One-Pan Roast Chicken with Zucchini (AIP, Paleo, Whole30)

Who doesn’t love a roasted chicken on a lazy weekend? It’s one of the first impressive things you learn how to cook, and – at least for me – it’s something I’ve been improving on for years. And with all the zucchini that’s coming in, this is my current favorite way to roast a chicken… seasoned with fresh thyme, lemon and garlic over a bed of zucchini and yellow squash. All you need to do is pile everything into your largest cast iron pan and pop it in the oven. As the chicken roasts, the zucchini and shallots get sweet and jammy. It’s a one-pan chicken feast.

How this recipe fits AIP, Paleo and Whole30

No clever swaps or unusual ingredients here. All of the delicious ingredients in this Roast Chicken with Zucchini are completely aligned AIP, Paleo and Whole30.

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Toss the zucchini and squash with thin-sliced rings of shallots, fresh thyme, minced garlic, olive oil and salt. You’ll need about two or three medium zucchini and two to three yellow squash, plus about four shallots.

Pat the chicken dry and stuff the cavity with whole peeled garlic cloves, lemon slices and salt. Then truss the legs and season the outside of the chicken. I like to use my fingers to separate the skin from the chicken breast and stuff the thyme underneath, along with a little salt and olive oil. This prevents the thyme from burning while roasting and does a better job of infusing the meat of the chicken with flavor from the outside while the lemon flavors from the inside. Then rub the skin with salt and olive oil. For a four-pound chicken, I’ll use about 3 to 4 teaspoons of salt in total to season.

Arrange the zucchini and squash mixture along the outside edge of a large cast iron skillet. I prefer cast iron, but you can use whatever you have. Any large roasting pan or large skillet would work well. Just try not to use a very shallow pan, since there will be lots of juices from the chicken and zucchini. Place the chicken in the center, tuck the wings under the bird.

Roast at 425° for 60 to 75 minutes, or until the chicken breast reads 160° on a meat thermometer. It will come up to 165° as it rests. Let the chicken rest for at least 25 minutes before carving. If you’d like the zucchini and squash to brown a bit more, just you remove the chicken from the skillet to rest on a cutting board and finish the zucchini in the oven. Serve with fresh slices of lemon on the side and be sure to spoon all of the juices from the chicken and zucchini over your plate. This is the perfect one-pan roast chicken for a quiet Sunday afternoon. I hope it becomes one of your new favorites!

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One-Pan Roast Chicken with Zucchini

5 from 1 vote

A one-pan roast chicken with thyme, garlic, and lemon, roasted with zucchini and yellow squash.

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Total Time:1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Servings: 6

Author: Christina Marche

Ingredients

• 2 medium zucchini
• 2 medium yellow squash
• 4 shallots
• 8 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 3 cloves garlic
• ¼ cup olive oil, plus 2 tbsp
• 4 tsp Kosher salt, divided
• 4-4½ lb whole chicken
• 1 lemon, quartered

Instructions

• Heat the oven to 425°.
• Slice the zucchini and yellow squash into ¼-inch coins and the shallots into thin rings. Strip the thyme leaves from their stems. Mince one of the garlic cloves, leaving the others whole.
• Toss the zucchini and squash with ¼ cup olive oil, 1 tsp salt, the minced garlic and half of the thyme, then arrange the vegetables in a ring around the edge of a 12-inch cast iron skillet, leaving the center open.
• Stuff the chicken cavity with lemon quarters, whole garlic cloves and a teaspoon of salt. Combine the remaining thyme, the remaining two teaspoons of salt, and two tablespoons of olive oil. Rub this mixture all over the chicken, easing some of the thyme under the skin of the breasts if you can. Truss the legs and set the bird breast-side up in the center of the skillet, tucking the wings underneath.
• Roast until the zucchini is tender and the thickest part of the chicken breast reaches 160° on an instant-read thermometer, 60–75 minutes. (It’ll rise to 165° as it rests.)
• Remove the skillet from the oven and allow the chicken to rest in the skillet for at least 20 minutes before carving. (If the zucchini and squash are not browned to your liking, remove the chicken to a carving board to rest and continue to cook the zucchini and squash in the oven.)
• Serve alongside the zucchini and squash.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: AIP, AIP Modified, Paleo, Whole30