Easy Roasted Garlic Butter Chicken

There is nothing better than garlicky, herby, buttery roast chicken. As soon as I smell those familiar, delicious aromas filling my home, I am transported straight back to childhood Sundays. However, as I’ve added a slight twist to this classic – using economical, easy-to-cook, chicken thigh cutlets – this means you can now have your roast on a weeknight! Chicken thigh cutlets take less time to cook and are a little easier to handle, allowing for even cooking and easy portioning. The chicken is first coated in a garlic butter marinade, then popped in the oven to bake to crispy, golden perfection. There’s a little honey in the marinade that adds a beautiful sweetness and helps the skin to crisp up. The roasting pan juices keep the chicken tender as it cooks, then double as a delicious sauce, perfect for drizzling over mashed potatoes or even pasta.

The end result is perfectly cooked, juicy chicken with buttery-crisp, golden-brown skin. It’s comforting, nourishing and low-fuss and there’s minimal washing up as it’s cooked in one pan. Serve Easy Roasted Garlic Butter Chicken with your family’s favourite side dishes – mashed potato and steamed greens are popular at our place, but I’ve provided other suggestions below. Any leftovers can be refrigerated, then reheated the next day, and you can marinate the chicken ahead of time if you like. I love this recipe so much that I included it in my new cookbook Simple Dinners Every Day.

What can I serve with it?

Serve Easy Roasted Garlic Butter Chicken with Freezer-friendly Mashed Potatoes, cooked pasta, rice, creamy cauliflower mash, zoodles (courgetti), a green leafy salad or steamed greens.

Can I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead?

You can, but with a few variations, as boneless, skinless chicken thighs take less time to cook. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) – both conventional and fan. Marinate the chicken as per the recipe and bake for 25–30 minutes until cooked through. An optional extra is to adjust the oven heat setting to grill (broil) and grill the chicken on high for a further 2–3 minutes or until the surface is nicely caramelised. This isn’t essential as the chicken will already be fully cooked, but will help give the chicken some extra colour if desired.

What else can I add to the pan?

Try adding small, halved baby potatoes or Dutch (baby) carrots to the roasting tray at the beginning of cooking time. You could also add a handful of broccoli, broccolini, green beans or asparagus to the tray in the last 10 minutes of cooking time to make this an even easier dinner.

Watch how to make Easy Roasted Garlic Butter Chicken

Other delicious chicken recipes to try:

Try:
Chicken Stroganoff
Chicken Chow Mein
Cheesy Chicken & Broccolini Rice
Creamy Lemon Chicken Risoni (Orzo)
One Pan Pesto Chicken Pasta, Creamy Garlic Chicken
Lemon & Oregano Chicken Tzatziki Wrap
Roasted Chicken with Gravy

Easy Roasted Garlic Butter Chicken

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 15 reviews

A wholesome, comforting classic made easier and more economical. Roasted Garlic Butter Chicken uses thigh cutlets, rather than a whole chicken, but the result is still the satisfyingly tender, juicy roasted chicken with crispy golden skin that we all love.

• Total Time: 1 hour 5 mins
• Yield: 5 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 80 g (2 3/4 oz) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 ½ tsp sea salt flakes
• ¼ tsp cracked black pepper, plus extra to serve
• 1 tbsp freshly minced garlic
• 1 tbsp honey
• 2 tsp thyme leaves, plus extra to garnish (see note 1 for substitutions)
• 1.2 kg (2 lb 10 oz) bone-in, skin-on chicken thigh cutlets (5 chicken thighs)
• ½ cup (125 ml) chicken stock

TO SERVE

• Freezer-friendly Mashed Potatoes
• Steamed asparagus or greens of choice

Cook Mode Toggle on to prevent your screen from locking.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) (180°C/350°F fan).
2. Combine the butter, salt, black pepper, garlic, honey and thyme in a small bowl.
3. Arrange the chicken thighs on a baking tray with sides, skin-side up.
4. Spread the butter mixture all over the chicken using your hands, focusing mainly on the skin. Pour the chicken stock around the seasoned chicken (this will protect the marinade from burning and leave a delicious sauce in the base of the tray).
5. Roast for 55–60 minutes until golden and cooked through, basting once halfway.
6. Serve with mashed potatoes and steamed asparagus and drizzle with the tray juices. Garnish with extra thyme sprigs and add a little extra black pepper to finish.
7. TO COOK IN AN AIR FRYER: In a small bowl, mix together the butter, salt, pepper, garlic, honey and thyme until combined.
8. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towel to ensure crispy skin.
9. Using your hands, spread the butter mixture generously over the chicken thighs, focusing on the skin.
10. Preheat the air fryer to 190°C (375°F) for about 5 minutes. Lightly grease the air fryer basket or tray to prevent sticking.
11. Arrange the chicken thighs skin-side up in a single layer (cook in batches if necessary). Air fry for 25–30 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the chicken is golden, crispy and cooked through. If you’d like to baste the chicken with the melted butter from the air fryer basket, do this at the halfway point.
12. Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes before serving, to lock in the juices.

Equipment

Large Wooden Spoon

Buy Now →

Tongs

Buy Now →

Notes

Note 1 – Fresh oregano is an amazing substitute, otherwise 1 teaspoon of dried herbs can be used instead (thyme, oregano or Italian mixed herbs/Italian seasoning).

Make ahead:

Marinate the chicken up to 48 hours prior to baking.

Leftovers:

Refrigerate the cooked chicken in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat in a preheated 200°C (400°F) (180°C/350°F fan) oven for 10–15 minutes until warmed through, or in the microwave.

• Author: Nicole
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 60 mins
• Category: mains, gluten-free, budget-friendly, chicken
• Method: roasting
• Cuisine: Australian, British, American