This bright, sunny recipe is the perfect centrepiece for a summer supper. Spatchcocked for speed, glazed three times with a sticky, citrussy marinade of Tahiti Lime Marmalade, fresh chilli, rapeseed oil and lime, and roasted until charred at the edges and golden all the way through. Served on a platter surrounded by crispy new potatoes, lime slices and a scatter of fresh coriander - it's anything but your average roast chicken.
Spatchcocking cuts the cooking time right down and means every bit of skin gets the heat it deserves: crisp, sticky and deeply flavoured from the glaze. If you've never done it before, Helen's notes below will walk you through it. It takes about two minutes and makes a real difference.
About the marinade
The Tahiti Lime Marmalade is what makes this recipe sing. Bitter, sweet and intensely citrusy, it caramelises beautifully in the oven and creates a glaze that clings to the chicken as it cooks. Combined with fresh chilli and a good squeeze of lime, it's sharp, warming and a little bit addictive.
Shop Tahiti Lime Marmalade
How to serve it
Crispy new potatoes and seasonal greens or a fresh salad are all you need alongside. Bring it to the table whole and carve it there: that's the point of spatchcock, the whole bird on one platter, golden and ready to pull apart.
Taking it to the BBQ
This recipe works brilliantly on the barbecue too, and over the bank holiday weekend that's exactly where it deserves to be.
Set up your grill with two heat zones: one side on direct heat, the other with no coals or burners underneath. Place the spatchcocked chicken skin-side up on the indirect heat side, close the lid and cook for 40-50 minutes, glazing with the marinade in the same three stages as the oven method.
Once the chicken is nearly cooked through, move it over to the direct heat skin-side down for a final 5-10 minutes to get those charred, crispy edges. Rest for 10 minutes before serving. Use a meat thermometer if you have one: you're looking for 75C in the thickest part of the thigh.
Full recipe below!
Summer Roast Chicken with Tahiti Lime Marmalade and Chilli
Helen Upshall
4-6
1 hours
A whole chicken, spatchcocked for speed and glazed three times with a sticky marinade of Tahiti Lime Marmalade, fresh chilli, rapeseed oil and lime. Charred at the edges, golden all the way through, and on the table in under an hour. The summer roast chicken that earns its place at any table. Serves 4-6.
Ingredients
- 1 red medium-heat chilli, finely diced
- 80 grams Tahiti Lime Marmalade
- 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 1/2 lime, zest & juice
- 1.5kg - 1.6kg chicken, spatchcocked
- Sea salt & cracked black pepper
To Serve
- Crispy new potatoes
- Lime slices
- Small bunch coriander, roughly chopped
- Fresh seasonal greens or salad
Directions
Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7.
Make the marinade: In a bowl combine the diced chilli, Tahiti Lime Marmalade and 1 tbs of rapeseed oil. Add the lime zest and squeeze in the juice before lightly whisking the marinade together.
Season and glaze the chicken: Place the spatchcocked chicken on a large baking tray, breast-side up, and season generously with salt and pepper. Drizzle over one third of the marinade ensuring all the chicken is covered.
Roast in the oven for 30 minutes - the chicken will start to char.
After half an hour, reduce the heat to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 and drizzle over the second third of the marinade. Allow to cook for a final 10 - 15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
Remove the chicken from the oven and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes.
When ready to serve, transfer the chicken carefully onto a large platter. Surround the chicken with crispy potatoes and lime slices. Drizzle over the remaining marinade and scatter over the coriander. Serve to the centre of the table alongside seasonal greens or a fresh, zingy salad.
