This is no ordinary roast chicken! Chimichurri Chicken is loaded with flavor thanks to a lemon and parsley chimichurri sauce, plus potatoes, onions, and lemons roasted right alongside the chicken.
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My family and I first tried chimichurri sauce at an Argentinian restaurant that had just opened nearby in Winooski, Vermont, called Dale Boca. They offered freshly made empanadas with a generous dish of homemade chimichurri sauce.
Brimming with fresh parsley, oil, garlic, and vinegar, that sauce was so delicious that we almost licked the dish clean!
I thought about that chimichurri a lot after that first encounter, and missed it so much that I created a version of my own. And then I slathered it over a roast chicken!
Chimichurri Chicken is unbelievably flavorful and not at all difficult to make. It features that flavorful sauce, of course, but my twist is a generous squeeze of lemon juice in the chimichurri.
What is chimichurri made of?
Chimichurri is a bright green, uncooked sauce that hails from Argentina. It's made of fresh parsley, vinegar, garlic, olive oil, oregano, and spices. There's also a red version of chimichurri that includes chili peppers or paprika. The flavor of chimichurri is bold, fresh, herby, and bright. Green chimichurri isn't usually spicy-hot, although it can be made spicy with the addition of chili peppers or red pepper flakes.
The ingredients are blended to make a thick sauce that resembles pesto, but with a much different flavor. Chimichurri is incredible as a condiment and also to add flavor to meats or vegetables as they cook.
Argentinian chimichurri is a favorite to pair with grilled steak. However, it's just as extraordinary with pork, seafood, or even just as a dip for crusty bread. And as this recipe proves, chimichurri with chicken is simply divine.
Why you'll love this recipe
Chimichurri sauce adds loads of flavor to a simple roast chicken. The bird gets basted with the sauce near the end of the cooking time, and more sauce is served on the side.
The recipe also includes red potatoes, onions, and lemons to roast in the pan along with the chicken. The onions and lemons give the whole dish even more flavor, and with the potatoes are served on the side as well.
(Have you ever eaten a roasted lemon? It's amazing, and the rind becomes so tender that you can eat that, too!)
The chimichurri sauce comes together very quickly if you have a food processor or blender, much like homemade pesto. Be sure to use a big, fresh bunch of parsley for the best flavor. It's much more exciting than regular lemon roasted chicken: it's Chimichurri Roasted Chicken!
Make Chicken with Chimichurri Sauce for a special family dinner or holiday meal. It's especially nice to make for a dinner party or casual dinner with friends.
Want more chicken recipes?
Try Mexican Spiced Chicken or homemade Chicken Sausage Patties!
🔪 How to make Lemon Chimichurri Roast Chicken
Ingredients for Chimichurri Chicken:
- Chicken: Select a whole chicken that's about five to six pounds. If your bird is a little less or a little more, that's fine—just adjust the cooking time and change in number of servings.
- Onions: Yellow and red onions look lovely together as they roast with the chicken. Diced onion is also used in the chimichurri sauce.
- Garlic: Mince a couple of cloves of garlic for the sauce.
- Parsley: Pick up a big, fresh bunch of parsley—it's one of the star ingredients in the flavor-packed, herby chimichurri sauce.
- Lemons: Instead of vinegar, this chimichurri features lemon zest and juice, which give it brightness and acidity. Lemons are also roasted with the chicken.
- Red potatoes: Use regular or baby red potatoes here. You won't believe how tasty they are after roasting with the chicken and onions.
- Olive oil: I like extra virgin olive oil but you can also use a good quality vegetable oil. You'll need it for both the sauce and to roast the chicken.
- Spices: In the sauce and for the chicken, you'll need salt, pepper, oregano, and red pepper flakes.
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Step 1: Prepare the chicken
Zest a lemon and set the zest aside. Slice the lemon into chunks. Pat the chicken dry and add the lemons to the cavity. Tie the legs and tuck back the wings. Rub the chicken with oil in a roasting pan, and add sliced potatoes, onions, and lemons around the outside.
Step 2: Roast the chicken
Place the chicken in a hot oven and set it to roast for 15 minutes per pound.
Step 3: Make the sauce
While the chicken roasts, blend together onion, garlic, parsley, spices, oil, and lemon juice to make the thick and flavorful chimichurri. Set it aside.
Step 4: Baste and finish roasting
Before the chicken is finished roasting, spread some of the chimichurri sauce over the top. Tent it with foil, and roast the chicken until it's cooked through completely.
Step 5: Serve!
Serve the roast chicken with sides of potatoes, onions, and lemons and extra chimichurri sauce for dipping!
