A one pan meal is always a life saver, and if it’s a whole roasted chicken then that’s the ultimate comfort food for everyone! It just fits right on for this holiday season, as otherwise the menu preparation itself takes a lot of time to finalize while we are busy cooking, wrapping up the gifts, & partying. Yes, Christmas is here & the mood is on!

In my home, whole roasting a full chicken mostly happens during Thanksgiving, and that’s because we are not much of a turkey people. For Previous years during Thanksgiving I had roasted a simple Garlic Rosemary Chicken and then a complex Whole Roasted Tandoori Chicken – both turned out to be pretty delicious. So, this time for Christmas I thought to try something different… Spatchcock a whole chicken with a simple turmeric marinade!

So, what is spatchcock? The term spatchcock means butterflying the bird; in a way it’s like prepping the bird to resemble a butterfly, by removing its backbone and sternum and spreading the two halves of the breast so that it stays flat. The advantage of this process is that it cooks evenly and takes less time than roasting a whole chicken. Plus, the skin turns out to be crispier while the meat stays utterly moist; it just falls off the bone very easily and boy, soooo delicious! I have used a buttery garlicky lemon turmeric spiced marinade here in this recipe which blends perfectly with the roasted potatoes and carrots.

Not only for celebrations, but this spatchcock chicken will also make a simple n quick sheet pan dinner meal on your table any day, and I’m sure the whole family would love it. Any leftovers can also be re-used later in your soups, salads, or even sandwiches.

Enjoy, Merry Christmas, n Happy Cooking…!

Follow me on Instagram, try out the recipes and tag #pepperdelightblog to all your pictures of Pepper Delight recipes you prepare. Rate us if you love it!

Print

Turmeric Spiced Spatchcock Chicken

Turmeric Spiced Spatchcock Chicken… Crispy on the outside & Juicy Succulent inside…!! A Fuss Free Minimal Ingredients Recipe served with Roasted Baby Potatoes & Carrots, the Simplest One Pan Dinner…!  

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword chicken roast, spatchcock chicken, whole chicken roast

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings 5

Author Akhila

Ingredients

For the Chicken

• One whole chicken (4.6 pounds)
• 5 tbsp unsalted butter (softened)
• 3 garlic cloves (minced)
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp cilantro chopped + more for garnish
• ½ tsp black pepper + more
• Salt (generously)

For the Veggies

• 3 large carrots (peeled and chopped)
• 2 lb. baby potatoes (sliced into half)
• Olive oil (as required)
• Salt and pepper
• Cilantro for garnish

Instructions

• Preparation of the oven: Preheat oven to 425-degree F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and keep aside.
• Preparation of the marinade: Prepare the marinade in a small bowl by mixing softened butter with turmeric powder, garlic, salt, pepper, lemon juice and chopped cilantro leaves. Using a fork, mash the butter and mix well with the remaining ingredients, keep aside.
• Preparation of the chicken: Take the whole chicken and remove its giblets and pin feathers, clean inside out and pat dry with paper towels.
• Onto a cutting board, place the chicken breast-side down with the legs facing you and identify the backbone of the chicken. Using a sharp kitchen shear/scissors, remove the backbone by cutting through the ribs along its sides all the way from the bottom to its neck. The backbone can be used later for other recipes (soups/sauces), or else you may discard it. Spread open the rib cage and make an incision over the breast bone using a knife to pop it open.
• Season the inside of the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Then flip the chicken onto the parchment lined sheet pan with breast-side facing you.
• Using your hands, press down gently on top of the breast so that the chicken stays flat, tuck in its wings. Now carefully insert your fingers under the skin through the breast and thighs to loosely separate the skin from the meat. Ensure not to tear the skin.
• Divide the marinade, insert a half under the separated skin and spread it as much as you can all over the breast and the thighs. Rub the rest of the marinade all over the skin.
• Preparation of the veggies: In a large bowl, mix potatoes and carrots with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread them evenly on the pan to fill the space around the chicken.
• Baking: Bake uncovered for 45-50 minutes or until an instant thermometer reads 165-170 degree when inserted into the thickest part of the chicken. Remove from the oven and allow the chicken to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves.

The post Turmeric Spiced Spatchcock Chicken appeared first on Pepper Delight.

My Current Obsession: Sheet Pan Dinners!!!

Why do I love that? Well… not only are they super easy, require minimum ingredients, no pre-preps, & hassle free cleaning, they are also sooper delicious and can be prepared in under 30 minutes! That sounds so awesome, right? Oh Yeah, especially when running around on a busy day!

I am a huge lover of fajita recipes, in fact soo much that I keep on repeating fajita dishes every time we go to a Mexican restaurant. The sizzling sound of a hot skillet with charred chicken and veggies; that’s my favorite part of the dinner and makes me drool. I’ve tried cooking fajita many times on a stove top, and they came out good and I couldn’t complain. But still something was amiss, it was lacking that punch I felt in the restaurants. And then one day I thought, lets bake; a sheet pan fajita, just threw everything together onto a pan, drizzled with oil and sprinkled spices, into the oven, and… there it was! Deli…cious, charred veggies and chicken, just Perfect!! Restaurant Quality!!!

Got any doubt? Look at these pics guys!

The only time-consuming part (if any) for this recipe, is the slicing of your chicken and veggies thinly, so that they cook evenly and faster. You can add some jalapenos too if you like a spicier kick, although the chili powder and pepper already make the dish slightly spicy.

Once all your ingredients are cooked and ready, it’s time to plate! Warm your tortillas, fill with chicken and veggies, top with a dollop of sour cream, guacamole, some pico de gallo, and garnish with cilantro. Roll them and Tadaa…its done! A Mexican Delight…!!

Enjoy, Happy Cooking…!

Follow me on Instagram, try out the recipes and tag #pepperdelightblog to all your pictures of Pepper Delight recipes you prepare. Rate us if you love it!

Print

Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas

The Quickest, Mexican Inspired, One Pan Dinner… in just 30 Minutes! Loaded with Chicken, Bell Peppers and Onions… Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas…!! 

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword chicken fajita, one pan chicken, sheet pan

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 5

Author Akhila

Ingredients

• 1 lb chicken breast (thinly sliced)
• 1 green, yellow and red bell pepper (sliced)
• 1 white onion (sliced)
• 1 tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp pepper powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• ½ tsp onion & garlic powder
• Salt (as required)
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil
• Lime slices
• Cilantro leaves (garnish)
• Tortilla

Sides: Guacamole, Pico de gallo, Sour Cream (optional)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425 degree F.
• Spread chicken and veggies on to a baking tray. Drizzle oil and add chili powder, cumin powder, onion & garlic powder, salt, and pepper, to the tray and toss until well coated.
• Arrange the ingredients on the tray evenly, and cook in the preheated oven for 30 minutes until they are roasted and browned. Stir half way through the cooking process.
• After taking the tray out of the oven, squeeze lime juice over the roasted veggies and chicken, and serve on a warm tortilla, with guacamole, sour cream, and pico de gallo (optional). Garnish with cilantro leaves.

The post Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas appeared first on Pepper Delight.