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pieces of roasted half chicken on a black plate with a fork.
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4.36 from 97 votes

Roasted Half Chicken

Roasted half chicken recipe, crispy skin, and juicy, tender meat. What would you ask more from a simple chicken?
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Poultry
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 423kcal
Author: Adina

Ingredients

  • 2 chicken halves weighing between 1-1.2 kg/ 2.2-2.6 lbs each
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil Note
  • 1 ½ teaspoon sweet paprika or 2 teaspoons if using only sweet paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon hot paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika optional (either hot or sweet, to taste)
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • some black pepper

Instructions

  • Prepare the chicken: Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. If you need to cut a whole chicken in half, see the instructions in the blog post.
    2 chicken halves
  • In the meantime, preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius/ 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Mix the olive oil and all the spices. Add a little more oil, if necessary, to obtain a mixture that is easy to brush.
    2 tablespoons olive oil + 1 ½ teaspoon sweet paprika + ¼ teaspoon hot paprika + ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika + ½ teaspoon garlic powder + ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt + some black pepper
  • Season: Place the chicken halves on the baking tray skin-side down. Brush the chicken generously with the spice mixture. Flip the halves and brush the skin all over, including under the wings and under the legs. Arrange them on the tray, making sure that they don't touch each other.
  • Roast for 35-40 minutes and check if the chicken is cooked through. It should be golden brown and crispy, and the inner temperature should be 74 C/ 165 F. You can also check by piercing the chicken in the thickest part of the thigh with a toothpick; the juices should run clear.
  • Crisp: For extra color and crispiness, you can turn on the grill function of your oven for the last 1-2 minutes of the cooking time. In this case, keep a close watch; you don't want the skin to scorch.
  • Rest for about 5 minutes and serve.

Notes

You can also use your favorite spice blend for poultry or try some curry powder for an exotic touch.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/4 of the chicken | Calories: 423kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 132mg | Sodium: 520mg | Fiber: 1g