![Chicken Piccata](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2021/02/14/dining/as-chicken-piccata/as-chicken-piccata-mediumThreeByTwo440-v3.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
Green Goddess Roasted Chicken
Updated Feb. 28, 2024
![Green Goddess Roasted Chicken](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2013/08/23/dining/video-clark-greengoddess/video-clark-greengoddess-articleLarge.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
- Total Time
- 1¼ hours plus at least 6 hours marinating
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
Advertisement
Ingredients
- 1½cups buttermilk or plain yogurt
- 1cup packed basil leaves
- ¼cup packed chives
- 2garlic cloves, peeled
- 2anchovy fillets (optional)
- 1scallion, white and green parts
- Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
- 2teaspoons coarse kosher salt
- 1teaspoon black pepper
- 1(4- to 5-pound) chicken, halved through the breast and back bones, patted dry with paper towels
- 1 to 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
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
Cooking Notes
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.
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!
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!
I have prepared this twice and both times it was fantastic. The first was with boneless skinless breasts, but it didn't marinade as long. A few days ago, I marinated chunks of boneless skinless breasts for a full day and grilled them on skewers.... So yummy and succulent!!
I prefer greek yogurt for this and it makes the marinade super thick and tangy.
Going to become one of my go-to chicken dishes!
Absolute MUST to line the baking pan with foil
This is a mess
I don't understand why Melissa omits this important point.
Taste very good
I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts which I had pounded to make them a consistent thickness. After marinating the chicken, I baked it uncovered at 375º for 45 minutes. It was the hit of my party--flavorful and succulent.
This was a nice change in our roast chicken preparation. The chicken came out with great crispy skin and was extremely juicy and tender. Two things to note: I don't have a blender so I made the sauce in a food processor and it came out find. The taste seemed a bit sour at first but mellowed out nicely in the fridge. Second thing is that you may need to lower the temperature to 400 as to not over char the chicken.
Use chicken thighs and cook for 25 minutes.
Line pan with foil.
I thought it was too salty, and I usually find things not salty enough. The next time I made it I used one tsp.
I made this the other day exactly minus the anchovies. I'll add that next time since it needed a little salt. I cooked this at 400 degrees for 40 minutes and then did 500 for about 8 minutes. I also marinaded for a full 24 hours. My pan was a little scorched but the bird was succulent and so moist. Delicious. Also, use a good blender for the dressing otherwise you'll get basil leaves that aren't fully processed. I'm sure this contributed to the scorching in my case. Otherwise, fantastic recipe.
I have contacted the Cooking site twice over the course of this fall/winter 2015to request confirming the nutritional analysis ... to date no reply. Either the site is flooded with requests for clarification/info, or my request was tossed. The site is not living up to its claim to answer all requests. 1192 calories per serving? What gives?
My entire family found this delightful.
Notes:
Clean your oven the day before you make this if you plan to follow the recipe exactly, with blast furnace temperature. Otherwise the fire department may show up at your house.
Note that the dressing, while delicious, is quite thin, especially if you use all buttermilk. Replace some of the buttermilk with a dollop of mayo if you like a less runny dressing. I doubled the dressing amount to enjoy it on salads the following days.
Fantastic flavor and color! Roasted at 450 for the first 35 minutes then at 500 for an additional 8 - 10 minutes. Watch carefully at the end so skin doesn't burn. Lining pan with foil is a must. Will use leftover dressing on salad and roasted potatoes. Thank you, Melissa!
My go-to roast chicken recipe from now on, when I'm not using my puny old city oven. Amazing flavor and it came out perfectly using a 4 lb chicken. My city oven set off the fire alarm and filled the house with smoke (you need a REALLY clean oven to avoid the smoke). I made this also in a newer, cleaner oven and there was no smoke at all at 500 degrees. I substitute with whatever greens I have on hand, parsley last time tasted great.
I think this was a good easy recipe and I ended up with very pretty chicken. (4.8 lb chicken cooked at 450 in convection oven for 40 minutes. DEFINITELY use foil.)
I agree with one of the other reviewers that the sauce is too salty - not for a marinade, but it's a bit much as a dressing. I would suggest making the GG with 1 tsp, reserving some in advance, then adding the rest of the salt before marinating the chicken.
Love this recipe! I am making it over and over again. I substitute the chives for a half a small white onion once and it worked just the same.
Easiest and best roast chicken I've ever made. 35 minutes in my over, and it was perfectly cooked, great flavor!
Have made this many times. Line my baking sheet with foil. Use bone-in, skin-on thighs and marinate for 24 hours. Cook in 450 oven for 30 minutes and then check. If skin needs more browning, go 5 minutes more. No problems with smoke (my oven definitely isn’t spotless). Serve with brown rice and green veg, drizzling reserved marinade over everything. Delicious!
Only marinated for 6 hours. Definitely need to do it longer. Not a ton of flavor so I think I'll increase the herb amounts next time.
I just barely marinated for 6 hours. It was probably closer to 4-5. I did cook at 500 degrees but used the grill. I grilled thighs & drumsticks bc leg quarters were on sale, I cut them into individual thighs and drums before grilling. Although I burned the skin on a few pieces, the chicken was still exceptionally juicy and tasty. One family member had 3 pieces. Will definitely be making again…after doing some research on indirect grilling techniques.
400 degrees 40 minutes and finish at 500 degrees for 8-10 minutes
Works wonders with any soft herb combination - I just did a mix of parsley, coriander (cilantro) with a dash of mint and it was divine. Also halved the salt and sprinkled some flakes over the skin just before baking.
This recipe and I had a “Where have you been all my life” moment at the first bite. Tangy herby marinade, moist chicken with crispy skin. If only we had met sooner, I see a big future for us.
This is THE ONE. The very best way to roast a chicken. Melissa, I’ll never quit you!
as others have said or implied, bake a chicken at 500F, and the smoke will result in the fire department arriving. in my well calibrated Jenn Aire, 400F for 60-75 min will be easy and smokeless. Pro tips: reach between meat and skin to separate skin but leave on bird for ultimate crispy skin, and marinate in a ziplock, on a plate for safety, and the delicious will be on bird and not in a puddle on bottom of bow.
Added halved Brussels sprouts and added cat half down 15 min into cook time. Crunchy from chicken fat!
Very good recipe. I loved the taste of basil in the chicken from the marinade. Marinated for 2 days. Cooked in at 400F.
Out of this world! I only marinated for about 90 mins. Rubbed marinade under skin. Prepared on Weber gas grill: indirect heat with two outside burners on high. Middle burner off or on low to keep temp at 500.
Sub 1-2 T Worcestershire for anchovies 1-2 T Mayo Sub Greek yogurt 1 tea Dijon Soak minced garlic in juice of 1 lime w/ lime zest 2-3 c basil 1 c cilantro
We prepared this in our pizza oven, for my mother in laws 85th Birthday party! Woo, 5 stars fabulous from all of our guests. AND its easy and presents beautifully also! Thank you Melissa Clark
Advertisement