Skillet Roast Chicken with a Garlic and Thyme Jus

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Tender, juicy chicken, simply roasted with olive oil and salt and pepper, to create a perfect golden brown, crispy skin and served with a delicious Garlic and Thyme Jus. It takes less than 2 minutes to get it in the oven and less than 10 minutes to make the jus when the chicken is cooked and resting. I like to serve it with boiled new potatoes, some roast vegetables, which I pop into the oven when the chicken is roasting, and also a salad.

Traditional roast chicken with stuffing, sausage meat, roast potatoes, veggies and gravy is almost impossible to beat in the winter months, I’ll grant you, but the weather needs to be cold. We are experiencing some beautiful sunny warm weather here in London at the moment, so craving lighter meals with lots of vegetables and salads. (At least I am – I think my husband could eat Roast Chicken with all the trimmings all year round!)

Based on my Skillet Roast Chicken – Core Recipe, this beauty is a winner for its simplicity and fuss-free preparation. It is so good it is hard to believe it is so simple. Serve this meal to your family and friends and they will be convinced you have been slaving away in the kitchen all day!

NB If you do not have a cast iron skillet, simply use your best roasting dish or, if you have frying pan which is oven safe, you could use that too. Ideally use something which can also be used on the hob as well to make the Garlic and Thyme Jus.

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How to make Skillet Roast Chicken with a Garlic and Thyme Jus

For more information on roasting chicken generally and specifically in a skillet, please see my Skillet Roast Chicken – Core Recipe here.

First, collect together your ingredients, making sure you: 

• work out the cooking time of the chicken. This will be 45 minutes per 1 kg (or 4.5 mins per 100g) plus 15 minutes.
• allow time (30 – 45 minutes) for the chicken to come to room temperature before cooking,
• also, allow time (10 – 15 minutes) for resting the chicken after it has been cooked.

Ingredients:

• Whole chicken
• Olive oil and salt and pepper
• unsalted butter
• white wine
• garlic
• sprigs of thyme
• chicken stock
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Then all you need to do is:

• Rub the chicken skin with the olive oil and add the salt and pepper.
• Cook!
• When cooked, remove from the oven and make the jus whilst the chicken rests.

Prepare and cook the chicken and vegetables:

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Make the jus:

Spoon any excess fat out of the skillet. Cook the garlic and thyme in the butter over a moderate heat until aromatic, around 1 minute. Add the wine and bring to the boil, scraping all the tasty bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook for 2 minutes and then add the stock or vegetable water and cook for a further 5 minutes to reduce slightly. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Strain before you serve it.

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To check the chicken is cooked:

Pull the leg away from the bird slightly and skewer into breast flesh behind the leg. Any juices coming out of the bird should be clear and the meat should be opaque. If you see any pinkness or blood, cook for a further 5 – 10 minutes. If you use a meat thermometer, the internal temperature of the meat should read 165°F or 75°C.

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