Thanksgiving Chicken & Gravy | Plays Well With Butter (2024)

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Savory herb oil. Combine olive oil, garlic, fresh herbs, & Worcestershire sauce, which is the secret ingredient in the savory herb oil. Worcestershire is a little sour, a little sweet, & a little spicy, giving the Thanksgiving amazing depth of flavor. Meal Prep Tip! ⇢ Be sure to prep a day in advance to allow all its flavors to infuse & meld together!

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Herb butter. Create this compound butter by mixing fresh butter with lots of garlic, rosemary, sage, & thyme. Spread it all over the chicken, working between the chicken skin & meat with your hands. Why? ⇢ As the Thanksgiving chicken roasts in the oven, the butter melts all over the meat, keeping it extra juicy & infusing it with even more aromatic flavor.

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Marinate the chicken with savory herb oil. Once the chicken is buttered & seasoned, quickly marinate it in a little of the savory herb oil to create layers of rich flavor. Thanksgiving Prep Tip! ⇢ Drizzle a generous amount of the savory oil over the whole chicken & let it sit for 30 minutes to marinate while the oven preheats.

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Preheat your cast iron skillet. Before you can roast your Thanksgiving Chicken, place a cast iron skillet (or another oven-safe pan to roast the chicken in) in the cold oven & preheat both together. Why? ⇢Since cast iron is so heavy, it takes a little while to heat up. Allowing it to preheat in the oven before roasting the chicken in it gives the chicken a faster, more even roast. As a bonus, the chicken will begin to sizzle the moment it hits the pan, creating a deliciously crispy & golden sear on the bird!

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Roast & baste the Thanksgiving chicken.Transfer the chicken to preheated skillet, then pop it in the oven to roast for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, carefully add the potatoes to the pan, then return to the oven to roast 45-60 minutes longer, until the chicken is cooked through. During this second roast, be sure to baste the chicken every 15 minutes by using a spoon or pastry brush to coat the chicken with the flavorful drippings in the bottom of the skillet. Why? ⇢ Basting promotes even browning, creating a beautifully golden brown roasted chicken with deliciously crisp skin. As a bonus, the chicken soaks up even more flavor with each baste!

Whether you’re hosting a small-scale holiday dinner or you want extra room for sides, Thanksgiving Chicken is the perfect alternative to Thanksgiving turkey!

This easy oven roasted chicken is seasoned twice to yield an especially delicious, juicy, & beautifully golden brown bird worthy of any holiday dinner table: it’s slathered with a simple garlicky herb butter & basted with an extra-savory herb oil as it roasts. Both components are made with generous amounts of finely chopped fresh herbs (rosemary! sage! thyme!) so the roasted chicken taste just like a classic roasted turkey dinner, while a little bit of Worcestershire in the savory herb oil adds an extra punch of rich, umami flavor.

Roast it right over baby gold potatoes for a built-in schmaltzy side, then prep a creamy chicken gravy with the roasted drippings. It’s a showstopping holiday table centerpiece, perfect for servingalongside your favorite Thanksgiving side dishes – no one will even miss the turkey!

Ingredients

Scale

• one 4–5 pound whole chicken, trimmed of excess fat & thoroughly patted try
• savory herb oil (below)
• herb butter (below)
• 1 tablespoon avocado oil or high smoke point oil of choice
• kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season
• 1 ½ pounds baby potatoes or mini creamer potatoes

for the herb butter:

• ¼ cup unsalted butter (4 tablespoons or ½ a stick), softened to room temperature
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh poultry herbs (fresh rosemary, sage, thyme)
• kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season

for the savory herb oil:

• 6 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh poultry herbs (fresh rosemary, sage, thyme)

optional: for skillet gravy:

• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 1 ½ cups chicken stock or broth
• optional: 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season

