This post may contain affiliate links. Full disclosure policy
When it comes to home cooking, nothing beats a roast chicken. That is, unless it’s this Greek-inspired roast chicken, loaded with savory and flavorful Mediterranean spices and ingredients.
Greek-Inspired Roast Chicken: Weeknight Meal with A Mediterranean Twist
I don’t know anybody who gets quite as excited as I do about buying a whole chicken. To my mind, that excitement is entirely justified.
As long as it’s properly seasoned and roasted, even the simplest roast chicken preparation tastes terrific and makes your kitchen smell amazing. It’s one of those meals that every member of the family will enjoy, even the pickiest eaters.
But one of things I love most about roast chicken is the almost countless options it affords for flavor variations. When it comes to culinary creativity, a whole roasting chicken is the equivalent of a blank canvas to a painter.
My latest creation is this Greek-inspired roast chicken. And if I do say so myself, it’s something of a masterpiece. The meat is juicy and tender, and the skin is brown and beautifully crispy, flavored with fragrant, mouthwatering spices. As the seasoned bird roasts, the juices drip down onto a blend of Mediterranean veggies and aromatics, adding to the already wonderful flavor.
In short, my Greek-Inspired Roast Chicken takes a favorite family dinner and makes it even more delicious by adding an exciting Mediterranean Twist.
Making Greek-Inspired Roast Chicken – It All Starts with A Perfectly Seasoned Bird
But about ten years ago, I discovered the secret for making roast chicken with juicy meat and a gorgeous, crispy skin. The key to this method is three simple ingredients: a young whole chicken (about 4 pounds), Kosher salt, and fresh ground pepper.
Because this is a Greek-Inspired Roast Chicken, this time I added a generous amount of dried oregano into the mix. But salt and pepper do a lot of work in this recipe.
So does time.
After rinsing the chicken and patting it dry with paper towel, you’ll rub the Kosher salt and spice blend all over the bird, inside and out. Then you’ll place the seasoned chicken on a roasting rack and leave it uncovered in the refrigerator for at least six but up to twenty-four hours.
Yes, you read that right. You’re going to let the seasoned chicken sit in the refrigerator for up to one day before roasting. That might sound a little surprising, but hear me out.
Salt not only enhances flavor, it draws moisture. When Kosher salt is rubbed on the bird and given some time to sit, it pulls excess moisture from the skin. Even though you’ll rub a little oil on the skin before cooking, that chicken will have the crispiest, most wonderful skin ever.
If you’re short on time, you can let the bird rest for as little as 6 hours. But letting it rest in the fridge for a whole twenty-four hours really makes a difference. Keep that in mind when planning your timings for Greek-Inspired Roast Chicken.
One other tip – make absolutely sure you use Kosher salt for this recipe, not table salt. Kosher salt isn’t as salty tasting, and the big flakes are better for drawing moisture.
Add Greek-Inspired Veggies and Aromatics
The oregano in the spice rub brings a lot to this recipe. But the thing that really makes this Greek-inspired roast chicken is the yummy array of veggies and aromatics that roast alongside the bird.
The veggies include tiny potatoes (sliced in half), Roma tomatoes, red onion, and olives (green or Kalamata), drizzled with olive oil, and a little more salt, pepper, and oregano. The veggies are placed under the rack as the chicken roasts, so the juices drip down onto them, making them even more delish.
After cooking, I stir the juice and zest of a lemon onto the veggies. It adds an extra zing of bright, fresh flavor and a wonderful fragrance.
If you’d like, you can also sprinkle some crumbled Feta cheese on top of the veggies for a little extra richness and tang. I was out of Feta, so you won’t see it in this set of photos, but it’s a really tasty option if you want to try it.
When you’re done enjoying this delicious chicken, be sure to save the carcass to make chicken stock. You could use the stock to make one of my yummy chicken soup recipes, such as my Lemon Chicken Soup, also based on Greek cuisine!
Print
Greek Inspired Roast Chicken
- Yield: Makes one roast chicken, enough for about 4-6 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken, about 4 lbs
- 2.5 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp fresh ground pepper, divided
- 2 tsp dried oregano, divided
- 3 T olive oil, divided
- 12 oz small potatoes, halves
- 2–3 Roma tomatoes, seeded and cut into eighths
- 1/2 red onion, cut into ¼ inch wide slices,
- 16–20 olives (green and/or kalamata), cut into halves
- 1 lemon, juice and zest
- 2 oz crumbled feta – optional
Instructions
- Remove the innards from inside the chicken, neck, heart, liver, gizzard, etc. (if desired, you can save them for another purpose). Rinse the chicken inside and out with cool water and pat dry with paper towels.
- In a very small bowl, mix together 2.5 tsp Kosher salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1 tsp dried oregano. Rub the spice blend all over the chicken, including inside the cavity. Set the seasoned chicken in a pan on a rack in a roasting pan, breast side up. Let the chicken rest uncovered inside the refrigerator for at least 6 but up to 24 hours.
- When chicken is ready for roasting, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Remove chicken from oven and brush skin all over with 1 T olive oil.
- Place the potatoes, tomatoes, and olives in a medium sized mixing bowl. Drizzle with 2 T olive oil and stir to coat veggies. Sprinkle 1 tsp dried oregano and ½ tsp pepper, stirring again. Arrange prepared veggies into the roasting pan, around or under the rack holding the chicken.
- Place roasting pan with chicken and veggies in center rack of preheated oven, breast side up. Roast for 35 minutes. Remove pan from oven and flip chicken over. Roast for an additional 20 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer pushed into the meatiest part of the thigh reaches at least 165 degrees.
- Remove pan from oven. Place chicken on a cutting board and the cooked vegetables in a serving bowl. Sprinkle lemon zest over vegetables. Squeeze lemon juice over vegetables and stir. Taste and adjust seasonings. Slice chicken meat from the bones as desired, serve with vegetables.
