Recipe from Souvla
Adapted by Melissa Clark
- Total Time
- 1½ hours, plus marinating
- Rating
- 5(1,152)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Brining a chicken before roasting can make for a particularly juicy, tender bird. Using feta in the brine adds a complex and earthy flavor to the mix. Don’t skip the step of taking the chicken out of the brine an hour before cooking. This allows the bird to come to room temperature and dries it out a bit, which helps crisp the skin. This recipe calls for a lot of black pepper, and if you like a spicy bite, don’t afraid to go for the full 2 tablespoons. Or bring the amount down for something milder. In either case, do grind it yourself; the pre-ground stuff is missing all the essential oils that give freshly ground black pepper its woodsy, floral notes. Roasted potatoes make an excellent side dish. —Melissa Clark
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 4ounces feta cheese, crumbled
- 3½teaspoons kosher salt
- 13½- to 4-pound whole chicken
- 1 to 2tablespoons cracked black pepper, to taste
- 2tablespoons dried Greek oregano
- 2large lemons
- ¼cup olive oil, more as needed
- 1large bunch arugula or other sturdy salad greens, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
845 calories; 63 grams fat; 19 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 29 grams monounsaturated fat; 11 grams polyunsaturated fat; 9 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 59 grams protein; 1311 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Step
1
The day before serving, combine 2 ounces feta, 2 teaspoons salt and 4 cups water in a blender and blend until smooth. Put chicken in an extra-large resealable plastic bag or a container large enough to submerge chicken, and cover with the feta brine. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.
Step
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Before cooking, remove chicken from brine and transfer to a towel-lined tray. (Discard brine.) Pat chicken dry with paper towels and allow to come to room temperature for 1 hour.
Step
3
In a small mixing bowl, combine remaining 1½ teaspoons salt, the pepper, the oregano and the zest of the lemons (about 1 tablespoon). Liberally cover chicken in herb mix and gently massage entire bird. Halve lemons and place 3 halves in cavity (save remaining half for serving). Using kitchen twine, tie legs together.
Step
4
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place a large ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add oil and heat until it just smokes. Place chicken, breast-side up, in pan. Transfer entire pan to oven. Cook, basting once or twice, until juices run clear when chicken is pierced with a knife, 50 to 60 minutes.
Step
5
Remove pan from oven, then stir remaining crumbled feta into juices in pan and stir well. Let chicken rest for 10 minutes in the pan before slicing and serving on a bed of greens, with feta-laced pan juices on top, drizzled with a little lemon juice from the reserved lemon half.
Ratings
5
out of 5
1,152
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Cooking Notes
James Stolich (CookWithJames.com)
This has to be one of the best roast chickens I've prepared and I've roasted more than a few chickens over the years. The feta-whey brine is a game changer.
The only thing I did differently was to salt the bird after taking it out of the brine and leaving it uncovered in the fridge for another 8-10 hours. This gives it that kind of "Zuni chicken" salt-curing time. So when I made the rub with the pepper, lemon zest and oregano I omitted adding more salt.
Janet
I made this last night for friends, and we all loved it. I used only thighs, so they cooked a bit faster, but the skin was crisp and wonderful. I also improvised by combining the recipe with the carrots and onions from Melissa's Sweet and Spicy Chicken (marinated in citrus juices with honey spices). The vegetables served as a bed for the roasting chicken, and I put blanched lemon slices under each thigh. With arugula and crumbled feta, it's a make-ahead, one-sheet pan dinner.
Caroline
This was one of the most delicious roast chicken recipes I've ever used. Right up there with Ina Garten's lemon thyme roast chicken, possibly even better. We used leg quarters, which made for faster cooking, and fresh oregano. We buy the 16 oz feta in brine from Whole Foods regularly, so this will be a great way to use some of the brine. Used the broiler for a few minutes at the end to crisp the skin. Outstanding dish.
Kate
I made this for one, using a split chicken breast, bone-in, skin on. Happily, I had more than enough feta brine to immerse the breast. I used a small calphalon skillet which worked beautifully. Once I removed the roasted chicken, I did deglaze the pan with just a bit of water and poured the resulting sauce over the chicken which was perched on a bed of greens. Delicious! I thought it would be good but it far exceeded my expectations
A.T. Long
This is an excellent recipe. I went for the full 2 tablespoons of black pepper, and it was a wonderful tasting chicken.
I use the brine on a regular basis for any of my whole chicken recipes. I find that my chickens tend to be about 5-6 pounds, so in making the brine I double the feta and water, but only increase the salt by one and half times. The chicken is moist and tender every time.
Barbara
This is wonderful but it is important to use a cast iron skillet
I once made it in a Dutch oven and it wasn't nearly as good as previous versions.
Patrick
I brined the chicken for six hours and with more feta than the recipe called for. I also added a teaspoon of za'atar to the spice mix and the whole thing turned our great. I don't think I will roast a chicken any other way.
