Thanksgiving Roast Chicken

Look, I’ve got nothing against turkey — but I wanted to create a Thanksgiving Roast Chicken for people who do. Or, for people who are hosting Thanksgiving for a small family, a cozy party of two, or even for the 20+ crowd that needs a second form of poultry. 

This Thanksgiving chicken recipe was inspired by the spiced and glazed turkey from Bon Appetit’s (now several-years-old) YouTube series, Making Perfect. I didn’t mess with the flavors or the cooking method that BA’s professional test kitchen editors perfected, but I swapped out the main ingredient and tweaked a few quantities here and there. If you’ve ever wondered: how to make chicken taste like turkey? It turns out, the perfect Thanksgiving turkey can also be the perfect Thanksgiving chicken. 

Let’s make Thanksgiving Roast Chicken

First, cut the chicken into five pieces. This is just like carving the bird, but it hasn’t been cooked yet. A friendly butcher will do this for you, or you can buy the individual bone-in, skin-on parts. Roasting the chicken in parts, rather than whole, allows it to cook more evenly. Plus, it means the carving part is already done before the bird is even cooked and the chicken cooks in under an hour. Imagine Thanksgiving dinner done and on the table in roughly 60 minutes?

After the chicken is prepped, apply the dry brine: It’s a mix of salt and spices that, when patted all over the bird and left to sit overnight, flavors the chicken right to the bone. Seasoning chicken just before cooking will flavor the skin, but not the meat underneath. The brine is a spicy, slightly smoky, ever-so-sweet combination of pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and light brown sugar. Total flavor bomb!

Finally, drizzling the dry-brined chicken with oil instead of butter creates the shiniest, crackliest, crispiest skin. Unlike oil, butter contains moisture that can prevent browning. Oil also has a higher smoke point than butter, so you can really crank up the heat (key for crispy skin) without the risk of burning the bird.

Bon Appetit’s turkey might be perfect, but a chicken that cooks in under an hour and suits a small family or supplements a big crowd? That’s something to be thankful for.

What to serve with Thanksgiving roast chicken:

• Balsamic Glazed Brussels Sprouts
• Pumpkin Spinach Lasagna
• Roasted Winter Squash with Creamy, Crunchy Toppings
  

Print Recipe

Thanksgiving Roast Chicken

5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star (49 votes, average: 3.98 out of 5)

Dinner – American

By Adapted from Bon Appetit – Serves: 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes – Cooking Time: 45-65 minutes – Total Time: 50-70 minutes

Quick & easy, incorporates all the best Thanksgiving flavors with none of the hassle. Great for a small crowd or as an extra main dish.

Ingredients

• 4-5-pound whole chicken
• 4 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or 2 teaspoons Morton kosher salt)
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon plus 3 tablespoons (packed) light brown sugar, divided
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
• 2 strips orange zest
• Small handful of winter herbs (such as sage, rosemary, bay leaves, and/or thyme)

Instructions

1

Cut the chicken into parts, leaving the breast, wings, and legs whole. You can ask your butcher to do this for you, or purchase chicken pieces instead of a whole chicken.

2

In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and 1 teaspoon brown sugar.

3

On a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet, place chicken pieces skin side down. Using paper towels, pat the skin very dry. Gently pat half of the salt mixture all over the chicken (don't rub, or it will start to clump). Flip the bird pieces and pat the remaining salt mixture all over the skin. Chill bird, uncovered, overnight and up to 24 hours.

4

Before cooking, take the chicken out of the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for about a half hour. This helps it cook more evenly. Prepare a clean baking sheet with two pieces of foil. Place wire rack with chicken in new baking sheet.

5

Place a rack in the middle of oven; heat to 375°F. Brush oil over chicken to coat and pour 1/2 cup water into baking sheet.

6

In a small pot, combine soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, orange zest, herbs, and remaining 3 tablespoons brown sugar. Heat on medium, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved and glaze thickens slightly (it will continue to thicken as it cools), 10-12 minutes. Remove glaze from heat.

7

Roast chicken, brushing with glaze every 15 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 160°F, and at least 170°F when inserted into the thickest part of the dark meat, 45–60 minutes. Start checking for doneness after the first 15 minutes (when you go in to glaze), as the smaller pieces, like the wings, will cook more quickly.

8

Transfer chicken to a cutting board. Let rest 10-20 minutes before carving.

Nutrition

• 452 Calories

Notes

Instead of breaking down the chicken into parts, you can do this with a whole chicken. It will take longer to cook, so expect an extra 30-45 minutes of oven time.