Oh, roast chicken. You are a sight to behold in all your glory. With crispy skin, juicy interior, and flavor throughout, you are magnificent. And I shy away from you. Why? Because you intimidate me. You are big, take a long time to cook, are messy, and just scary sometimes. You are Buttermilk Roasted Chicken.
It’s true. I love a good roast chicken as much as the next girl and it’s not that they are hard to cook but they seem labor-intensive to me. This is strange considering I make so much homemade bread and other sweets that take a lot of time. I don’t know what it is about whole chickens. :/
But alas!! As soon as I came across this Buttermilk Roasted Chicken recipe that could use bone-in chicken breasts and buttermilk (because I always seem to have some leftover from another recipe), I knew I had a winner.
You get all the goodness of a whole roasted chicken but with only the breasts and a little less work – at least I think so. The skin is crispy and the meat is tender, juicy, and full of flavor.
I suppose this next part could be construed as hypocritical when it comes to the labor intensive part because this recipe does call for an overnight brine. But I swear, it’s easy! Just throw it all together after dinner one night and the throw the chicken in the oven the next night!
Look, all I’m saying is that I liked this recipe and it will definitely make many, many more appearances in our kitchen. You almost get the feel that this chicken is a rotisserie chicken, it definitely had some of those qualities so I can say that it’s worth the little bit of extra prep time.
Buttermilk Roasted Chicken Ingredients
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 5 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
- 1 tbsp. table salt
- 1 tbsp. granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons paprika, plus extra for sprinkling
- Lots of freshly ground black pepper
- 2 ½ to 3 pounds chicken parts
- Drizzle of olive oil
- Flaked or coarse sea salt, to finish
- Lemons, for serving
Directions
- Whisk buttermilk with garlic, table salt, sugar, paprika, and lots of freshly ground black pepper in a bowl. Place chicken parts in a gallon-sized freezer bag (or lidded container) and pour buttermilk brine over them, be sure to cover all parts. Refrigerate for at least 2 but preferably 24 and up to 48 hours.
- When ready to roast, preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking dish with foil. Remove chicken from buttermilk brine and arrange in dish. Drizzle lightly with olive oil, then sprinkle with additional paprika and sea salt to taste.
- Roast for 30 minutes for legs; approximately 35 to 40 for breasts, until brown and a bit scorched in spots.
- Serve with lemon wedges.
What to serve with Buttermilk Roasted Chicken?
- Rice or baby potatoes. I love Cilantro Lime Rice as I really love cilantro accents in the food.
- Lemon wedges and fresh cilantro will add freshness and highlight the chicken flavor.
- Dips or sauces you like. You can make it a Mexican-style night and serve Smoked Queso Dip, or my favorite dill dip with cream cheese (here is the recipe).
- Pineapple Coleslaw
- Roasted cauliflower – easy to make but so healthy and good!
- Pasta salad – I find them very filling and pasta salads are such a comfort and easy to make food for me. Try my Greek Pasta Salad or Honey Lemon Pasta Salad Recipe.
- Green salads with fresh veggies – if you’re trying to eat healthier, choose more greens and vegetables, as they work great for your gut, helping it digest the food and clean itself.
More recipes with chicken:
and many more on my blog 🙂