Roasted Chicken With Pears And Butternut Squash

Whole roasted chicken leg, squash and pears in a cast-iron skillet.

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Roasted Chicken With Pears And Butternut Squash

A deliciously and beautifully browned one-pan roast chicken with olive oil-infused pan juices, sweet pears, and butternut squash is perfect for family dinners and festive enough for the Holidays.

Prep Time10

Total Time1

Course: Main Courses

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings: Servings

Calories: 251kcal

Author: Mariska Ramondino

Equipment

1 Large cast iron skillet (at least 12-inches) Another oven-safe frying pan or casserole dish can also work.

Ingredients

3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil separated or more as needed
2 teaspoons sea or kosher salt plus ½ teaspoon separated, or more as needed
1 whole chicken 4 to 5 pounds (1.8 to 2.3 kilos)
½ teaspoon Ceylon cinnamon powder plus ¼ teaspoon separated
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
3 pears cut in half
1 pound and 4 ounces (550 grams) of peeled, cubed butternut squash 1 ½ inch cubes
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon dried oregano
2 fresh rosemary sprigs each cut into three pieces

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Instructions

Arrange a rack in the center of your oven, and preheat to 425 °F/ 220 °C.
Coat the cast-iron or oven-safe pan with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and a few pinches of salt. Set aside.
3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil, 2 teaspoons sea or kosher salt plus ½ teaspoon
Thoroughly pat dry the chicken using paper towels, which will help with browning. Make sure to also pat dry inside the cavity.
1 whole chicken
Rub the chicken generously with 2 teaspoons and ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder. Make sure to also salt inside the cavity.
½ teaspoon Ceylon cinnamon powder plus ¼ teaspoon
Place the chopped garlic inside of the chicken cavity.
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
Place two pear halves inside the chicken cavity. Then, divide and tuck the rest between the wings and legs.
3 pears
Arrange the squash around the chicken. Season the vegetables with the remaining salt (½ teaspoon) and cinnamon powder (¼ teaspoon).
1 pound and 4 ounces (550 grams) of peeled, cubed butternut squash
Season everything equally with onion powder and dried oregano.
½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon dried oregano
Pour the remaining olive oil over the whole dish, sufficiently coating the chicken and veggies.
Arrange the rosemary sprigs over the squash and chicken.
2 fresh rosemary sprigs
Transfer to the oven and roast until the chicken is beautifully browned and done (about 50 to 60 minutes).
Count 15 minutes per pound of chicken, so for a 4-pound of chicken, roast for 1 hour.
To check for doneness, I carefully remove the skillet from the oven and check between the cut leg joints. It needs more time if you see any pinkish colors.

Notes

Helpful Tips

Always pat dry the chicken with paper towels before preparing. Don't skip this step. I even go inside the cavity of the chicken and thoroughly dry it. It will result in beautiful crispier skin and ensure no extra liquid interferes with those flavorful caramelized pan juices.
If you can, let the chicken rest at room temperature for around 10 minutes before prep time. It ensures the meat cooks evenly.
Season every surface of the chicken generously with salt—yep, even inside the cavity and between the wings. Chicken needs a good amount of salt to develop beautiful flavors and a juicy texture.
Some whole chickens are sold with giblet parts. Season them with salt and pepper and place them in the oven-save skillet alongside the chicken—these parts deliciously flavor the pan juices and become soft, delicate treats.
I count about 15 minutes of oven time per pound of chicken. My chicken always turns out beautifully browned with crispy skin and wonderful flavors but still juicy.
Place chicken breast side up for easy carving.
The pears add a lovely, naturally sweet flavor that soaks into the pan juices. Pick sweet but still reasonably firm pears like Bosc.
Don't cut the squash too small. Cut them roughly into 1 ½-inch cubes so they soften around the same time as the rest but will still have a lovely bite.
Leave the bird alone in the oven—no need to baste it. Let the oven do its work and roast long enough for the flavors to develop.
Let the roasted bird rest before carving. Wait about 10 minutes for the juicy chicken to settle further and for the flavors to come together.
Note that the pan will be crowded, and that's okay. Just make sure that everything is equally coated with a good quality olive oil.

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