Whole Roasted Greek Chicken with Potatoes

A perfectly roasted chicken is one of the most elegant and impressive meals a home chef can make! This Whole Roasted Greek Chicken is seasoned with fresh lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, parsley, and garlic. Add some lemony baby potatoes and onions to the roasting dish  to make this an easy one pan meal!

About this Greek Chicken with Potatoes

There is something about a Roasted Greek Chicken that I just absolutely love. It’s usually my go to when we’re eating out at Greek restaurants, and I especially love when its served with a side of lemony potatoes that have been roasted with the chicken. YUM! I love this Whole Roasted Greek Chicken with Potatoes because now Neal and I can enjoy one of my favorite Greek dinners at home! Which lets be real, right now we can all use more dinner at home ideas that feel extravagant.

You’re going to love this chicken marinade. It’s simple, but so delicious with lots of olive oil, lemon, greek herbs like oregano and parsley. Tip: this marinade is also delicious with shrimp and fish! I like to lightly season some baby potatoes and quartered onions with extra lemon juice and herbs and throw them under the chicken so as the chicken cooks, the juices soak through the potatoes and give them the most incredible flavor. And they help prop the chicken off the baking sheet, which increases air circulation so hot air can get underneath the chicken and help it cook. I’m all about working smarter, not harder and adding the baby potatoes does just that. 

Can we talk about how elegant it is to make a Whole Roasted Greek Chicken? I always feel so fancy roasting a whole chicken, even though it doesn’t take much extra effort. In my opinion, the best way to roast a chicken at home is to spatchcock the chicken by removing the back bone. It sounds complicated, but is actually very easy and takes about 5 minutes. It also helps the chicken cook more quickly and more evenly so you won’t have a dried out breast while the thighs or other parts aren’t yet cooked through. Whenever I spatchcock a chicken I always get great results with golden brown crispy skin. I love it! Read below for how to do spatchcock a chicken yourself, some helpful resources, and my tips and tricks 

What you Need To Make This Whole Roasted Greek Chicken with Potatoes

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this delicious Whole Roasted Greek Chicken with Potatoes. A lot of them are used multiple times, so make sure you’re reading through the full ingredient list to ensure you have enough!

Chicken. I like to use a 4 – 5 pound chicken with the giblets and everything removed. If you use a smaller bird, be sure to adjust roasting time!

Olive Oil. Instead of using “extra virgin” olive oil, use one marked as “virgin” or “light” instead since they have a higher smoke point and we will be roasting the chicken at 450 degrees. If you only have “extra virgin” olive oil, it should be fine since roasting uses indirect heat as opposed to direct heat (like grilling or frying). 

Lemon. This recipe calls for both the juice and the zest for the chicken and potatoes and onions. 

Herbs. We’re going to use some dried parsley and dried oregano for classic greek flavors!

Garlic. Grating the garlic prevents it from burning and makes the garlic almost melt into the marinade. I easily grate garlic using my microplane. 

Potatoes. I like to use potatoes because it’s an easy side and it helps prop the chicken up so air can circulate under the bird when roasting. I prefer baby potatoes, but feel free to use quartered regular sized potatoes. 

Onions. To flavor the potatoes. Feel free to omit if you don’t like onions! 

Salt. To enhance the flavors and tone down the bitter lemon. 

Pepper. For seasoning. 

How to Make Whole Roasted Greek Chicken with Potatoes

Roasting a whole chicken use to completely intimidate me, but it’s truly so easy to do! Here is how you make this Whole Roasted Greek Chicken with Potatoes in four easy steps:

1. Spatchcock the chicken. This will help the bird cook more evenly and quickly. See below for exactly how to easily spatchcock a chicken, resources, and a video link!
2. Prepare the potatoes and onions. Drizzle the potatoes and onions with lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, salt, and toss to combine.
3. Make the marinade and dress the chicken. In a small bowl, add the remaining olive oil, lemon juice, grated garlic, parsley, oregano, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine. Using a pastry brush thoroughly coat the chicken in the marinade, making sure to season the underside of the chicken as well. You can also separate the skin from the breast and brush some marinade directly onto the breast meat. 
4. Roast and serve. Add the potatoes and onions in an even layer on a 9 x 13 rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Lay the chicken flat over the potatoes so they lift the chicken off the baking sheet. Roast the chicken at 450 degrees for 40 – 45 minutes or until the juices run clear and a thermometer reads 165 degrees when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh. Let rest for 5 – 10 minutes before carving and serving.

How to Spatchcock a Chicken

Spatchcock is a weird word for butterflying a chicken by removing the backbone. I was so intimidated by the technique and afraid to try it myself until I saw someone do it on instagram and it honestly looked so easy! If I can do it, you can do it. All you need is a good pair of poultry shears. I recommend this pair because they’re super sharp and come apart for thorough cleaning. You definitely want to use sharp poultry shears. Not only will sharp poultry shears make cutting the backbone out of the chicken easy, but it’s also a safety thing. You don’t want to struggle cutting the chicken and somehow slip and cut your hand. Trust me…been there done that! A lot of poultry shears can be sharpened, so if your pair needs a refresh, ask your knife sharpener if they can help you out. The ones I recommended come apart so can be easily sharpened. 

To spatchcock a chicken, all you need to do is cut out the backbone by cutting along either side of the spine. Flip over the chicken so the skin side is up and press down on the breast bone until you hear it crack and the bird lays flat. If it’s your first time spatchcocking a chicken, I highly recommend you check out this guide by Serious Eats. It’s comprehensive, incredibly detailed with lots of photos, and has a quick how-to video to watch as well.

Tips and Tricks to Make a Delicious Whole Roasted Chicken

Here are a few tips and tricks that will help you make the best roasted chicken:

1. Bring the chicken to room temp for even roasting. Letting the chicken rest at room temp on the  counter for at least 30 minutes before roasting will help the chicken cook more evenly. The first few times I roasted a chicken, I completely burnt the skin while trying to get the meat to come to 165 degrees. I found that letting the chicken sit out for 30 minutes resulted in more even cooking and a shorter cooking time. 
2. Pat the chicken dry before dressing. For crispy skin, you have to make sure the chicken is completely dry before rubbing down with the marinade. I pat down the chicken with paper towels for easy clean up. 
3. Tuck the wings and use tin foil to prevent burning. The wings will cook quicker than the breast, so you can tuck them underneath the breast so they won’t burn. The chicken will take about 40 minutes to roast, but you should check it after 20 to ensure the skin isn’t burning. If it is, you can cover it with tin foil for the rest of the cooking time. 
4. Reserve the pan drippings. The pan drippings season the potatoes and onions while everything cooks and are so good! I like to reserve the pan drippings to make a quick gravy and to drizzle over everything for extra flavor! 
5. Repurpose leftovers. One of the main reasons why I love to make this Roasted Greek Chicken is because I love the leftovers! They’re great in soup (hello, avgolemono soup!) and on top of greek salads.

What to Serve with This Greek Chicken and Potatoes

This Roasted Greek Spatchcocked Chicken is great with just the potatoes and onions that cooks in the pan. Here are some ideas for additional sides:

• Village greek salad (horiatiki)
• Hummus
• Roasted vegetables
• Tzatziki
• Marinated kalamata olives

 

DID YOU MAKE THis Whole Roasted Greek Chicken with Potatoes?

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HELPFUL RECIPE INFORMATION

All recipes are tested and developed in my home kitchen. Unless otherwise stated, I always use extra virgin olive oil and this Himalayan pink salt in my recipes