Christmas Roast Chicken with Orange and Rosemary

Christmas Roast Chicken with Orange and Rosemary

Bone-in chicken portions roast in a Dutch oven with orange, rosemary, garlic, and a shallow citrus pan sauce. Browning the pieces first gives the skin color; roasting them uncovered, skin-side up and above the sauce, helps it stay browned while the orange and lime soften around the chicken.

Cutting the chicken into portions makes it easy to serve from the pot, but the pieces may not finish together. Start checking the smaller ones early and use a thermometer to decide when each is done.

Ingredients for Orange and Rosemary Roast Chicken

• 1 whole chicken, cut into 8 bone-in portions (3½–4 lb / 1.6–1.8 kg)
• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium red onion, cut into wedges
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• ½ cup orange juice
• 1 medium orange, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 lime, cut into wedges or thick slices
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• ½ cup dry white wine
• ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

A butcher can cut the chicken into portions. For a wine-free sauce, replace the wine with an equal amount of chicken broth; the flavor will be slightly different. If using dried rosemary instead of fresh, use about 1 teaspoon.

How to Make Christmas Roast Chicken

1. Preheat and season: Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Pat the chicken dry and season it all over with the salt and pepper. Mix the orange zest, rosemary, and garlic. Gently loosen the skin without detaching it and work some of the mixture underneath.
2. Brown the chicken: Heat the olive oil in a wide, oven-safe 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown the chicken skin-side down, then turn it once to briefly brown the other side. Transfer it to a plate. The skin should be golden to deep brown, not black. Drain excess rendered fat if the pot looks greasy.
3. Make the sauce: Reduce the heat to medium and briefly cook the onion wedges. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until its raw smell fades. Add the wine, orange juice, lime juice, and broth. Scrape up the browned bits and bring the liquid to a simmer.
4. Arrange the pot: Return the chicken in one layer, skin-side up. Nestle the orange slices and lime pieces around it. The sauce should surround the pieces without covering the skin. If the pot is too crowded for one layer, transfer the sauce and chicken to a larger oven-safe roasting dish.
5. Roast uncovered: Roast for about 40 to 50 minutes, without turning the chicken. Begin checking smaller breast or thigh portions at about 35 minutes. Rotate the pot once if your oven browns unevenly. The sauce should bubble around the chicken and the skin should be deeply golden with darker caramelized spots. If the skin darkens too much before the meat is done, loosely shield those areas with foil.
6. Check and rest: Insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of each piece without touching bone. Remove each piece when it reaches 165°F (75°C); smaller pieces may finish first. Rest the chicken for about 10 minutes. If needed, reduce the sauce separately, then spoon it around the chicken and finish with parsley.

How to Keep the Skin Browned

Drying and browning the chicken before roasting builds color without relying on a broiler. Keep the skin above the shallow sauce and leave the pot uncovered so steam does not soften it. If the cooked chicken needs more color, a brief broil is optional. Watch it continuously and stop before the skin burns.

If the Citrus Sauce Is Too Thin

Remove the cooked chicken before reducing the sauce so the meat does not overcook. Simmer the sauce briefly over medium-low heat until it looks lightly glossy and coats a spoon. Stop before it becomes thick or overly salty.

Serving and Storing the Chicken

Serve family-style in the Dutch oven, with the orange and lime pieces visible and the sauce spooned around the chicken. Roasted potatoes, root vegetables, rice, or couscous work well alongside it.

Refrigerate leftover chicken and sauce promptly in a covered container for up to 3 to 4 days. Reheat portions gently, covered, with a spoonful of sauce or broth until steaming hot throughout. The sauce ingredients can be prepared ahead, but brown and roast the chicken close to serving for the best skin texture. Cooked chicken can be frozen in an airtight container with sauce; the skin will soften after thawing and reheating.

Nutrition

Approximate nutrition per serving, based on 1 of 6 servings with chicken and sauce: 510 calories, 37g protein, 34g fat, and 16g carbohydrates. Per 100g: about 190 calories, 14g protein, 13g fat, and 6g carbohydrates. Values vary with portion size, the amount of skin and sauce eaten, and how much rendered fat remains in the pot.