Herb Roasted Chicken With Vegetables

There is nothing as quintessentially western as a dinner of roast meat with a side of vegetables. Today I bring you my tried and tested method for oven-roasted chicken and vegetables. Extremely comforting and easy to put together, perfect for the cold wave hitting us right now. Just fill up a baking pan, place it in the oven, turn on the timer and race yourself to see what all you can get done around the house while it cooks. And now that the temps are down, you can crank up the oven to your heart’s content!

I roasted some vegetables along with the chicken, so that they take on a subtle flavor from the chicken juices. This is a great recipe to use up any slightly old less-than-stellar vegetables languishing in your refrigerator. I used potatoes, carrots, broccoli and cauliflower. You can use onions, mushrooms, radishes, asparagus, green beans, sweet potatoes, tomatoes and so on.

Usually when I roast chicken, I slather it in a marinade of various herbs and spices. I just can’t seem to let go of my Indian roots! But once in a while, I make a conscious effort to just let one (maybe two) flavors shine. Dried oregano and crushed black pepper do the trick here.

Then there are the supporting characters in the baking pan – some crushed garlic, thick slices of fresh lime and a slight drizzle of chicken stock. While baking in the oven, they give off this wonderful aroma that is extremely hard to resist. I’ve found that the stock also helps to keep the vegetables and chicken from drying out in the hot oven.

I have made this quite a number of times using different kinds of vegetables, just throwing in whatever I happen to have on hand that day. Also feel free to use your favorite herb. Rosemary or thyme would work beautifully with poultry.

HERB ROASTED CHICKEN & VEGETABLES

You will need: (Serves 3)

For the herb marinade,

•  Oil – 2 tbsp
• Dried oregano – 1 tbsp
• Black pepper powder – 1 tsp (or as per heat level desired)
• Garam masala powder – 2 tsp (optional)
• Salt – a generous sprinkle or as per taste
• Fresh lime or lemon juice – 2 tbsp

For oven roasting/baking,

• Chicken – 3 large thigh pieces (skin on and bone-in)
• Vegetables – enough to fill the baking tray comfortably, cut into large pieces
• Garlic – 6 large cloves, lightly crushed
• Lime or lemon – 1, cut into thick rounds or wedges
• Chicken stock – 2-3 tbsp

How to:

• Pre-heat the oven to 400 deg.F and line a rimmed 9×13 baking pan with foil.
• Clean the chicken thighs, pat dry and place in a medium bowl or tray. Also wash the vegetables, pat dry and cut into large chunks and place in another bowl.
• Divide the herb marinade ingredients listed above evenly among chicken and vegetables and coat well. Take care to get the marinade under the chicken skin as well.
• Place vegetables and crushed garlic in the baking pan and bake for 8 minutes. Keep the chicken in the refrigerator while this is done.
• After 8 minutes, take the pan out, nestle the chicken thighs skin side down between the par-roasted vegetables and place lime slices on top. Drizzle chicken stock in the pan. Return to oven and bake for 30-40 minutes or till chicken is done, turning the chicken and large vegetable pieces over once, around the halfway mark.
• Finish by broiling at 450 deg.F for 2-3 minutes. Keep a close watch, as you just want to develop a nice char on the skin and not burn anything.
• Once done (chicken juices must run clear when poked or internal temperature must be 165 deg.F on a meat thermometer), cover the pan loosely with foil and let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. This is done to prevent the meat and vegetables from drying out.
• Serve warm with a side of crusty bread, soup or fresh green salad.

Notes:

• The pan size and cooking time mentioned in the recipe is for 3 large bone-in chicken thighs. Adjust baking time accordingly for more or less pieces and also bake for slightly lesser time if using boneless pieces. Take care to not crowd the pan too much, to ensure even cooking.
• Replace oregano with your favorite herb. Rosemary, thyme and sage work beautifully with poultry.
• I bake fish fillets in a similar manner, but for a much lesser time, roughly 12-15 minutes.

The chicken was moist and just right, but the real stars were the vegetables. The creamy potatoes, sweet carrots, crunchy broccoli and cauliflower were the main highlights. The lime slices were beautifully charred, which looked pretty, smelled amazing and made the chicken extra delicious when squeezed on top.

Do you have a favorite baked chicken recipe? Do share.

Take a look at my Indian style stuffed roast chicken recipe too. Something to keep in mind for the upcoming Thanksgiving dinner.

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