Creamy Chimichurri Roast Chicken

Dinner · Meat & Poultry Mains

Creamy Chimichurri Roast Chicken

Yogurt, herbs, garlic, and vinegar flavor this flattened roast chicken, with clean reserved chimichurri served alongside.
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Prep
20 minutes
Cook
1 hour
Marinate
2 hours
Total
3 hours 30 minutes
Serves
6 people

Bring it to the table

About this recipe.

A spatchcocked roast chicken marinated in yogurt chimichurri, with a separate portion of fresh sauce reserved for serving.

Before you start

Gather your ingredients.

Check your pantry before you begin. Full quantities and serving adjustments are in the recipe card below.

See the ingredient checklist

Sauce:

  • 5 Cloves Garlic
  • 2½ Cups Fresh Cilantro (packed)
  • 2 Cups Parsley (packed)
  • ¼ Cup Red Wine Vinegar
  • 2¼ tsp Kosher Salt (Morton kosher salt; or use 4 tsp Diamond Crystal)
  • 4 tsp Dried Oregano
  • 2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
  • ¾ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (divided)
  • 1 Cup Greek Yogurt (Plain Whole-Milk)

Chicken And Assembly:

  • 4 Lb Whole Chicken (whole, backbone removed, patted dry)
  • 1¼ tsp Kosher Salt (Morton kosher salt; or use 2 tsp Diamond Crystal)

The cooking plan

How to make Creamy Chimichurri Roast Chicken.

  1. Pulse the garlic, cilantro, parsley, vinegar, sauce salt, oregano, pepper flakes, and ¼ cup olive oil in a food processor until the herbs are finely chopped.

  2. Whisk the herb mixture with the yogurt and remaining ½ cup olive oil. Before handling raw chicken, measure ¾ cup sauce into a separate bowl for the marinade. Cover and refrigerate the remaining clean sauce for serving.

  3. With the backbone already removed, place the chicken breast side up and press firmly on the breastbone to flatten it. Rub with the chicken salt and the measured ¾ cup marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 2–12 hours. Keep the serving sauce separate from the chicken and any utensils that touch it.

  4. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Put the chicken on a wire rack in a large rimmed baking sheet. Spread the marinade from the chicken bowl over the bird before roasting, then discard any residue. Roast, rotating the pan halfway through, until the thickest breast and innermost thigh and wing areas reach 165°F (74°C), avoiding bone with the thermometer, about 50–60 minutes or longer as needed. Rest 10 minutes on a clean board before carving.

  5. Whisk the reserved clean sauce if it has separated. Serve alongside the carved chicken. Do not serve uncooked marinade that contacted raw poultry.

Let’s cook

The full recipe.

Check off ingredients as you get them ready.

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Creamy Chimichurri Roast Chicken

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A spatchcocked roast chicken marinated in yogurt chimichurri, with a separate portion of fresh sauce reserved for serving.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Marinate 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Argentinian, Argentinian Fusion, South America
Ingredients Equipment Instructions Notes

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Ingredients
  

Sauce:
  • 5 Cloves Garlic
  • 2½ Cups Fresh Cilantro packed
  • 2 Cups Parsley packed
  • ¼ Cup Red Wine Vinegar
  • 2¼ tsp Kosher Salt Morton kosher salt; or use 4 tsp Diamond Crystal
  • 4 tsp Dried Oregano
  • 2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
  • ¾ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil divided
  • 1 Cup Greek Yogurt Plain Whole-Milk
Chicken And Assembly:
  • 4 Lb Whole Chicken whole, backbone removed, patted dry
  • 1¼ tsp Kosher Salt Morton kosher salt; or use 2 tsp Diamond Crystal

Equipment

1 Food processor
1 Two mixing bowls
1 Wire rack and rimmed baking sheet
1 Food thermometer
1 Clean carving board

Equipment images are illustrative. Exact products may vary.

Instructions
 

Sauce:
  1. Pulse the garlic, cilantro, parsley, vinegar, sauce salt, oregano, pepper flakes, and ¼ cup olive oil in a food processor until the herbs are finely chopped.
    5 Cloves Garlic, 2½ Cups Fresh Cilantro, 2 Cups Parsley, ¼ Cup Red Wine Vinegar, 2¼ tsp Kosher Salt, 4 tsp Dried Oregano, 2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, ¾ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  2. Whisk the herb mixture with the yogurt and remaining ½ cup olive oil. Before handling raw chicken, measure ¾ cup sauce into a separate bowl for the marinade. Cover and refrigerate the remaining clean sauce for serving.
    1 Cup Greek Yogurt, ¾ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Chicken and Assembly:
  1. With the backbone already removed, place the chicken breast side up and press firmly on the breastbone to flatten it. Rub with the chicken salt and the measured ¾ cup marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 2–12 hours. Keep the serving sauce separate from the chicken and any utensils that touch it.
    4 Lb Whole Chicken, 1¼ tsp Kosher Salt
  2. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Put the chicken on a wire rack in a large rimmed baking sheet. Spread the marinade from the chicken bowl over the bird before roasting, then discard any residue. Roast, rotating the pan halfway through, until the thickest breast and innermost thigh and wing areas reach 165°F (74°C), avoiding bone with the thermometer, about 50–60 minutes or longer as needed. Rest 10 minutes on a clean board before carving.
  3. Whisk the reserved clean sauce if it has separated. Serve alongside the carved chicken. Do not serve uncooked marinade that contacted raw poultry.

Notes

The listed salt amounts are for Morton kosher salt; the ingredient notes give Diamond Crystal equivalents from the original source. Total time includes the minimum 2-hour marinade and 10-minute rest; a longer marinade increases the total. Timing is approximate.

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