Million Dollar Chicken

Million dollar chicken earns every cent of its name in taste and texture, but it won’t break the bank. Tasty, tender chicken like you’ve never had before!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword How Do I Make Million Dollar Chicken, How To Make Million Dollar Chicken, Million Dollar Chicken, Million Dollar Chicken Recipe

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 1

Resting Time 10

Total Time 1 30

Servings Servings

Calories 535kcal

Author Kathleen

Ingredients

1 4-5 pounds roasting chicken

Seasoned Butter:

1/4 Cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 zest of one whole lemon
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Aromatic Stuffing:

2 lemons, divided
6 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly smashed
2 bay leaves
10 sprigs fresh thyme
salt and pepper

Roasting:

1 (¾ thick) slice sourdough, day old
olive oil

Creme Fraiche Glaze:

7.5 - 8 ounces creme fraiche
1 zest and juice of lemon
1 tablespoon shallots, grated
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper

Garnish

1 lemon, cut into wedges - optional
6 sprigs fresh thyme, optional

Instructions

Day Before Serving:

The day before serving the chicken, in a small mixing bowl, use a fork to mash together butter, zest of 1 lemon, 4-6 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon chopped thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. With fingers, carefully loosen the skin around the chicken breast, leg, and thigh. Spread butter mixture evenly under the skin on breast and upper leg meat.
Squeeze the juice of 1/2 a lemon into the chicken cavity, then season the cavity well with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity of the chicken with the smashed garlic, 1 of the lemons cut into wedges, bay leaves, and 10 thyme sprigs.
Place chicken on a rimmed baking sheet or plate and squeeze the juice of the remaining 1/2 lemon over the chicken and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
On the day of serving, remove chicken from fridge and set on the counter for 30 minutes. Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat oven 450 degrees.
Using olive oil, lightly oil a 9X13 inch baking/roasting dish and place the slice of sourdough in the center of the dish, then place chicken on top of the bread. Drizzle the chicken generously with olive oil, allowing about 2 tablespoons of extra oil to accumulate in the bottom of the pan.
Place dish in preheated oven. Baste every 12-15 minutes, with pan drippings, about roast 40-50 minutes.
Prepare glaze while chicken roasts; mix together until well combined.
As soon as the chicken is almost cooked through (the skin on the drumstick just begins to split or it becomes easy to wiggle), slather on a layer of the creme fraiche glaze using a pastry brush. Continue to roast for 5 minutes.
Slather on another layer of the glaze and roast for another 5 minutes. If the wings or legs are browning too quickly, cover loosely with a small piece of aluminum foil.
Apply one last layer of the glaze and place under the broiler, watching closely, until the glaze caramelizes. At this point, the chicken should be cooked through and nicely browned.
Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes then carve. Cut the sourdough into 4 pieces and serve with the chicken.

Notes

Resting the chicken is crucial. Let it sit for about 10 minutes and allow the juice to settle back into the meat.

Nutrition