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Harissa Butter Roast Chicken

Name: Harissa Butter Roast Chicken
Prep time: 1 h 24 min
Total time: 2 h 19 min
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: chicken — 2268 g; unsalted butter — 82 g; tahini paste — 41 g; garlic — 12 g; honey — 15 g; salt — 15 g; smoked paprika — 5 g; cumin — 5 g; black pepper — 3 g; lemon — 65 g; yellow onion — 110 g; thyme — 2 g; olive oil — 14 g; low-salt chicken broth — 237 g

Harissa Butter Roast Chicken reads richness 7.1, citrus 5.7 and sourness 5.2 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Middle Eastern main, about 2 hr 19 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 5.2 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 6.2 / 10
Sour & Bright — 7.3 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 2.9 / 10
Rich & Fat — 8.3 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 5.1 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Richness 7.1 · Citrus 5.7 · Sourness 5.2 · Umami 4.8 · Sweetness 4.8 · Fruity 4.6 · Allium 4.5 · Nutty 4.0 · Salinity 4.0 · Floral 3.6 · Smoke 2.4 · Earthy 2.3 · Warm Spice 1.9 · Herbaceous 1.5 · Bitterness 1.3 · Heat 0.8

What's in it (14)

chicken — 2268 g
unsalted butter — 82 g
tahini paste — 41 g
garlic — 12 g
honey — 15 g
salt — 15 g
smoked paprika — 5 g
cumin — 5 g
black pepper — 3 g
lemon — 65 g
yellow onion — 110 g
thyme — 2 g
olive oil — 14 g
low-salt chicken broth — 237 g

Time & effort: about 2 hr 19 min (1 hr 24 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 128 kcal, 14.3 g protein, 9.6 g fat, 1.7 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (10 steps)

In a small bowl, combine the softened butter, harissa paste, garlic, honey, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt, smoked paprika, cumin, and black pepper; mash with a fork until smooth and evenly red-orange.
Working from the cavity end, slide your fingers gently under the skin over the breasts and thighs to loosen it without tearing, then push about two-thirds of the harissa butter directly onto the meat under the loosened skin, massaging from outside to spread it evenly; rub the remaining butter over the outside skin.
Season the chicken all over, including the cavity, with the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt.
Stuff the cavity with the lemon halves, onion quarters, and thyme sprigs; tie the legs together with kitchen twine and tuck the wing tips under the body.
Let the chicken sit at room temperature 30-45 minutes while the oven heats to 425F.
Set the chicken breast-side up in a roasting pan or large ovenproof skillet, drizzle with olive oil, and pour the chicken broth into the bottom of the pan, not over the chicken.
Roast at 425F for 20 minutes, until the skin is just starting to color, then reduce the oven to 375F and continue roasting, basting once with the pan juices at the halfway point, until the skin is deep mahogany-red and a thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh reads 165F, 55-65 minutes more.
Transfer the chicken to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil, and rest 15 minutes so the juices settle back into the meat.
While the chicken rests, pour the pan drippings into a small saucepan, skim off excess fat, and bring to a simmer over medium heat until slightly thickened and glossy, 3-4 minutes; season with salt to taste.
Carve the chicken and serve with the warm harissa pan jus spooned over the top.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Harissa-Roasted Chicken Thighs — Middle Eastern
Harissa Roasted Chicken and Potatoes — Middle Eastern
Crispy Harissa Chicken Thighs with Couscous — Middle Eastern
Sheet-Pan Sausage, Potatoes, and Peppers — American
Mbaazi za Nazi (Pigeon Peas in Coconut Milk) — Swahili Coast

Keep reading: what richness, citrus, sourness mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.