Dijon Tarragon Roast Chicken

Making a whole roast chicken can feel extremely daunting, especially if you have never handled a whole bird before. I am here to tell you that it is not that hard, and once you learn how to spatchcock a bird you’ll be set for the rest of your life. I feel like everyone should know how to roast a chicken—it is such a simple yet elegant meal that is great to have in your back pocket. It is also a great meal to make for the holidays if you are only serving a few people. Everyone will be so impressed, and they’ll be savoring every last bite of this chicken. Plus, this meal is gluten-free, so it can be a great entree to make for those with intolerances.

This chicken was inspired by French flavors—Dijon, tarragon, white wine… it is a classic French trio. These ingredients all get whipped together with butter and then slathered underneath and on top of the skin of the chicken. This creates buttery, crunchy, and flavorful skin and meat that embodies all of the coziness of a true comfort meal.

I am a visual person, so if you need a visual on how to spatchcock a chicken, I would YouTube it. I did attempt to make a how-to, but I think a YouTube video does the trick. The method will explain how to do it in detail, but I wanted to inform you beforehand.

Please let me know if you try this, and leave a comment below if you enjoyed the recipe or have any questions. Enjoy!

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 1 hour

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken, about 4.5-5 lbs

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter

• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard

• 2 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped finely

• 1 tbsp white wine (or sub lemon juice)

• 2 cloves of garlic, minced finely (or 1/2 tsp powder)

• kosher salt and pepper

• 1 lb baby carrots

• 1 lb baby potatoes

• 2 tbsp olive oil

Method:

1. Place your chicken on the counter to sit at room temp for 30 minutes before using it. This helps it bake evenly.

2. Preheat your oven to 425°F.

3. Line a half baking sheet with parchment paper.

4. To spatchcock the chicken, place it breast-side down on the lined baking sheet with the wings/neck facing you. To remove the spine, use kitchen shears to cut through the ribs right next to the spine along both sides. Open the rib cage and use a heavy knife to score down the sternum. Remove anything that may be inside the chicken, like the neck. This will help pop out the breast bone and flatten the chicken. Season the inside of the chicken with 1/2 tsp kosher salt and a pinch of black pepper.

5. Flip the bird over so the breast-side is facing you. Using the palm of your hand, push firmly over the breast bone forcing the chicken to lay completely flat. Use your thumbs to separate the skin from the meat over breast, thigh and drumstick areas.

6. In a small mixing bowl, mash the softened butter, Dijon, tarragon, wine, garlic, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper together until it is fully combined and spreadable.

7. Spread 2/3 of mixture under the chicken skin and and spread the remaining butter all over chicken. It is very important to get this under the skin, because this is what will result in flavorful, juicy chicken.

8. Place the baby carrots and potatoes all around the chicken, drizzling all of it with the olive oil and salt and pepper.

9. Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a meat thermometer placed in the thickest part of the breast reads 160°F. It will come up to 165°F as it sits out of the oven. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes before carving the chicken and serving. Enjoy!