This is the recipe when you want to make a restaurant-worthy roast chicken. Ina Garten's version of the iconic Standard Grill Million Dollar Chicken is perfect for date night, family dinner, or any meal you want to feel a little extra without doing too much.
Tangy, velvety creme fraiche glaze with shallots, chili pepper, and lemon, soaks right into the chicken and makes the tastiest slices of bread you'll ever eat. This is a tried and true recipe that's perfect for cozy Sunday suppers with a glass of wine.
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Million Dollar Chicken (and the Best Bread of Your Life)
If there's any perfectly roasted chicken you want to keep in your back pocket, it's this one. It's just really good chicken, which says a lot when people consider chicken really common and boring. Well honey, Eden doesn't do boring chicken.
This one’s perfect for the holidays, especially if you’re skipping the turkey or ham. It’s brushed with a luxurious layer of crème fraîche (and in true Barefoot Contessa fashion, I made my own crème fraîche but store bought is fine 😉), then stuffed with garlic, lemon, and fresh herbs so it’s fragrant and flavorful all the way through.
And the brioche bread we set on the bottom of the pan just soaks up every last bit of flavor. Originally it's sourdough, but the sliced brioche adds a little more richness that's so good people will be fighting over who gets seconds.
I always brings this recipe out once the weather turns cool and cozy. Add it to your fall dinner collection and you'll see exactly why it's Sweet Tea + Thyme and Barefoot Contessa approved.
Let's Talk Ingredients
Full ingredients, measurements, and printable instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Whole Chicken - I've made this with 4-6 pound chickens, any bigger and the recipe gets thrown off.
- Olive Oil - use the light stuff, not the extra virgin because it'll burn.
- Salt and Pepper.
- Creme Fraiche, Lemon Juice and Zest, Aleppo Pepper, Shallot - to make the glaze. Creme fraiche is a less acidic, more stable, sour cream and aleppo pepper can be found at more fancy stores (and online!)
- Lemons, Garlic, Herbs - we're talking thyme, bay leaves, and rosemary for seriously amazing aromatics.
- Day Old Bread - the best kind of bread for this are hearty like a loaf of Italian bread, a more stale brioche, or a boule of sourdough. They can hold up the bird and soak up flavor.
How to Make Million Dollar Roast Chicken
Step 1
Dry brine the chicken.
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then season it generously inside and out with salt. Now stuff the cavity with the herbs, lemon quarters, and garlic. You can do this a day ahead, that morning, or even 30 minutes before roasting. Just don’t skip it.
Step 2
Truss the chicken legs.
Tie the legs together with kitchen twine so everything cooks evenly. No need to do anything fancy, just a simple knot.
Step 3
Roast the chicken over bread.
Drizzle some olive oil all over the chicken skin, place it into a cast iron skillet over thick slices of bread. The pan should be just slightly larger than the chicken so the bread can soak up the chicken drippings. Roast for 45 minutes.
Step 4
Make the crème fraîche glaze.
While the chicken roasts, whip up your creme fraiche glaze. You'll need this a little later.
Step 5
Glaze and roast until done.
Once the chicken skin is crisp and golden brown and almost done, take a pastry brush and baste with the glaze. Keep roasting until the chicken's internal temp is 160ºF, it'll rise to 165 while resting.
Step 6
Let it rest and serve.
Take the chicken from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving so the juices settle and every bite is juicy. Serve with some of that bread!
Chef's Tips
- Let the chicken sit out for about 30 minutes before roasting. Taking the chill off helps it cook more evenly so no overdone edges and no raw center.
- Face the breast toward the cooler part of the oven (usually the front). The back runs hotter, so this helps the thighs cook through without drying out the breast.
- If you can't find aleppo pepper, you could use ancho chili powder or paprika with a pinch of cayenne.
Troubleshooting
Yes! But you'll need to rely on a meat thermometer more than the time. Pull the chicken from the oven at around 160ºF and let rest and come up to 165ºF so you'll have perfectly roasted chicken.
You can use full-fat sour cream in a pinch, but it’s more acidic and can curdle if overheated. I recommend making your own crème fraîche at home! It’s simple, silky, and holds up beautifully in the oven.