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1. Mix the herb oil: At least one day before roasting the chicken, prepare the herb oil. Add the Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, garlic, & herbs to a small bowl. Whisk to combine. Cover & set aside to infuse at room temperature for 1 day.
2. Mix the herb butter: Add all listed herb butter ingredients to a medium bowl. Season with ½ teaspoon kosher salt & ground black pepper as desired. Mix to combine well. Set aside for immediate use, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
3. Prepare the chicken: Up to 1 hour before you’d like to begin roasting the chicken, pull it from the refrigerator to give it a chance to warm to room temperature for more even roasting. If you prepped the herb butter in advance, this is a good time to pull that from the refrigerator as well, so it has the chance to soften a little. If present, remove the neck and tail. Use kitchen shears to trim any excess fat or skin flaps from chicken. Use paper towels to pat the surface of the chicken completely dry. Set it on a large plastic cutting board, with the savory herb oil & herb butter nearby for ease. Using kitchen twine, tie the chicken’s legs together, securing them tightly against the breasts.
4. Season the chicken: Use your hands to spread the prepared herb butter from Step 2 between the chicken skin & meat. To separate the skin from the meat, work your hand gently under the skin over the breast, sweeping from side to side, tearing any tissue connecting the skin to the meat. Work your hand down the side of the chicken into the thigh and leg area. Do not tear or remove the skin from the chicken. Buttering the chicken meat directly helps keep it juicy & flavorful. Transfer the chicken to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle half of the prepared savory herb oil over the surface of the chicken, turning to coat the chicken in the oil. Set aside to marinate for 30 minutes while the oven preheats.
5. Preheat the oven: Meanwhile, as the chicken rests, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F, ensuring an oven rack is positioned in the lower third of the oven. Pour the avocado oil in an 11-inch cast iron skillet, spreading it to coat the bottom of the skillet. Place the skillet on the oven rack, allowing it to preheat as the oven preheats.
6. Roast the chicken: Once the oven is preheated, lightly season the chicken with kosher salt & ground black pepper. Transfer the chicken to the preheated cast iron skillet, shaking off any excess marinade. Reserve excess marinade. Roast the chicken for 30 minutes.
7. Add potatoes to the skillet: After 30 minutes of roasting, decrease the oven temperature to 400 degrees F. Move the skillet from the oven to the stovetop, then use tongs to transfer the chicken to a large plate. Place the baby potatoes in the hot skillet, then place the chicken on top of the potatoes. Pour the reserved marinade over the chicken, then carefully return the skillet to the oven.
8. Roast & baste the chicken: Roast for an additional 45-60 minutes, removing the chicken from the oven every 15 minutes to baste in the drippings. To baste, simply spoon or brush the drippings in the skillet all over the surface of the chicken. If desired, rotate the skillet 180 degrees each time you place it back in the oven to promote even roasting & browning. Pull the chicken from the oven once an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh registers an internal temperature of 155 degrees F.
9. Rest the chicken: Very carefully transfer the roasted chicken from the skillet to a large flat surface & transfer the potatoes to a serving dish. Tent with foil & set aside to rest at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before carving. As the chicken rests, its juices will redistribute throughout the meat & its internal temperature will continue to rise to a safe 165 degrees F.
10. Optional: Make the skillet chicken gravy: Carefully pour the drippings in the skillet into a bowl or large liquid measuring cup. Skim off half of the oil & discard. Pour remaining drippings back into the skillet over medium-low heat. Sprinkle flour over the surface of the skillet and cook, whisking constantly, until a darkened roux forms, about 2-3 minutes. While whisking constantly, slowly pour in the white wine. Let the mixture bubble & reduce slightly. Pour in the chicken stock. Continue to whisk until the gravy reduces to your desired thickness. Remove from the heat. If desired, stir in a little heavy cream (they gravy is otherwise very dark) & season with salt and ground black pepper as needed; this will vary based on the amount of salt in your drippings & your stock so use your judgement.
11. Carve & serve: Carve, serve & enjoy!

• Yield:As written, this Thanksgiving chicken recipe easily feeds 4, assuming you serve 1 or 2 side dishes in addition to the roasted potatoes. If you have more side dishes, you can definitely stretch this roast chicken over a couple more portions.
• Thanksgiving Prep Tips:This Thanksgiving chicken recipe is quite straightforward & easy, though you can prep a couple of components in advance to make Thanksgiving day cooking even more effortless. Here’s what I suggest:
  • Make-Ahead Savory Herb Oil: Up to 1 week in advance or at least 1 day in advance, prepare the savory herb oil according to Step 1 of Recipe Directions, above. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. (<10 minutes active prep)
  • Make-ahead herb butter: Up to 1 week in advance, prepare the lemon herb butter according to Step 2 of Recipe Directions, above.Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. The morning of your holiday meal, simply pull the herb butter from the fridge to soften to room temperature for Thanksgiving chicken prep. (<10 minutes active prep)