Roasted Root Beer Butterflied Chicken
A tender roasted chicken with sweet and savory barbecue notes. This goes well with Day or Night Hashbrown Bake and Spicy Baked Beans.
Time
- Prep: about 25 minutes
- Marinate: 4–6 hours (refrigerated)
- Cook: about 50 minutes (sear + bake at 400°F)
- Total: about 5–7 hours (mostly hands-off)
Nutrition Facts
Serving size: about 1 breast/thigh portion · 1 of 6 servings (approx.)
- Calories ~480
- Protein 42 g
- Fat 28 g
- Carbohydrates 12 g
- Fiber 0 g
- Sodium ~920 mg
All nutrition facts are AI generated and approximate.
Ingredients
- 4–5 lb whole chicken
Marinade
- 1 can root beer
- ⅓ cup avocado oil
- 2 Tbs molasses
- 1 Tbs crushed red pepper
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 Tbs salt
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 3 Tbs apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
Directions
- Remove chicken from packaging and discard neck and giblets (or use for something else).
- On a large working surface, butterfly the chicken (see below).
- In a large bowl or shallow dish, mix the marinade ingredients. Submerge the chicken in the marinade and cover.
- Place in the refrigerator for 4–6 hours.
How to butterfly a chicken
- Place the chicken breast side down. With kitchen shears, cut along each side of the spine from the top of the bird to the bottom.
- Flip the chicken over and press hard on the center of the chicken to flatten.
Ready to cook
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat.
- Using tongs, pull the chicken out of the marinade and into the skillet skin side down.
- Sear until lightly browned, about 4–7 minutes.
- Flip the chicken skin side up and ladle half of the marinade over the top of the chicken.
- Bake for 40 minutes or until internal temperature is 165°F.
- Let rest 10 minutes before carving and serving.