Roast Chicken with Sweet Potatoes: Hearty, Healthy, Tasty
This recipe looks impressive, but it's actually an easy weeknight meal.
For one of the healthiest takes on chicken, the oven is the way to go. Roasting chicken with fresh herbs creates great flavor without using a ton of oil or condiments. (These are the condiments nutritionists want you to avoid.) Fresh herbs are also a great way to cut back on salt in recipes. A low-salt diet can help keep blood pressure numbers down, which is essential to prevent conditions like heart disease, stroke, and heart failure. (Here are more tips for following a low-salt diet.)
In this roast chicken recipe, the chicken is flavored with rosemary, which goes great with potatoes. Instead of the average white potato, this recipe uses sweet potatoes. TBH, there is nothing inherently wrong with a white potato from time to time, but sweet potatoes are a great way to add diversity to your menus, and they are more nutritious than regular potatoes. In fact, one dietitian even lists them as a diabetic superfood.
For a variation, swap out the sweet potato and try diced butternut squash, turnips, or carrots. (Here’s how to peel carrots fast and cut squash safely.) Otherwise, go green and roast asparagus, green beans, or broccoli instead. These items take slightly less time to cook all the way through, so you can wait until the last 20 minutes to toss them in the oven.
Ingredients
- One 3-4 pound chicken
- 1 pound sweet potatoes (evenly chopped into 1 inch size pieces)
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme (chopped)
- 1 tablespoon rosemary (chopped)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Set the chicken on the cutting board, breast side down. Using kitchen shears, cut along both sides of the backbone and remove it. Flip the chicken over and press down on the breast to flatten it out a little. (You may also ask your butcher to do this for you). Lay the chopped sweet potatoes in the pan and season with salt and pepper. Rub 1 teaspoon salt all over the chicken, including under the skin, and set it breast side up, in an 8 x 11 baking dish or roasting pan. Sprinkle it generously with black pepper. Then rub olive oil on top of the chicken. Sprinkle the skin with fresh thyme and rosemary Roast the chicken and stir the sweet potatoes after 30 minutes to ensure even cooking. Cook until an instant read thermometer inserted in the deepest part of the thigh registers at 170 to 175, about 50 minutes. Keep an eye on the pan juices, if they seem to be burning add a couple of tablespoons of water to the pan. Let the chicken rest for a few minutes. Then cut into pieces, drizzle it generously with the pan juices and serve. Tip: To save time ask your butcher to butterfly the chicken Serves 5-6
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Information Based on a Single Serving
*Percent Daily Value are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Dietary Needs
Carbohydrate