Whole Roasted Greek Chicken - Easy Weeknight Dinner

This whole roasted Greek chicken is such an easy marinade and makes for a BANGING weeknight dinner! Spatchcocked chicken rubbed with a gorgeous blend of fresh herbs, garlic, lemon, and Dijon mustard, roasted with lemon slices and potatoes until golden and crispy. Serve it all up with a fresh tomato, cucumber, and feta salad, and it'll be as if you're sitting in your favourite place in Greece! Let's cook!

Recipe Details

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 55 minutes (40 mins covered + 15 mins uncovered)
• Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Serves: 4 people
• Difficulty: Easy
• Special Equipment: Roasting tray, kitchen scissors or sharp knife, blender

Spatchcocking (removing the backbone) helps the chicken cook faster and more evenly, and it means you get loads of crispy skin! The marinade is packed with Greek flavours, fresh oregano and thyme, loads of garlic, lemon, and a bit of Dijon mustard to help everything stick. Roasted with lemon slices and potatoes, it's a complete meal in one tray.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Easy herb marinade: Blend everything together in seconds
• One-tray meal: Chicken and potatoes cook together
• Ready in an hour: Perfect for busy weeknights
• Crispy skin: Spatchcocking creates maximum crispy surface area
• Greek flavours: Fresh herbs, lemon, and garlic transport you to Greece

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

• 1 whole chicken (about 1.5 to 2kg)
• 1 lemon, sliced into rounds
• 4 to 6 small potatoes, halved or quartered
• Salt and pepper, to season

For the Marinade:

• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 2 heaped tablespoons fresh oregano leaves
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Juice of ½ lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 to 8 grinds cracked black pepper

To Serve:

• Greek salad (tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, feta)
• Extra roasted potatoes if needed

Instructions

1. Make the marinade: Add all the marinade ingredients to a blender, garlic, thyme, oregano, lemon zest, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Blend until smooth and well combined.
2. Spatchcock the chicken: Place the chicken breast-side down on a cutting board. Using kitchen scissors or a sharp knife, cut along both sides of the backbone to remove it completely. Flip the chicken over and press down firmly on the breastbone to flatten it out. See the guide below if it's your first time!
3. Prepare the roasting tray: Lay the spatchcocked chicken flat in a large roasting tray. Arrange the lemon slices and halved potatoes around the chicken.
4. Season: Season the chicken and potatoes generously with salt and pepper.
5. Add the marinade: Pour the blended marinade all over the chicken, making sure to get it everywhere, underneath, on top, all over the skin. Rub it in with your hands to coat thoroughly. Make sure the potatoes get some too!
6. Cover and roast: Cover the tray tightly with foil. Roast in a preheated oven at 180°C (160°C fan / 350°F / Gas Mark 4) for 40 minutes.
7. Uncover and crisp: Remove the foil and increase the oven temperature to 190°C (170°C fan / 375°F / Gas Mark 5). Roast uncovered for another 15 minutes until the skin is golden and crispy and the chicken is cooked through.
8. Check it's cooked: Pierce the thickest part of the thigh with a knife. The juices should run clear, not pink. If you have a meat thermometer, it should read 75°C in the thickest part.
9. Rest: Let the chicken rest for 5 to 10 minutes before carving. This helps the juices redistribute.
10. Serve: Serve the chicken with the roasted potatoes, lemon slices, and a fresh Greek salad (tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and feta). Enjoy!

How to Spatchcock a Chicken

Don't be intimidated, it's easier than you think!

1. Place chicken breast-side down
2. Use kitchen scissors or a sharp knife
3. Cut along one side of the backbone from tail to neck
4. Cut along the other side to remove the backbone completely
5. Flip the chicken over
6. Press down firmly on the breastbone to flatten
7. You should hear a crack. That's the breastbone breaking and it's totally normal!

The chicken should now lie flat. Save the backbone for making stock!

Chef's Tips

Marinate ahead: If you have time, marinate the chicken for a few hours (or overnight) in the fridge. The flavour gets even better the longer it sits.

Dry the chicken first: Pat the chicken dry with kitchen paper before adding the marinade. This helps the skin get crispier.

Don't skip the resting time: Resting after roasting lets all the juices redistribute through the meat. Cut it too early and they all run out onto the board.

Use fresh herbs: Fresh oregano and thyme make a noticeable difference here. Dried works in a pinch but the fresh version is worth it.

Save the backbone: Don't throw away the backbone after spatchcocking! Freeze it and use it for homemade chicken stock.

Substitutions & Variations

• Different herbs: Use rosemary instead of thyme, or add fresh parsley
• Spicy version: Add 1 teaspoon chilli flakes to the marinade
• With vegetables: Add halved peppers, courgettes, or red onions to the tray
• Garlic lovers: Double the garlic for extra punch
• Honey drizzle: Drizzle honey over the chicken in the last 5 minutes for a sweet glaze

Storage

Best eaten fresh: Straight from the oven is when the skin is at its crispiest and the chicken is at its juiciest. Try to serve it straight away if you can!

Fridge: Store leftover chicken and potatoes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 180°C oven for 15 to 20 minutes until warmed through. Leftover chicken is also brilliant cold in salads, wraps, or sandwiches.

Freezer: Freeze cooked chicken (without potatoes, they don't freeze as well) for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat in the oven.

Avoid: Don't reheat chicken more than once, and make sure it's piping hot all the way through before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use dried herbs instead of fresh? Fresh is much better for this recipe, but if you must use dried, use 1 teaspoon dried oregano and ½ teaspoon dried thyme.

What if I don't want to spatchcock the chicken? You can roast it whole, but it'll take longer, about 1 hour 20 minutes total. The spatchcocking really helps it cook faster and more evenly.

Can I marinate it ahead? Yes! Marinate the spatchcocked chicken for up to 24 hours in the fridge. Bring to room temperature before roasting.

What if I don't have a blender? Finely chop the garlic and herbs, then mix everything together in a bowl. It won't be as smooth but will still taste great.

Can I use chicken pieces instead? Absolutely! Use thighs, drumsticks, or breasts. Reduce cooking time to about 35 to 40 minutes total.

You Might Also Like

Yoghurt Marinated Chicken Thighs - Another brilliant marinade that makes chicken incredibly tender!

Crispy Crunchy Air Fryer Chips - If you want some crispy chips alongside your chicken, these are the ones!

Courgette, Feta & Chilli Salad - A perfect fresh salad to serve alongside this Greek chicken.

A whole roasted chicken that's ready in just over an hour, with crispy golden skin, a punchy herb marinade, and potatoes that cook right there in the same tray. This is the kind of dinner that looks and tastes impressive but genuinely couldn't be easier. Once you try spatchcocking, you'll never go back to roasting a whole chicken the old way. The skin is incomparable. Serve it up with a simple Greek salad and you have a proper dinner on the table for a Tuesday night.

Enjoy!

Del x

This whole roasted Greek chicken is the perfect easy weeknight dinner! The herb marinade is so simple, just blend garlic, fresh oregano, thyme, lemon, and Dijon together. Spatchcock the chicken for faster, more even cooking, roast with lemon and potatoes, and you've got a complete meal that tastes like you're in Greece!