Honey Roasted Chicken

Juicy, golden honey roasted chicken with crispy glazed skin that is pure comfort! This roasted whole chicken recipe is made for Sunday dinner!

Growing up my favorite meal was honey roasted chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy (actually I ate it plain with butter most times) fresh corn and jello. Yup, I said jello. I requested this dinner every year for my birthday dinner. It was perfection.

Then I grew up and forgot all about roasted chicken. Why? Because buying boneless skinless chicken took over my life. It was easy to buy, easy to freeze and defrost and easy to cook up. But, then I remembered my long ago love for roasted chicken and found this recipe.

I mean hello! Just look at the beautiful golden, delicious skin! I love bringing back old favorites. Don’t you? So many memories.

Ingredients for Honey Roasted Chicken

For the Chicken

• Whole Chicken: You want a chicken that weighs 3-4 lbs. This is good healthy protein!
• Seasonings: Salt, Pepper, and Smoked Paprika
• Aromatics: Onion, Lemon, Garlic, Thyme Sprigs, and Parsley
• Butter: Gets mixed with the seasonings to rub all over the chicken under the skin.
• Egg: Brushed on the skin and helps the skin get crispy.

For the Honey Glaze

• Cornstarch: helps thicken the glaze
• Water: combines with the cornstarch to thicken the glaze
• Honey: adds natural sweetness, flavor and thickness to the glaze
• Apple Cider Vinegar: adds flavor and acidity
• Chicken Broth: adds flavor and is the bulk of the base for the glaze
• White Wine: you can use real wine, cooking wine or just double the chicken broth
• Thyme: adds flavor and freshness to the glaze
• Butter: adds richness

The measurements for all the ingredients can be found in the recipe card down below. Keep scrolling for all the details!

Why Put Lemon in a Roast Chicken?

Lemon is a great aromatic that releases its flavor into the chicken as it roasts. It adds a delicious flavor to the meat along with the herbs, onions, garlic, etc.

Is Roasting Different Than Baking?

Roasting is done at a higher temperature (400°F and above) to create a browned, flavorful “crust” on the outside of the food.

Baking is done at a lower temperature.

Roasting is usually done in an opened, uncovered pan, and foods that are baked are usually covered.

How Do You Keep Chicken from Drying Out When Roasting?

My top tip for keeping chicken moist while roasting is to truss the chicken. Getting the wings

Lemon Herb Spatchcock Chicken Recipe

If you want the juiciest chicken with crispy skin and the most incredible flavor, then you have to make this lemon herb spatchcock chicken!

When I was pregnant with our second child I was not in any kind of position to cook, eat or even think about either thing. But it was like taking a surfer away from the ocean, I was determined to make better than ever meals when I had the baby. And spatchcock chicken was strangely at the top of my list. I have absolutely no idea why I hyper-fixated on chicken, but it ended up being a blessing. It gave me something to look forward to. To decide without ever deciding that I was going to not only survive, but thrive post traumatic pregnancy.

I’m not saying that anyone who is going through something hard should just think about chicken to fix things, because again, I WOULD NOT think about chicken during that time. But maybe there’s something about positive psychology that could take us from A-B that is found in the kitchen. So without telling you what I think… yet… what is the happiest memory you have around food?

Why does food more often attach itself to happiness than sadness?

I’ll move on, I know you just want the recipe, but it’s something to think about. Is there a secret about food and cooking that might make a difference in your happiness in the midst of your trial?

What is a Spatchcock Chicken?

A spatchcock chicken is the same thing as a butterflied chicken. It is a method for cooking chicken where you remove the backbone of a whole chicken and flatten it so that it lays flat and roasts more evenly. For some reason, this little bird’s legs curled up again at the end, but otherwise it will lay far more flat than this.

Why Do You Spatchcock a Chicken?

When you roast a whole chicken, the chicken breasts sit higher and cook first and dry out while the rest of the chicken comes to temperature.

With a spatchcock chicken, everything is at the same level and roasts evenly resulting in juicy chicken breasts, thighs, legs…the whole bird!

And the skin gets so crispy and delicious! I dare say that once you spatchcock, you’ll never go back to roasting a chicken any other way.

Do You Flip a Spatchcock When Cooking?

No, a spatchcock does not need to be flipped while cooking. You roast it with the meat side up and it will come to temperature just fine without flipping.

What Do I Need to Make Spatchcock Chicken?

All you need to do is grab a whole chicken and then hit the produce section for some fresh herbs and citrus. You’ll likely have everything else you need in the pantry already. BONUS…this recipe is so budget friendly! Here is what you will need:

• Whole Chicken: a 4-5 pound chicken works best, skin on<