Saffron Chicken
Take your weeknight roast chicken to new heights with this fabulous saffron chicken recipe. Infused with the golden hues and aromatic flavors of saffron, and baked to perfection, this meal is sure to be a crowd pleaser.
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 1 hr 30 min
- Yield
- 6 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 2 tbsp unsalted melted butter
- 1/2 tsp ground saffron
- 4 lb whole roasting chicken
- 1/2 onion (quartered)
- 1 sprig of rosemary (fresh)
- 1/2 lemon (quartered)
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 3/8 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- 1
In a small bowl, combine butter and ground saffron. Let it steep and reserve.
- 2
Preheat oven to 425ºF.
- 3
Remove giblets and neck inside chicken cavity and place on a roasting pan with rack. Season cavity of chicken with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper.
- 4
Stuff onion, rosemary, and lemon inside the cavity of the chicken. Using kitchen twine, tie the legs of the chicken together (optional).
- 5
Brush the entire chicken with the golden saffron butter, brushing under the skin of the chicken breast, as well.
- 6
Season the entire chicken with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.
- 7
Roast chicken for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350ºF.
- 8
Roast chicken until meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 170ºF, approximately 1 hour 20 minutes.
- 9
If chicken starts to brown too quickly, loosely cover with aluminum foil.
- 10
Tilt chicken to allow juices from cavity to run into roasting pan.
- 11
Transfer chicken to platter, cover with foil and let stand for 10 minutes, allowing internal temperature to rise.
- 12
Spoon and discard fat from surface of pan juices. You can also use a fat separator.
- 13
Serve chicken with pan juices on the side.