Jalapeño Roast Chicken
with Baby Broccoli
½ cup (packed) fresh
oregano leaves
1 shallot
4 garlic cloves
4 tablespoons (½ stick)
unsalted butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 jalapeño chile, stemmed
and seeded
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
One 5½-pound whole
roasting chicken
1½ cups chicken broth, or
more if needed
¾ cup dry white wine
2 pounds baby broccoli
(see Tip)
There was always a roast chicken in our fridge when I was growing
up—but I’d be lying if I said my mom cooked it. There was a wonderful
rotisserie place a few blocks from my house and they would
deliver a succulent roast chicken, fresh salsa, homemade tortillas,
and frijoles charros We’d all stand around the kitchen table and make
soft tacos, adding a few slices of avocado. We used leftovers for
chicken salad, flautas (rolled up and fried chicken tacos), or tostadas
(fried tortillas spread with refried beans, topped with shredded
chicken, shredded iceberg lettuce, crema, salsa, avocado slices,
and, in my house, a drizzle of olive oil and red wine vinegar).
This recipe is so easy and yields such a flavorful, succulent chicken
that I doubt any rotisserie place in your neighborhood can rival it. And
I doubt you’ll have leftovers. But if you do, go to town with tortillas,
beans, avocado, and any of the salsas in this book and make tacos.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven
to 400°F.
Combine the oregano, shallot, garlic, butter, 2 tablespoons of
the olive oil, the jalapeño, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon
pepper in a food processor, and process to form a coarse paste.
Pat the chicken dry and then place it, breast side up, on a
rack in a large roasting pan. Using your fingers, loosen the skin
from the chicken breast, legs, and thighs without detaching it.
Spread half of the jalapeño paste under the skin. Tie the
chicken legs together with kitchen string. Spread the remaining
jalapeño paste all over the outside of the chicken.
Pour the chicken broth and wine into the roasting pan.
Roast the chicken for 1 hour, basting with the pan juices every
20 minutes and adding more broth to the pan if it’s beginning
to dry out.
Remove the roasting pan from the oven. Arrange the baby
broccoli snugly around the chicken on the rack. Drizzle the
remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over the broccoli, and sprinkle
with salt and pepper. Roast the chicken with the baby broccoli,
basting occasionally with the pan juices, until a meat
thermometer inserted into the innermost part of the thigh (but
not touching the bone) registers 160°F, about 30 minutes.
Place the chicken on a platter, surround it with the baby
broccoli, and serve.
Home 
Latest images 
