Green Goddess Roasted Chicken
Updated November 24, 2024
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.
- Total Time
- 1¼ hours plus at least 6 hours marinating
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
1 ½ cups buttermilk or plain yogurt
1 cup packed basil leaves
¼ cup packed chives
2 garlic cloves, peeled
2 anchovy fillets (optional)
1 scallion, white and green parts
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 (4- to 5-pound) chicken, halved through the breast and back bones, patted dry with paper towels
1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
8 grams carbs; 396 milligrams cholesterol; 1215 calories; 36 grams monosaturated fat; 17 grams polyunsaturated fat; 25 grams saturated fat; 85 grams fat; 1 gram fiber; 1416 milligrams sodium; 99 grams protein; 5 grams sugar
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
In a blender, purée buttermilk, basil, chives, garlic, anchovies (if using), scallion, lime zest and juice, salt and pepper until smooth.
- Step 2
Put chicken halves in a bowl or large heavy-duty resealable plastic bag and cover with three-quarters of the Green Goddess marinade. (Save the rest to serve as a sauce.) Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or up to overnight.
- Step 3
Heat oven to 500 degrees. Remove chicken from the marinade, shaking off as much liquid as possible, and lay the halves on a rimmed baking sheet. (Discard the used marinade.) Pat chicken tops dry with paper towels and drizzle with oil. Roast until cooked through, about 30 to 45 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving, with some of the reserved sauce if you like.
Private Notes
Comments
I make this with thighs and roast them for about 25 mins at 500. It makes the house smell so good. The longer I marinate the chicken, the more succulent it is. I try to buy the best buttermilk I can; it seems to make a difference. This has been a winner in my house and for guests. The hardest thing to remember when I want to make it is that needs time to marinate.
500ºF? That was way too hot for my oven. The chicken was pretty well cooked at 20 minutes ... 148ºF internal temperature at the breast. I finished it at 350º for seven minutes and the chicken was perfectly cooked. The Green Goddess dressing was superb! A definite keeper ... but keep an eye on the temperature!
What makes this recipe great is not the chicken right out of the oven. That is very good, but the next day, use the out-of-this-world Green Goddess dressing instead of mayo for a great chicken sandwich! Squishy white bread sops up the dressing best. Layer the dressing on both sides of the bread with sliced white meat in between. Super!
This was another revelation from the divine Ms. Clark. We had an abundance of basil and chives in the garden so off we went. Even though I make my own yogurt I prefer buttermilk; it breaks down the fibres better and adds an ineffable umami. The recipe is as good as it gets. Two changes with apologies to the writer. I added yogurt to the dressing to thicken it a bit. I wondered whether I could cook this on the BBQ and asked ChatGBT for a suggestion. It was enthusiastic about the idea. Check it out. It’s easy to do and adds some lovely smokey flavour notes.
Leftovers tip: use the reserved half of the dressing (the half that never touched the raw chicken) as your chicken salad base. Chop the leftover chicken, stir in the reserved dressing, add a little more mayo and a squeeze of lemon. Don't stop at the herbs in the recipe — a good handful of tarragon and/or dill really punches it up.
The best thing about this recipe is that if you sav