This isn’t the crisp-skinned, high-heat roast chicken you’re probably familiar with. Instead, it’s a melt-in-your-mouth tender, schmaltzy, slow-roast version that’s more similar to rotisserie chicken—except (bonus!) it gets slathered in the funky-spicy-sweet gochujang. And while the meat might be the star of the show, don't discount those buttery-soft, nearly-confited potatoes, which cook gently in the chicken fat. Makes you wonder why you haven't always been roasting long-cooking vegetables—carrots, cauliflower, turnips (?!), winter squash, fennel—under the bird for a built-in side, huh?
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What you’ll need
Cast Iron Skillet
$30 At Amazon
Oven Thermometer
$7 At Amazon
Chef's Knife
$34.53 At Amazon
Pastry Brush
$6 At Amazon
Tongs
$21 At Amazon
Measuring Spoons
$10 At Bon Appétit Market
Measuring Cups
$28 At Bon Appétit Market
Paper Towels
$13.45 At Amazon
Small Rimmed Baking Sheet
$28 At Amazon
Whisk
$10 At Amazon
Medium Bowl
$17 At Amazon
Microplane
$18 At Amazon
Vegetable Peeler
$12 $10 At Amazon
Kitchen Twine
$4.99 At Amazon
Cutting Board
$10 At IKEA
Rubber Spatula
$13 At Amazon
Large Basting Spoon
$16.37 At Amazon
Ingredients
4 servings
1
1
5
¼
2
1
1½
5
2
2
Preparation
Step 1
Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 300°. This is an important temperature for this recipe, so if you don’t have an oven thermometer already, now is the time to get one! Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Place on a small rimmed baking sheet. Season 1 3½–4-lb. whole chicken all over with 1 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper, making sure to season the inside cavity.
Step 2
Whisk 5 Tbsp. gochujang and ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil in a medium bowl until combined. Finely grate 3 garlic cloves (from one of the heads of garlic) into gochujang oil. Peel 1 ½" piece fresh ginger (a spoon can get the job done), then grate into gochujang oil; whisk to combine.
Step 3
Cut what’s left of the head of garlic in half crosswise. Repeat with second head of garlic. Stuff 2 garlic halves inside cavity of chicken. Tie legs together with kitchen twine.
Step 4
Using a pastry brush, brush half of gochujang oil over chicken.
Step 5
Toss 1½ lb. baby Yukon Gold potatoes and remaining 2 garlic halves and 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in remaining gochujang oil until well coated. Season lightly with salt and pepper and toss again to combine.
Step 6
Arrange potatoes in a 12" cast-iron skillet, scooting them toward edges of pan to make space for chicken. Nestle garlic halves (cut sides down) in center of skillet. Place chicken over garlic—as it roasts, it will infuse the fat (and thus, the potatoes) with flavor. If any potatoes have shimmied their way under the chicken, use tongs to arrange them around it (they won’t cook at the same rate if they’re under the chicken).
Step 7
Roast chicken and potatoes, turning potatoes once or twice to coat in juices and oil that accumulate in pan, until potatoes are very tender when pressed with the back of a spoon, and chicken skin is deep reddish-golden brown in color, 2½–3 hours. When you wiggle the legs of the chicken, they should feel loose in the joints, meaning the meat is fall-apart tender. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and let rest 10–15 minutes. Don't skip this step: Letting the bird rests helps the juices in the meat to settle (in other words, it makes the meat juicier).
Step 8
Meanwhile, use the back of a large spoon or a potato masher to gently smash potatoes in skillet, exposing some of their flesh to juices underneath so they can soak them up.
Step 9
Finish the potatoes: Thinly slice 5 scallions on a long diagonal. Cut 2 limes in half. Cut 1 half into wedges and set aside. Stir 2 tsp. honey and juice of remaining lime half into potatoes. Taste potatoes and season with more salt if needed. Scatter sliced scallions over potatoes.
Step 10
Carve chicken, then arrange pieces over potatoes and scallions. Serve right out of skillet with remaining lime wedges alongside for squeezing, and squeeze out the sweet, slow-roasted garlic cloves as you wish.
→ Nervous about carving the bird? This video should help.
Step 11
Do Ahead: Chicken can be seasoned 12 hours ahead. Chill chicken if you’re not going to cook within 2 hours of seasoning.
Leave a Review
Reviews (359)
Back to TopPretty darn tasty! Thanks
Heidi
Louisville ky
11/27/2023
This is my adult children's favorite recipe. Very juicy and flavorful. We eat it at least monthly.
Rick Griffith
Haverford, PA
2/9/2023
Why is this recipe and many other BA recipes that come through email every week not on the Epicurious App? When I want to save these recipes I can’t and it is SO FRUSTRATING!
