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This Roasted Mayo Chicken results in a perfectly cooked, crispy chicken that will become a dinner table staple in no time!
I think we’ve finally cracked the code on perfect roasted chicken, my friend. It calls for an unlikely dinner guest, but that dinner guest just happens to be the key to a whole new world of flavorful, delicious, crispy roasted chicken. Our special guest is MAYO! Now, before you change the channel, please hear me out. I’m not one of those people who will add a high fat ingredient just for fun (unless we’re talking about bacon, of course). I’m not afraid of fat and really believe in a healthy fat’s healing power, but I’m not one to butter crackers or add heaping globs of ghee to toast. Nope, I’ll add it in when it makes SENSE and believe-you-me, slathering mayo on chicken actually makes sense.
Here are a few reason why:
- Slathering your chicken in fat is something you were probably already going to do! Whether you were going to use olive oil or butter, this is really not that different.
- Mayo actually “holds” herbs and seasonings on the chicken even better than an olive oil or butter. The emulsion stays put better vs. running off the chicken once it heats up.
- Because it stays put, it also helps to really crisp that chicken skin.
- ….need I go on?
The kind of mayo to use is important here. I don’t recommend using a conventional mayo from your usual brand. If you don’t want to make it in house (you can see my recipe in this post), I recommend grabbing a jar by either Sir Kensington’s or Primal Kitchen Foods.
To make this Roasted Mayo Chicken, all you need to do is pat your chicken dry, fill the cavity with lemons and/or onions, add some herbs in with a little mayo, and slather it over. Tie the legs with some twine, position it in your favorite frying pan (or dutch oven), and bake at 370 F for one hour and fifteen minutes!
Ingredients
- 1, 4-5 pound roasting chicken
- 1/4 cup mayo
- One lemon zested then cut in half
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 inches cooking twine to tie the chicken
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then place breast side up in a large cast iron or roasting pan.
- In a small bowl, mix together mayo, lemon zest, herbs, salt, and pepper. Rub the mixture evenly over the chicken.
- Place the lemon halves inside of the cavity of the chicken, then tie the legs together with the twine.
- Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, until the chicken breast reaches a temperature of 165 F and the juices run clear when cut.
- Let rest for at least 10 minutes, then carve and serve!
Jennifer says
Looks so yummy! Do you think this could be cooked in the instant pot if it was seared on all sides first and then had the mayo topping placed on it?
Amber Link says
I would go ahead and sear it with the mayo on, then make it in the Instant pot!
Jenna says
This was awesome! The whole family gobbled it down, including my 18 month old. What a brilliant idea!!
Victoria says
This recipe is fantastic! I never thought of roasting a chicken like this until I saw this recipe posted on your site! I meal prepped this for my lunches this week and got 6 meals out of this. I will definitely be making this again. Thank you!!! 🙂
Rachel says
This was excellent! Way more flavorful than my go-to olive oil method. The herb blend is spot on, and the skin is absolutely perfect. Thank you!!
Amber Link says
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it!
Sue says
Just wanted to say THANK YOU for explaining the purpose of using mayo on roast chicken. I had another recipe pinned but it didn’t explain at all the benefits so I looked up other recipes online & yours was the 1st that actually went into detail while keeping it simple and to the point. Love the simplicity of the recipe and what you had to say here. I hate blogs that ramble on & on about their personal life..making you read through a bunch of stuff before you get to the recipe, having to scroll down forever. I totally agree with what you said about fats! Anyway, this will be my new pin.
Erin says
What would it look like to add potatoes and carrots to this to cook at the same time?
Brandi Schilhab says
You can just add the potatoes and carrots to the roasting pan (on either side of the chicken) and let them cook with the chicken! No need to adjust the recipe/time at all!
Jordan says
If I don’t have a cast iron or roasting pan, what would you suggest making this in?
Brandi Schilhab says
A large baking dish should work, Jordan!
Robert Knoth says
I used almost the exact same reipe for air fryer turkey breast and it was outstandin. The only differance was the the addition of ground sage. I was looking for something similar for a roast chicken snd found this one my first shot. I am a retired cook and have been using mayo or mustard as a binder for years on all differant types of protein. A little cornstarch mix as a salt and sugar rub under the skin is also a great addition..
Melissa Guevara says
Wow! Thank you so much for sharing, Robert! We’re going to have to try a turkey breast in the air fryer now. How long did you cook it for? Thank you so much for taking the time to share your knowledge and experience with us! -Team FF