Maple rosemary chicken is a standout recipe for any occasion whether it’s a cozy night in or a weekend family dinner. In this recipe, whole chicken is coated in a buttery rub. As it bakes, the butter drenches the meat and the root vegetables below it with a rich glaze that has a touch of maple sweetness.
I usually keep the peel on the carrots and gold potatoes but remove it from sweet potatoes. Feel free to prepare them however you prefer, just ensure they are all cut in similar-size pieces for even cooking.
YIELD: 4
Ingredients
Maple-Rosemary Butter Rub
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 ⁄4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Roasted Chicken
- 3 medium carrots, cut in 1½-inch pieces
- 2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in 11 ⁄2-inch pieces
- 2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, cut in 11 ⁄2-inch pieces
- 15 yellow broiler onions, trimmed and peeled
- 1 ⁄4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- pinch of ground black pepper
- one 4-pound whole chicken
- 3 garlic cloves, slightly smashed and peeled
- fresh rosemary leaves for garnish, optional
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Make the rub by stirring together the softened butter, minced rosemary, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Stir in the maple syrup until a creamy spread forms. Set it aside.
Prepare the chicken and vegetables by scattering the carrots, sweet potatoes, gold potatoes and 12 of the broiler onions on the bottom of a 5-quart Dutch oven or roasting pan. Sprinkle the vegetables with a quarter teaspoon of salt and a pinch of black pepper.
Place the chicken on a plate or flat working surface. Remove any parts that might be inside and trim any excess skin around the opening of the cavity.
Take one clove of smashed garlic and rub it all over the chicken. Get up under the skin over the breasts and over the legs. Allow any fragments of garlic that may break off the clove to remain on the chicken. Put the remaining clove along with the two other cloves and the three remaining boiler onions inside the chicken.
Rub the chicken with the rosemary-maple butter. Then, coat it evenly over the skin and up under the skin.
Tie the legs of the chicken together with kitchen string and fold the end of each wing behind the chicken. Transfer the chicken to the baking pan, setting it over the vegetables.
Bake for about 90 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into the most center part of the chicken reads 165 degrees. After about 60 minutes, if the top of the chicken appears to be browning too rapidly, cut a piece of aluminum foil to cover the chicken. Tent the foil and lay it over the chicken to slow the browning while the meat fully cooks.
Remove the pan from the oven. Sprinkle the fresh rosemary leaves over the vegetables if using. Let the chicken rest for five minutes. Carve to serve with the roasted vegetables.
This maple rosemary chicken recipe article was written for the January/February 2024 issue of Chickens magazine. Click here to subscribe.
