the rested buffalo roast chicken into breasts, wings and legs. Drizzle with any remaining buffalo sauce. Serve with the herby roasted potatoes and crisp salad, spoon over the blue cheese dressing and scatter with the remaining 50g crumbled blue cheese. This buffalo-style roast chicken dinner is best enjoyed immediately while everything is hot and the flavours are at their peak.

Tips

• Spatchcocking the chicken yourself saves money versus buying pre-spatchcocked birds – just use sturdy scissors and press firmly
• Make extra buffalo sauce and keep it in the fridge for wings, burgers or roasted vegetables
• Rest the chicken for 5-10 minutes after roasting to keep it juicy when carving
• The blue cheese dressing can be made a day ahead – the flavours develop beautifully overnight
• Swap chicken thighs for a quicker cook time – they’re more forgiving and incredibly flavourful

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