Rosemary & balsamic chicken with roast onions

Rosemary & balsamic chicken with roast onions

A honey glaze adds a lovely sweetness to a classic roast chicken. Perfect with the tangy sweetness of roasted red onions

Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 4

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 10 mins

Cook time

Cook 1 hr 40 mins

Method

  1. Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Starting at the neck, carefully loosen the breast skin away from the flesh, trying not to tear it, then place a branch of rosemary down the side of each one. Put the rest of the rosemary in the cavity. Season the chicken inside and out, place in a roasting tin, then sit an onion in each corner of the tin. Drizzle the olive oil over the chicken and onions, then roast everything for 1 hr 20 mins.
  2. Meanwhile, stir the vinegar and honey together until the honey has dissolved. When the chicken has had about 40 mins, whip it out of the oven, drizzle the chicken and onions with the vinegar mix, then continue to roast until the time is up. Remove the chicken to rest, turn the onions over and continue to roast them in the oven while the chicken rests, about 20 mins. Serve each person a portion of chicken, a roasted onion and some of the sticky pan juices.
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Know-how: Adding the glaze

Any glaze that contains honey should be applied halfway through the cooking time as honey has a tendency to burn.

Other rules

Always leave your chicken to rest for at least 15 mins before carving. This will give you a juicy chicken that is a lot easier to carve. For a more succulent chicken, take it out of the fridge one hour before cooking to bring it up to room temperature. This rule applies to any meat you are roasting. Don't worry about turning or basting your chicken as it roasts. Yes, these can give good results, but are fiddly for the beginner, plus every time you open the oven you lose heat.

The golden rule to roast chicken...

1.5kg chicken will be perfectly roasted after 1 hr 20 mins at 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. It doesn't matter what you stuff into it, rub or sprinkle over it or put around it, this timing never changes. Remember this and you will always be able to roast a chicken.

Per serving

629 kcalories, protein 48.0g, carbohydrate 15.0g, fat 42.0 g, saturated fat 11.0g, fibre 2.0g, sugar 12.0g, salt 0.44 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, May 2008.

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Latest comments and suggestions

Results 1-20

  • Binder photo Beth

    09 June 2008

    Beth rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Very nice - skin was nice and crispy. We also stuck a bulb of garlic inside the chicken.

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  • Binder photo Frantic Flapjack

    16 June 2008

    Frantic Flapjack rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Cooked beautifully - very moist. Served with jacket potatoes and salad.

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  • Binder photo Mandy

    10 August 2008

    Mandy rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    The sauce was divine, really enjoyed this dish! I roasted some corguettes, red peppers, and aubergine with the same sauce and olive oil, yum!

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  • Binder photo Mike Bond

    14 September 2008

    Mike Bond rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Very nice. Found the sauce too greasy so drained the fat and added the meat juices to the water from the veg and some chicken gravey granuals

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  • Binder photo rebecca

    04 November 2008

    rebecca rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    very easy and so tasty

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  • Binder photo Alex87

    03 December 2008

    Alex87 commented on this recipe

    Gorgeous recipe; I used 2 chicken legs (to serve two) rather than a whole chicken. I also shoved a wedge of lime (I would normally use lemon, but I only had lime. Still tasted great though), an unpeeled clove of garlic, and some thyme under the legs while roasting. Because I only had to cook this for 40 mins, I used shallots rather than red onions, as I didn't think red onions would cook well enough in that time. I added the glaze after cooking for 10 mins. I felt the glaze was a little runny (perhaps the balsamic I was using), and having had a look at some other glazes, will try doubling the amounts of balsamic with only 1 tbsp honey, and then boiling to reduce by half. Think it will create a better glaze.

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  • Binder photo green_honey_bee

    11 January 2009

    green_honey_bee rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    The Honey and Balsamic is such a great combination I wouldn't have thought of!

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  • Binder photo skellylass

    20 January 2009

    skellylass rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I adapted this to use with chicken thighs. Use small onions and halve. Coat chicken with honey & balsamic vinegar after 5 minutes. Cook for 40 minutes. Makes a delicious mid-week supper.

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  • Binder photo SarahL

    19 February 2009

    SarahL commented on this recipe

    The other half picked this recipe and made it for Sunday lunch the other week. He added some garlic in with the rosemary for a bit of extra flavour, and I made a lovely gravy in the tray which was just heavenly.

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  • Binder photo Cookery Mouse

    29 June 2009

    Cookery Mouse rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I have made this dish twice now and both times it was absolutely delicious and very popular with my guests. The chicken turns a lovely dark golden colour and the rosemary flavours it very nicely - plus it is so easy whcih is a definite bonus! I added some garlic to the chicken cavity and also placed a couple of bulbs around the base of the chicken. Also loved the soft, sweet onions which make a nice change to ususal roast accompaniments. I served this with a green salad rather than roasted veg which was also nice for the summer.

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  • Binder photo taylor82

    08 August 2010

    taylor82 rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    best roast chicken cooked so far, very easy and few ingredients to buy. chicken was cooked perfect but sauce was alittle runny and greasy for my likeing but still very nice!!!

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  • Binder photo seascape

    21 October 2010

    seascape rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Delish - my chicken was smaller but i ended up cooking it for the same time as the recipe states and it was only ever so slightly dry. The rosemary is really flavourful. Was only for 2 so used one onion and the leftover chicken in the Easy Risotto with bacon and peas recipe (without the bacon) the next day.

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  • Binder photo lizabennet

    27 February 2011

    lizabennet commented on this recipe

    Does the chicken need to be covered while being roasted?

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  • Binder photo viking

    14 March 2011

    viking rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    My family enjoyed this, though the kids didn't like the onions. For the gravy, I poured off most of the fat from the juices & added about 700ml of chicken stock (from cubes). The result was very tasty but perhaps a little too strong! There is no need to cover the chicken in the oven.

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  • Binder photo teapot

    31 March 2011

    teapot rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    I also found that my sauce was a little too runny and didn't cling to the chicken, perhaps next time I will use ore honey and less vinegar. I put lots of garlic with mine as well.

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  • Binder photo louisa22

    04 May 2011

    louisa22 rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Don't think I used enough rosemary as couldnt taste it, but still very yummy. The onions were lovely. I served it with roast pepper (put them in roasting tin 20mins before end cooking) and cous cous. Will def do again.

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  • Binder photo appetite

    06 May 2011

    appetite rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    juicy and delicious!

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  • Binder photo cup cake

    17 August 2011

    cup cake rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    i made this for my mum, myself & nearly 3 yr old. The chicken was moist, succulent, flaversome and although i didnt have red onions i used 8 whole shallots instead, worked a treat, made it with mediteranian veg, courgette, aubergine, red pepper n baby leeks griddled & a small portion of roast balsamic totts n cherry tom's. It was a hit with us all and will be making this again as it was simply delish! :)

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  • Binder photo ChefJulieLee

    10 October 2011

    ChefJulieLee rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    made this yesterday and it was tasty and really tender. the honey and balsamic mix didn't really stick to the chicken though and the juice was too runny..I think I will use more honey and less balsamic vinigar the next time..

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  • Binder photo mrssallywalton

    09 November 2011

    mrssallywalton rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Very yummy, it makes the meat lovely and juicy. Also vey simple to do. Enjoyed by everyone.

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Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 4

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 10 mins

Cook time

Cook 1 hr 40 mins

Ingredients

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Per serving

629 kcalories, protein 48.0g, carbohydrate 15.0g, fat 42.0 g, saturated fat 11.0g, fibre 2.0g, sugar 12.0g, salt 0.44 g

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