Make sure the chicken is really dry before roasting, and don’t skip the olive oil. A hot oven and a pan that isn’t too big will help concentrate heat around the bird so the skin crisps instead of steaming.
Carve the chicken into serving sizes and store all the parts in airtight containers for up to 5 days in the fridge.
To reheat it, you can microwave a serving of chicken until warmed through or reheat at 325 degrees F in the oven until warmed through.
Equipment I Used
What to Serve with Roasted Whole Chicken
- Mashed potatoes or creamy grits. Something soft and buttery to soak in the flavor like butter-whipped Yukon Golds, stone-ground grits, or even a nice parmesan risotto if you’re feeling extra.
- A nice fall salad. Try an endive salad with shaved fennel, crumbled goat cheese, and a yummy maple-dijon vinaigrette, or add the chicken to my favorite chicken apple pecan salad!
- Roasted garlic rosemary potatoes or duck fat crispy potatoes. Golden and tender and crispy, mmm! If the chicken’s in the oven, throw these on the bottom rack while the chicken is in the oven.
- Roasted delicata or butternut squash. The sweetness of the squash plays beautifully with the tang of the creme fraiche. Add a little thyme or brown butter if you want to dress it up.
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Roasted Million Dollar Chicken
Ingredients
- 4.5 lb whole chicken, gizzards removed
- 4½ teaspoon kosher salt, for dry brining
- 1 whole head garlic, cut horizontally
- 1 lemon, quartered
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ tablespoon regular olive oil
- 2 slices day old bread, sliced 1 inch thick each
- 1½ tablespoon regular olive oil, not extra virgin
- flaky salt, for serving
Creme Fraiche Glaze
- ½ cup creme fraiche
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- ½ shallot, finely grated
- 1 teaspoon aleppo pepper
Instructions
Dry Brine and Truss
- Season the chicken with the kosher salt inside the cavity and all over the skin, in every nook and cranny.4.5 lb whole chicken, 4½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Tuck the herbs, garlic halves, and lemon quarters into the chicken cavity, then tie the legs together with butcher's twine.1 whole head garlic, 1 lemon, 4 sprigs fresh thyme, 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, 2 bay leaves
- Set the chicken on a wire rack over a baking sheet and let dry brine in the fridge overnight. You can do this the morning of or even 1 hour before roasting to impart flavor.
Roast the Chicken
- Take the chicken out of the fridge 30 to 60 minutes before roasting to take the chill off. This helps it cook evenly and keeps the skin from tearing. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450ºF (230ºC)
- Lightly drizzle about ½ tablespoon of olive oil onto the 10-inch cast iron skillet (or other oven-safe skillet). Lay the bread slices in the center and place the chicken directly on top of the bread and tuck the wing tips under the breasts so they don't burn.½ tablespoon regular olive oil, 2 slices day old bread
- Drizzle the rest of the olive oil all over the chicken, then roast it for 30 minutes.1½ tablespoon regular olive oil
- While the chicken is roasting, whisk together the ingredients for the creme fraiche glaze in a small bowl. Set aside.½ cup creme fraiche, 1 lemon, ½ shallot, 1 teaspoon aleppo pepper
- After the first 30 minutes of roasting, brush half of the crème fraîche glaze over the chicken. Roast for another 15 minutes, then brush on the remaining glaze. Continue roasting until the thickest part of the thigh (without touching the bone) reaches 165–170ºF, about 50 to 60 minutes total.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before cutting and serving wit the bread in pieces. Serve with a pinch of flaky salt over the chicken.flaky salt
Recipe Notes
Chef's Tips
- Using a meat thermometer instead of relying on time will give you the best results.
- Since we're cooking at such high temps, keep an eye on the color. If the chicken is browning too fast (especially after glazing) tent the chicken with foil during the last 15 minutes.
- Sub the Aleppo pepper for ancho chili powder, urfa biber (another Turkish pepper), or paprika with a tiny pinch of cayenne.
- Face the breast toward the cooler part of the oven (usually the front). The back runs hotter, so this helps the thighs cook through without drying out the breast.
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