FAQs
Because it's an uncooked sauce, chimichurri is vibrant and very fresh. It has a strong parsley and garlic flavor, along with a little acidity from vinegar. Spices like salt, pepper, and oregano give the sauce even more flavor and dimension. This chimichurri sauce from Hungry Enough To Eat Six is made with lemon juice instead of vinegar—it has that acidity but also a bright, citrusy punch that's so good with the parsley and the roast chicken.
This chimichurri sauce includes red pepper flakes to give the sauce a little heat. The amount of red pepper flakes can be adjusted up or down depending on how much fiery spice you like!
Since the dish already has the meat and potatoes, the sides can be very simple: try some crusty bread or soft dinner rolls, or a lightly dressed green salad.
If by some miracle there is leftover chimichurri sauce, be sure to save every drop! Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. The sauce can be drizzled over other roasted meats, drizzled over veggies before roasting, and even used as a salad dressing. Or, make it into an easy appetizer: warm the chimichurri slightly and serve it with sliced or torn pieces of baguette for dipping.
Tips for Chimichurri Chicken:
- If you have a very large cast iron skillet or baking dish, these can be used instead of a roasting pan.
- Use regular red potatoes, cut into 1-½ chunks, or use baby red potatoes which need only be sliced in half.
The recipe for Chimichurri Chicken, roasted with onions and potatoes, is below! Here are a few more savory recipes to try:
💬 How do you like this chimichurri roasted chicken? Leave a comment below.
📖 Recipe
Chimichurri Chicken (Roasted with Potatoes and Lemons)
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Ingredients
For the chicken and potatoes:
- 5-6 pound whole chicken (giblets removed and discarded)
- 3 medium lemons, divided
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided (or vegetable oil)
- ½ medium yellow onion
- ½ medium red onion
- 1 pound red potatoes (Scrubbed clean)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For the chimichurri:
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup diced onion
- 1½ cups fresh parsley leaves
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano (or 2 tablespoons fresh oregano)
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium lemon
Instructions
Prepare chicken:
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease the inside of a roasting pan that's large enough to hold your chicken, plus the cut up vegetables.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and place it in the roasting pan.
- Use a microplane to zest one of the lemons into a small bowl. Hold the zest aside to use later for the sauce.
- Cut the zested lemon into quarters; place them inside the cavity of the chicken. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Tuck the wings back behind the body.
- Rub two tablespoons of the olive oil over the entire surface of the chicken, including the legs and wings.
Prepare the onions, potatoes, and lemons:
- Remove the outer, papery peels of the yellow and red onions. Slice them into thick wedges, then place them around the chicken in the pan.
- Cut the red potatoes into 1½-inch chunks and add them to the pan around the chicken. Cut two lemons into quarters and add them to the pan around the chicken.
- Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over the onions, potatoes, and lemons. Sprinkle the ½-teaspoon of salt and ¼-teaspoon of pepper over the chicken.
Begin roasting the chicken:
- Slide the pan into the oven, and begin roasting the chicken: plan for 15 minutes per pound. For a 5-pound bird, that's 1¼ hours; for a 6-pound bird, plan on 1½ hours.
- (The chicken gets basted 30 minutes before it's finished—keep reading to see how!)
Make the chimichurri sauce:
- While the chicken roasts, make the chimichurri sauce.
- Add the onion, garlic, parsley, oregano, red pepper flakes, teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of pepper into the bowl of a food processor. Process the ingredients until they're finely chopped and blended together. (Scrape the bowl of the food processor once or twice if necessary.)
- Pour in the olive oil. Squeeze the juice out of the lemon and add it to the food processor, along with the reserved lemon zest.
- Run the processor again until you have a thick sauce—this is your chimichurri sauce! You'll have about 1¼ cups of chimichurri.
Baste and finish roasting the chicken:
- Thirty minutes before the chicken is finished roasting, brush a ¼ cup of the chimichurri sauce over the entire surface of the chicken.
- Drape a piece of foil over the top of the bird (to prevent the herbs from browning too quickly.) Return the pan to the oven for the final 30 minutes.
- The chicken is done when juices are clear when the meat is sliced between the thigh and leg. The internal temperature of the meat should be at least 165°F; the dark meat will have the best texture when cooked to around 185°F.
- Remove the pan from the oven and allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes. You can spread a little more chimichurri over the surface if you'd like.
Serve!
- Carve the chicken and serve pieces with chimichurri sauce on the side for dipping and driizling. Don't forget the roasted potatoes, onions, and lemons from the roasting dish! Serve them with the chimichurri chicken.
Notes
- If you have a very large cast iron skillet or baking dish, these can be used instead of a roasting pan.
- Use regular red potatoes, cut into 1-½ chunks, or use baby red potatoes which need only be sliced in half.
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