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4.75 from 4 votes

Zuni Roasted Whole Chicken with Chimichurri

The best Roasted Whole Chicken with a foolproof method for the most crispy skin!
Prep Time1 day 45 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time1 day 2 hours
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American, Argentinian
Servings: 8 people
Author: Gaby Dalkin

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

  • 1 4-5 pound whole chicken giblets removed
  • 3 tablespoons kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons mixed herbs, like thyme, rosemary, and sage finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

For the Chimichurri:

  • 1 head parsley
  • 1 head cilantro
  • 20 leaves basil
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 tablespoons capers rinsed
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • ½ - ¾ cup olive oil
  • kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Instructions

For the Chimichurri:

  • In a food processor, combine herbs, garlic, and vinegar and capers. Pulse until coarsely chopped, 20-40 seconds. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

For the Chicken:

  • Dry brine for the chicken starts 24-48 hours ahead of serving. Start by patting the chicken all over with paper towels to make sure its very dry. Use your fingers to loosen the skin on the breast making a pocket that you’ll use to place the chopped herbs.
  • Place the chicken onto a rack in a roasting pan and sprinkle liberally with the salt making sure to get the bottom, inside cavity wings. Tuck the wings behind the breast and tie the legs. Lightly sprinkle with pepper Place chicken uncovered into the refrigerator for 24-48 hours, this will slowly dehydrate the skin, the end result after roasting will be the most crispy skin ever.
  • After the chicken has air dried, remove from the refrigerator, and let sit at room temp for about 30 min while the oven preheated to 425. Stuff the herbs into the slit you cut the day prior. Drizzle the chicken with 2 tablespoons olive oil and roast in the preheated oven for 1 hour, 15 min, rotate the bird ½ way to ensure even browning. Once done, a meat thermometer should register at 165 degrees F and the juices should run clean. Remove from the oven and let rest  10-15  minutes before carving.

Nutrition

Calories: 835kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 77g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 48g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 136mg | Sodium: 3691mg | Potassium: 373mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 0.03g | Vitamin A: 482IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 3mg