Juicy Buttermilk Roast Chicken
This buttermilk roast chicken recipe with garlic and herbs delivers perfectly golden, juicy chicken every time. Chicken dinner done right!
Ingredients
- Chicken. I used a whole chicken, broken down, but you can use chicken leg pieces (the thigh and drumstick attached), breast on the bone or chicken thighs for this. Leaving the chicken whole is also fine, pieces just roast quicker making it more suitable for weeknight dinners.
- Buttermilk.
- Salt and black pepper.
- Lemon juice.
- Fresh herbs: I used sage and thyme but rosemary and parsley would also be delicious.
- Fresh garlic cloves.
Tips For Making Buttermilk Roast Chicken
- Marinate the chicken: The buttermilk marinade needs at least 6 hours to tenderize the chicken – I usually leave it for 24 hours (a quick job to do the night before). I wouldn’t let it sit in the marinade for much longer than that as the meat can get pasty from over-tenderization. I like to marinade the chicken in a large Ziploc bag (gallon-size is great) but you could place it in a deep container too. Just make sure the marinade is covering the chicken.
- Roast the chicken: Remove as much buttermilk mixture from the chicken as possible before roasting. This will allow the skin to become beautifully golden brown while roasting. Roast the chicken in the center of the oven and rotate the roasting dish if necessary to allow for even browning to take place.
Serving Suggestions
We love juicy buttermilk roasted chicken with creamy mashed potatoes and green beans. It’s also delicious with rice or over polenta and vegetables like asparagus, brussels sprouts, broccoli and sugar snap peas all make great sides.
Servings: 4
Calories: 324kcal
Ingredients
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 tsp salt + 2 tbsp salt for seasoning the chicken
- 1 tsp pepper
- 2 tsp thyme leaves
- 1 whole chicken, cut into portions Alternatively, use 1lb/500g chicken pieces
For roasting chicken
- 4 thyme springs
- handful fresh sage leaves
- 10 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Season the chicken with a few tablespoons of salt, ensuring every part of the chicken is seasoned.
- Stir together the buttermilk, salt, pepper and thyme leaves in a medium bowl.
- Place the chicken in a resealable plastic bag.
- Pour the buttermilk brine over the chicken, cover and place in the fridge for at least 6 hours but ideally overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade then blot off any excess marinade with paper towels.
- Place the chicken in a roasting pan or baking dish (A large cast-iron skillet can be used too) then drizzle with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.
- Add thyme, fresh sage and garlic cloves.
- Place in the oven and allow to roast for 20-30 minutes (roasting time will differ if using smaller or larger pieces of chicken) until the chicken is golden brown, crisp and cooked through.
- Cover with foil halfway through if the skin is browning too fast for your liking.
- Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes then serve.
Notes
- Seasoning the chicken ahead of marinating might seem pointless but it adds to the overall seasoning of the dish. The amount of salt might seem a bit much but a lot of it will be removed with the buttermilk marinade but the chicken will remain seasoned all the way through.
Can I make this ahead?
The chicken can be marinated up to 24 hours before cooking. Chicken can be roasted up to 2 hours before serving and kept warm until you’re ready to serve. Leftover roast chicken can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.Nutrition
Calories: 324kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 125mg | Sodium: 1978mg | Potassium: 446mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 194IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 153mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
This was so delicious! I used a spatchcocked chicken and marinated. Almost 24 hours. So tender and juicy! My husband and son were also very impressed. Thank you so much for such an amazing recipe!