Martha Stewart Roasted Quartered Chicken with Herb Sauce

Martha Stewart Roasted Quartered Chicken with Herb Sauce is an easy family dinner built on one smart move: high heat for just 30 minutes. The parsley, garlic, and red wine vinegar sauce gets spooned over the golden bird right on the baking sheet with all the pan juices.

The olive oil and red pepper flake sauce cuts through the rich, golden skin, a cozy Sunday comfort food dinner with only seven ingredients. Pat the skin completely dry before you oil it, because moisture steams instead of crisps.

Martha Stewart Roasted Quartered Chicken with Herb Sauce

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Course: DinnerCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Calories

500

kcal

Crackly-skinned chicken quarters roasted at 450 degrees until golden and juicy, then hit with a bright, punchy sauce of chopped parsley, raw garlic, red wine vinegar, and red pepper flakes that melts into the hot pan drippings.

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds), quartered and backbone removed, room temperature
  

• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  

• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
  

• 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
  

• 1 cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
  

• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic (from 1 small clove)
  

• 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
  

Directions

• Season and roast: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Rub chicken with 1 tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper. Arrange, skin-side up, on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until golden and a thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast (without touching bone) registers 160 degrees, about 30 minutes.
• Make the herb sauce: Transfer chicken to a plate. Pour off and discard fat from baking sheet; return chicken to sheet. Whisk together remaining 1/4 cup oil, vinegar, parsley, garlic, and pepper flakes in a bowl. Season with salt. Spoon sauce over chicken and let stand 10 minutes before serving with accumulated pan juices and sauce.

Tools for this recipe

• Nordic Ware half sheet pan, ThermoPro instant-read thermometer, Victorinox Fibrox 8-inch chef's knife, Partanna Sicilian extra virgin olive oil, 1 liter. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I use chicken pieces instead of a whole quartered chicken?

Bone-in, skin-on thighs or drumsticks work well and cook in about the same 30 minutes at 450 degrees. Boneless breasts cook faster, closer to 18 to 20 minutes, so check with a thermometer at 160 degrees to avoid drying them out. Quartering your own bird is cheaper per pound, and you get a mix of white and dark meat on one sheet pan.

How do I store leftover roasted quartered chicken?

Pull the meat off the bone and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Store the herb sauce separately so the parsley stays bright and the vinegar keeps its punch. Reheat gently in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of olive oil, since the microwave turns the skin rubbery.

What goes well with roasted chicken and herb sauce?

Roasted potatoes or crusty bread are the best match because they soak up the herby pan juices. A simple green salad with a red wine vinaigrette ties into the vinegar in the sauce. For a bigger spread, roast vegetables like zucchini or asparagus on a separate sheet pan at the same 450 degrees.

Can I make the herb sauce ahead of time?

Whisk the olive oil, vinegar, parsley, garlic, and red pepper flakes up to 2 hours ahead and keep it covered at room temperature. The parsley will darken if you go much longer than that. The key step happens at serving: spoon the sauce over the chicken while it is still on the hot baking sheet, so it mixes with the pan drippings.

Why does my chicken skin come out soggy instead of crispy?

The most common cause is skipping the dry step. Pat every surface with paper towels until no moisture is visible, because water on the skin steams instead of crisps at 450 degrees. Make sure the oven is fully preheated before the chicken goes in, and place the pieces skin-side up with space between them so hot air circulates.