Susan
This dish is delicious and so easy to make for company. I used thighs and breasts - about 5 pounds. Added a bit more feta/water to the brine. I skipped the stovetop step and heated the oil in a heavy baking pan in the 450 oven. No smoke but a nice sizzle when I added the chicken. Used preserved lemons instead of fresh and they were delicious. Cooked it for about 40 minutes (the breasts were pretty thick). Squeezed a half lemon over the top before serving. It was a big hit all around.
Mary
Why not just use the brine from the feta, you could probably ask for some extra at your cheese counter.
Linda
Followed exactly but used a spatchco*ck chicken, coating both sides with rub. Serve over rice or orzo so you don't miss a drop of the exquisite sauce. The most amazing succulent bird ever.
Richard
I made this and it was a disaster. At that high temperature, the lemon/oregano mix was burned to a nice crisp black. And the suggestion that a 3.5 lb chicken would be roasted in an hour was laughable; it was still bloody at the joints. I will try it again, but will roast at 350' and perhaps rub the mix under the skin.
Suzanna
As we love extra crispy skin, after brining and drying with paper towels, I left the chicken uncovered in the fridge for 24 hours before roasting. So good!
LS Gourmet
Unbelievable recipe, which I followed almost to the letter. Our local Middle Eastern market carries Bulgarian, French and Greek Feta, all in brine. I chose the Bulgaria for its creamy texture. but added a bit more lemon to get the right flavor "tang". Thank you, thank you. My guests were knocked out but I was relaxed, so little effort to get this on the table. I served it over a bed of broccoli rabe.
Don
I am puzzled by the comments about the messiness and time this dish takes. Yes, you start the night before. The prep is nowhere near onerous, and the results have been terrific each of the several times I have made this per the instructions.
Liz
I have made this many times and it never disappoints. I use organic free range chickens which can be dry - this preparation makes them come out tender and juicy every time. The lemon/oregano combo is perfect, and I love serving over fresh greens with the pan juices, so easy and delicious.
buffy in detroit
This was delicious. Made it for dinner with friends. Had a 5lb organic chicken and sort of did the Zuni treatment suggested by another commenter. Turned out great.
aks
Very good and easy! If you are worried about the olive oil smoking or don't want to use a cast iron skillet, skip that bit... add a little oil to a sheet pan to keep the skin from sticking and pop it all in the 450 oven. 6# chicken took an hour and 15 minutes.
Haylie
I’ve made this recipe for a few times and I am still amazed by it every time how good it is.
Lorraine
As a feta cheese fan and a roast chicken lover who brines her bird every Sunday, I was so excited to make this recipe. I followed the instructions exactly, using an organic chicken from Europe where I live. My expectations were high, and in the end my disappointment was great: the meat was stringy, dry, and devoid of depth of flavor. I have had much more success with buttermilk and salt.
Gina
This chicken was great!
Jim
This dish was amazing! I doubled the amount of feta in the brine and only brined for 6 hours due to time constraints. It was still incredible. Succulent, incredibly flavorful, a definite addition to the rotation. Do not fear the generous amount of seasoning, it did not overwhelm and added to the complexity. Really superb dish and I rarely comment on recipes, but this was excellent. Do not skip final step of adding feta to the drippings, it was delicious.
Hannah
It’s not bad but it’s not good. Maybe I should’ve brined the chicken for 24 hours. Maybe I should’ve done a dry brine but I don’t think there was enough feta in the feta brine. The chicken cooked well but the salt was missing. There wasn’t enough salt or the salt wasn’t added in the right part of the recipe. The feta taste was also very faint if not missing completely.
Aaron
Great recipe, but the smoke was a problem. Next time I will probably put some extra feta brine at the bottom of the skillet after 5 minutes in the oven.
MK
Can this be cooked in a roasting pan instead? Would like to try with Game Hens for Thanksgiving.
Marc Galonsky
This is a delicious, reliable roast chicken recipe that is interesting and unique. We make it several times a year and everyone we've served it to has loved it. Sometimes I put cut carrots in the pan underneath the chicken for an easy vegetable to accompany the chicken. Putting them under the chicken keeps them from getting burned.
Sasha Wertheim
Excellent chicken! It splatters a lot of oil while cooking, so putting a layer of foil on the oven shelf kept the smoke alaem from going off,
Maya
Exceptional!! Recommendation to use a cast iron skillet. Used feta brine from the large Whole Foods container (skipped blender), only brined for 4 hours and it still turned out amazing. Restaurant quality. Served with mashed potatoes, broccoli rabe, and pan drippings. Mother-in-law approved!
Dee Anne
Truly, a genius recipe. Have it in the oven now and it’s a favorite in our repertoire. Just to make it that much more of a complete and totally sublime meal, I tuck some sweet potato chunks around the chicken for the last 20 minutes or so.
Henri
Followed recipe to a T but took longer to cook in my relatively cool oven. I dunked some roast blue potatoes in the feta pan drippings. It was delicious. Picky European husband was thrilled. Will go in the occasional rotation.
Henri
Probably the best chicken I have made but will add garlic to the pan next time.
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