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golden brown and crispy roasted half chicken pieces on a vintage platter with fork and knife.
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4.36 from 97 votes

Roasted Half Chicken

Learn how to make roasted half chicken with 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

Equipment

  • Kitchen shears
  • Small sharp knife
  • Chef’s knife
  • Rimmed baking sheet

Ingredients

  • 2 chicken halves weighing between 1-1.2 kg/ 2-2.5 lbs each, Note 1
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil Note 2
  • 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 have a whole chicken, cut it in half before roasting. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350°F/ 180°C.
    2 chicken halves

Cut the chicken in half (optional step):

  • Remove backbone: Place the chicken breast-side down and with the neck end closest to you on a cutting board. Remove the backbone by cutting it all the way down with the kitchen shears. Turn the cutting board so that the legs are closest to you now, and open up the chicken. 
  • Remove the white cartilage that joins the bones by cutting on either side of it. When you can get a hold of it, lift it with your hand and cut around it until it is released. 
  • Flatten the chicken: Flip the chicken skin-side up and press it down with your hands to flatten it on the board. Now, it is butterflied or spatchcocked.
  • Cut it in half using a large chef's knife. Start at the neck and cut all the way down (Note 3).

Season the chicken halves:

  • 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: Dry the chicken thoroughly using paper towels. Place the halves on the lightly oiled baking sheet 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 chicken halves:

  • Roast the chicken halves for 40-50 minutes or until cooked through. It should be golden brown and crispy, and the inner temperature should be 74 C/ 165 F.
  • Broil the skin: 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

  1. Chicken: You can use a whole chicken of about 4.5 lb/ 2 kg cut in half before roasting. 
  2. Seasoning: You can also use your favorite spice blend for poultry or try some curry powder for an exotic touch.
  3. Leftover chicken parts: Don't throw away the backbone and all the rest. Use them to make chicken stock. 

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