Kathy morgan
McKinney, TX
2/9/2023
We usually do this recipe using just chicken thighs, and it is fantastic.
Tamara
Austin, TX
11/26/2022
I have made this a couple of times and it is excellent. With Christmas coming up I was thinking of trying this with a spatchcocked/halved turkey. Has anyone tried it ir have any thoughts on whether it would work? Obviously it would have some high stakes but I don't want to have to do a test turkey!
Simon
Toronto
11/19/2022
All I had was skinless boneless chicken thighs and 30 minutes til dinner time, so I improvised. I made the gochujang marinade as directed but added the honey as well instead of saving it for the end. I also only had one russet potato so I diced it small, seasoned, and put them under the chicken to cook. Baked everything in a cast iron skillet at 400F for 18 minutes and sprinkled chopped green onions on at the end. Came out really tasty and tender! Great recipe that I would love to attempt more accurately in the future when I have the time
Lynn
San Francisco, CA
6/18/2022
This came out great even though I had to roast the chicken at a higher temperature because I started cooking too late. (I did it at 375 and kept an eye on it, checked temp until the meat measured 165.) The gochujang coating blistered and blackened a bit, but still tasted good, plus the skin crisped up nicely. I might always do it that way instead of the slow-roast, honestly. We ate this on the patio on one of the first warm evenings of New England spring, and it looked fantastic on the plate, like it was straight off a Bon Appetit cover. Thoughts: - If you have an immersion blender, use that to combine the gochujang oil ingredients. - The garlic instructions are overly elaborate. Use a few cloves of garlic in the gochujang oil, skip putting it inside the chicken (doesn't add anything), then cut a head of garlic in half to combine with the potatoes. - Ditto for the lime instructions -- confusing. Squeeze a whole lime into the potatoes, try one, and add more if you need to. - The chicken is great, but don't sleep on the potatoes. Spicy-garlicky-gingery from the gochujang oil, sweet from the honey, and tangy from the citrus -- you can't lose! Plus, if you have leftover potatoes, they are incredible with eggs the next morning.
Erica
5/19/2022
So it was an insane day and by accident I spatchcocked my chicken, confusing two recipes. Cooked it anyway except high heat quickly and the chicken was so juicy flavorful great crisp carmely skin because that sauce is incredible. Fresh lime on top adds so much. Look forward to making the full recipe above.
Cynthia Wick
4/20/2022
Very good! Dad & I loved it. For your reference: * Used 4 chicken quarters (thigh + drumstick) - took a smidge over 2 hours at 300 * Potatoes were like 90% done at 2 hours. Smashed them and put in oven at 375 while chicken rested 15 min * Used 1/2 potatoes, 1/2 sunchokes. Great. Wouldn't use all sunchokes as they are pretty sweet, but if you're worried about the spice it's a great way to cut into that spice. * For a veg version, I could easily see making only with veggies (potato, sunchoke, turnip). Would avoid carrot. Rutabega - maybe? Serve with an Asian peanut noodle salad, or fried tofu cubes in either this gochugang marinade or something a little soy-shaoxing sweet/savory?
sarina
boston ma
3/11/2022
I’ve made this as described without the squeeze of lime juice on the potatoes. all else perfect. I like lime juice on beef.
Anonymous
3/4/2022
I made this exactly as written. 4 lb chicken and roasted completely by 3 hours. The garlic inside the bird I do not understand the significance. It was still raw and because of that it could not have added to flavor. The potatoes were excellent, and the chicken was very tender. My guests loved it. Next time no garlic in the bird and I may up the temp to 325 as the outside could have been browner and more caramelized. Served it with a side of Asian Slaw dressed with peanut sauce.
AustinTxGal
Austin, TX
2/27/2022
the recipe calls for 4 t honey but only 2 t are mentioned in the steps to make it
Anonymous
New york, ny United States
2/21/2022
It was delicious, highly recommended!
Alejandro Jourdan
Mexico City
2/20/2022
It could just be a glitch. I'm having the same problem, doesn't mean that Bon Appetite is trying to make us pay for a recipe. This is the first time I've experienced this. I just screenshot the steps... easy enough. The chicken is baking right now and smells sooo good.
Jaimee
Pittsburgh
2/18/2022
I made this recipe exactly as it was given and it was absolutely delicious. My husband said he thought it was now his favorite dish. The chicken was extremely tender ( heritage chicken was used) .The potatoes were Savory. Will be making it again. If you are making this for company it's perfect because it will cook for 3 hours or so in the oven while you entertain and then you can just pull it out at the end and finish it
Anonymous
New York
2/16/2022