Indonesian Roast Chicken Recipe

Chicken, even a deliciously roasted chicken, can start to feel stale after awhile of recycling the same old recipe. So if you're looking for a way to spice up your kitchen (both literally and figuratively), it may be time to try this Indonesian roast chicken recipe courtesy of recipe developer Ting Dalton. "I love roast chicken with potatoes and vegetables, especially when you can throw it into one pan to cook. But this recipe takes it to a whole new level. The flavors are tangy yet punchy and sweet, and all the vegetables cook in delightful juices and sauce," she raves. "The smell coming from the oven is divine — zesty from the lime and lemongrass."

And really, it's the lemongrass that makes this recipe so special (and one you'll want to make over and over again). "It adds a lemon-ginger flavor, but it's light and not too overbearing — you can smell it while cooking and it really adds a floral note to the ingredients," Dalton explains. So go ahead and gather your ingredients (you'll need a lot of spices to embody the Indonesian flavors) and get ready to love your chicken dinner anew.

The beauty of this recipe is it's a one-pan meal, so in addition to roasting the chicken, you'll be roasting your vegetables at the same time. You'll need a whole chicken, carrots, green beans, and baby potatoes as the main ingredients for your meal. But as important as the main ingredients are, the heart and soul of this meal comes down to the herbs, spices, and sauce. For these, you'll need coconut milk, lemongrass stalks, palm sugar, garlic cloves, fish sauce, turmeric, cumin, salt, pepper, green chiles, a lime (you'll need the juice and the zest), and vegetable oil. 

Keep in mind that with the chiles, this dish is fairly spicy. If you prefer a more mild flavor, Dalton says you can skip one or both chiles. Also, if you're having a hard time sourcing some of the ingredients, check an Asian grocery store, or if you must, you can make a few substitutions. For instance, Dalton says you can use soft brown sugar in place of palm sugar. And while it's not ideal, you can sub lemon zest and lemon juice for the lemongrass stalks. 

To marinate your chicken, you'll need to make a thick marinade sauce. Add the coconut milk, garlic cloves, palm sugar, lime zest and juice, fish sauce, lemongrass, chiles, cumin, and turmeric to a blender. Blend the mixture until it creates a smooth, boldly yellow paste. 

Place your whole chicken in a dish and cover it with the marinade. Allow the chicken to sit with the marinade for at least an hour, but if you want to prep this dish ahead, you can marinate it overnight. 

After your chicken has marinated and you're ready to start cooking, go ahead and preheat your oven to 300 F. Add the baby potatoes and sliced carrots to a large roasting pan. Season them with salt and pepper and drizzle them with oil. Transfer the whole chicken from its dish to the roasting pan. If you have any remaining marinade, go ahead and pour it into the pan.

Place your roasting pan in the oven and allow the chicken and veggies to cook for 50 minutes before carefully removing the pan from the oven. Turn the vegetables over and add the green beans to the dish. Return the pan to the oven for 30 more minutes. When it's done, the chicken should be golden and the juices from the chicken thigh should run clear if you slice into it. If you're using a meat thermometer, make sure the chicken's internal temperature hits 165 F. 

When the chicken has cooked through, remove the pan from the oven and slice the chicken into pieces. Serve it with the vegetables, spooning any sauce from the pan over the meal for added flavor. To round out an already delicious meal, Dalton suggests enjoying the chicken with a cold beer or a glass of white wine.