Spatchco*cked Thai Roasted Chicken Recipe (2024)

One thing you will love about this recipe is that it has both sweet and savory elements. This popular Thai roasted chicken recipe includes sweetness, a bit of sour, and savory to create a marinade that is both to keep the chicken moist but also to elevate the flavors.

Thai Roasted Chicken

If you are familiar with Thai foods in general, you know that they often include sweet, sour, savory, and a bit of heat. While this recipe, in particular, doesn't have a super hot spice element, it does include a little of everything else. If you enjoy a nice moist roasted chicken, this one is perfect and flavored to be a versatile addition to your menu.

While it may be similar in cooking style as these braised honey garlic chicken thighs, it has a much longer process including the marinade and rest time. This is a recipe for a weekend when time is not an issue, but can also be made ahead and served the next day if you prefer.

Can I Use Just Chicken Breasts Instead?

I love using a whole chicken fryer since it is affordable and offers everyone at the dinner table the type of meat they like. My son and I are definitely white meat fans while my husband prefers dark meat, so that makes this ideal.

However, if you prefer white meat only, you can definitely use this method with bone-in and skin-on chicken breasts instead. If using just the chicken breasts, check the internal temperature of the chicken at the 30-minute mark and continue cooking in 5-minute increments until it reaches 160°F internally. Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving to reach the recommended 165°F for food safety.

What is Tom Yum Paste?

Tom yum paste is a combination of lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, lime juice, Thai chiles, and a few other ingredients. It has an aromatic and slightly sour taste that blends well with the other ingredients in this dish.

If you cannot find Tom Yum paste in your Asian market, you can use red Thai curry paste instead. If using it, you will want to add an additional 1 tablespoon each of lime juice and brown sugar to offset the heat in the curry paste.

What is the Difference in Light and Dark Soy Sauce?

You are used to using soy sauce in recipes. The most common option you see in Asian cooking and in your refrigerator or pantry is light soy sauce. It is a bit salty and ideal for adding flavor to dishes.

Dark soy sauce is a much richer concentrated sauce that adds color and a richer flavor. While they are not the same, if you cannot find dark soy sauce, you can use regular light soy sauce in this recipe. It just won't have as rich a flavor.

Does Fish Sauce Make it Taste Fishy?

This is a common question when the fish sauce is included in recipes that don't actually include fish. The rich thick sauce is used in small amounts to add flavor to many popular Asian dishes.

While by itself it has a strong flavor, in combination with other ingredients it adds depth without a fishy odor or flavor. In fact, many of your favorite dishes from Japan, China, Korea, and Thailand all use fish sauce as a flavor enhancer and you probably never knew it had anything dishy in the dish.

What Goes with Thai Roasted Chicken?

There is no right or wrong side dish for this recipe. Thai foods tend to be served with lots of vegetables, noodles, and rice. So, using basic rice or ramen as a side or base makes perfect sense. Below are a few basic ideas to serve with this dish.

• Roasted or stir fry vegetables such as green beans, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, or squash.
• Ramen, soba, udon, or similar noodles in a rich broth or seasoned similar to a stir fry.
• Mashed, baked, or fried potatoes or potatoe patties.
• White rice, wild rice, rice pilaf, or a seasoned rice or biryani.

I've used this fragrant Indian rice before with a Thai dish with great results. Get creative and serve with something like mashed potatoes to mellow the flavor or a side of these crispy baked zucchini fries for a vegetable side.

How Can I Tell When My CHicken is Done?

The best way to tell if your chicken is cooked and safe to eat is to use an instant-read meat thermometer to check at the thickest part of the chicken. The thermometer should read at least 160°F.

Since you will rest the chicken for 10 minutes before serving, it is safe to say it will finish cooking and reach the food safety level of 165°F before serving.

If you do not have a meat thermometer, the other option is to cut into the thickest part of the piece of chicken and if the juices run clear and the meat is no longer pink it is safe to consume.

Ingredients

• Whole chicken (roaster)
• Tom yum paste
• Garlic cloves
• Fish sauce
• Dark soy sauce
• Lime juice
• Brown sugar
• Pineapple juice

• Kitchen shears
• Knife
• Cutting board
• Mixing bowls
• Whisk
• Large container with lid
• Baking sheet with wire rack
• Basting brush

How to Make Thai Roasted Chicken

Remove the innards from the chicken and discard. Rinse the chicken then pat dry.

Using kitchen shears or a sharp knife, cut alongside the backbone on both sides and remove it then discard.

Turn the chicken over, breast side up, and push down on the chicken to flatten it. Place into a large bowl or storage container with a lid.

In a large bowl, whisk together the garlic, Tom Yum paste, fish sauce, soy sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, and pineapple juice.

Pour the marinade over the chicken, then cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, up to 6 hours. If refrigerated longer, flip the chicken every hour.

Preheat the oven to 375°F and place a wire rack onto a baking sheet or roasting pan.

Place the chicken, breast side up, onto the wire rack.

Brush with additional marinade.

Bake for 1 hour or until the internal temperature at the thickest part of the bird reaches 160°F.

Remove from the oven and brush the top with pan drippings.

Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing to serve.

More Easy Chicken Recipes

Need more menu inspiration? Check out some of my favorite chicken recipes below. These are sure to make your weeknight menu easier to manage!

• Creamy Chicken Marsala 30-Minute Meal
• Braised Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs with Vegetables
• Crispy Baked Parmesan Chicken Thighs
• Loaded Baked Potato Chicken Casserole
• Sheet Pan Roasted Chicken and Veggies