Lately, I’ve been craving all things Spring. I’m just dying to see bright greens, fresh fruit, flowers, and all the coming-soon vegetables. So I’m doing the best I can to get those feelings into my food! That’s how this super yummy Spring Grapefruit Dill Chicken was born. The key is to marinate the chicken for at least a day, but hopefully two. All of the bright grapefruit, dill, and garlic gets into the chicken for so much delicious flavor.
The perfect crispy skin pairs amazingly well with the (also springy) Lemony Root Vegetables. The vinegarette on the carrots and parsnips is a sneaky trick and makes them so crispy and bright. My family absolutely devoured them all!
I love the way that citrus and fresh herbs take over this meal, and taste divine with crunchy almonds and the perfect crispy skin on the chicken. I really hope you give this recipe a try because we’re pretty obsessed with this one!
This dish is a perfect family meal, or great for meal prep, a special date, or an entertaining night. Its also paleo, Whole 30, gluten-free, and dairy-free. Enjoy, friends! And Happy Spring!
Spring Grapefruit Dill Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 5-6 lb roasting chicken
- 1 large grapefruit
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 bunch fresh dill, chopped (sub a few tbsp of dried dill if you don't have fresh)
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper
- 1 tbsp garlic granules/powder
- olive oil
Instructions
- Set your chicken into a container/dish that will be suitable for storing it in the fridge. Juice your grapefruit completely, setting aside the fresh juice in a bowl and saving all of the rind.
- Drizzle olive oil all over the chicken and rub it in well. Pour half of the grapefruit juice over the chicken. Then sprinkle the chopped garlic cloves, fresh dill, salt, and pepper on top. Rub everything into the chicken thoroughly on all sides. Rotate the chicken so that it's facing breast-side down in the marinating flavors.
- Cover and refrigerate the other half of the grapefruit juice, which will be used when its time to roast. Stuff the chicken with the leftover grapefruit. And feel free to also stuff the chicken with any extra dill or stems. Cover and refrigerate for 48 hours.
- When its time to cook the chicken, remove it from the fridge 1 hour before baking so that it can warm-up a bit. Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- Rotate the chicken so that it is facing breast side up on a baking dish or sheet pan. Drizzle it with a little more olive oil, making sure that the pan beneath it is oiled a well, and add a little more fresh salt and pepper on top. Gently sprinkle the garlic granules over the entire top of the chicken, but don't rub them in (this sets a crispy garlic crust that bakes beautifully onto the skin!). Roast the chicken for 30 minutes.
- At the first 30-minute mark, remove the chicken from the oven and gently pour the remaining grapefruit juice all over the chicken. Return to the oven and roast for 30 minutes more.
- At the second 30-minute mark, the garlic granules should be baked into the skin firmly. So now you can baste the chicken using a basting brush. Dip the brush into the run-off juices and pat them onto the chicken skin. Return the chicken to the oven and roast for approximately 60 minutes more, or until an internal-read thermometer reaches 165º F. Feel free to baste another time or two while its roasting for these final 60 minutes.
- When done, remove the chicken from the oven and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!
Spring Lemony Root Vegetables
Ingredients
- olive oil
- 4 large carrots, peeled and chopped
- 4 large parsnips, peeled and chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped into large slices (don't mince these, they will burn)
- 3 tbsp whole amonds
- 3 tbsp pumpkin or sunflower seeds
- 1 bunch fresh dill, chopped
- 3 tsp dijon mustard
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- salt
- pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400º F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine all of the prepared carrots, parsnips, and garlic with a generous drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Toss them thoroughly so that each piece is well-coated.
- Lay the vegetables out flat on the prepared baking sheet. If there's not enough room to have all of them laying flat, use a second pan to spread them out. If they're too close together, they get wet and don't caramelize!
- Roast for 30 minutes. Remove them from the oven, toss the vegetables to rotate them all well, and return them to the oven. They should be getting soft and golden but not very brown just yet. Roast for about 10 minutes more.
- Add the almonds and seeds to the pan(s), return them to the oven, and roast for 10 minutes more. While those are finishing, combine 3 tbsp olive oil with the 3 tbsp lemon juice, 3 tsp dijon, plus salt and pepper. Whisk thoroughly.
- Once the vegeables are caramlized and very golden, and the nuts are toasted, remove them from the oven. Drizzle the vinegarate over the vegetables, and toss them gently to combine. Sprinkle the fresh dill over everything and serve hot. Enjoy!