Tarragon Chicken
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Ingredients
- 13- to 4-pound chicken
- ¾cup chopped fresh tarragon
- Juice and grated zest of 1 lemon
- ½cup olive oil
- Malden salt or other flaky sea salt
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
847 calories; 68 grams fat; 16 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 37 grams monounsaturated fat; 12 grams polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 52 grams protein; 1052 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Butterfly chicken by placing it breast-side down and, using kitchen shears, cutting along both sides of backbone and through small rib bones. Discard backbone, and place chicken in a large plastic bag with zipper. Add ½ cup tarragon, the lemon juice and zest, and olive oil. Expel as much air as possible from bag, and make sure marinade coats chicken. Refrigerate for at least ½ hour and up to 24 hours.
- Step 2
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place chicken in a roasting pan, spread flat, breast side up. Roast until skin is crisp and golden, 35 to 45 minutes.
- Step 3
Sprinkle with salt to taste, and cut into 8 serving pieces. Transfer to a platter, and garnish with remaining tarragon. Serve, if desired, with salad and roasted potatoes.
Private Notes
Comments
Use all the olive oil (1/2 cup) and 1/2 chopped tarragon for the marinade (step 1), use the remaining tarragon (1/4 cup) for garnish (step 3)
Totally simple to do prep and cook. we did it on our Traeger. It turned out great - a little lemony, a little herby, a little smoky with a crispy skin. A three pounder at 400F for an hour; we added little red potatoes for the last 25 minutes of chicken cooking.
I am definitely saving this recipe -- it sounds so simple and almost banal, but it's really superb. Easy and delicious, and the chicken comes out tender and moist, despite the high temp roasting. I marinated the chicken for a little over 24 hours. I served it to guests who are used to fine dining, and they loved it. The menu included a wild rice recipe (on this site -- with shallot and chopped carrot) and sautéed baby spinach with garlic, golden raisins and pine nuts.
The tarragon was fresh from my garden and the chicken was amazing. I'm going to make another one before the tarragon freezes and freeze the roasted chicken. We'll see how it goes.
How do you get the skin crispy when it has been marinating? I usually dry brine on a rack uncovered in fridge overnight to get that crispy skin when roasted.
Put the marinade under the skin ( I use a spoon) and give the chicken a massage- roast immediately, no wait time. Just about any fresh herb will work, Lemon, fresh thyme, garlic was great. Add some salt and pepper to the marinade if you are going to put it under the skin.