By Melissa Clark
Updated Feb. 28, 2024
- Total Time
- 1½ hours, plus marinating
- Rating
- 5(799)
- Notes
- Read community notes
This recipe, which roasts two chickens at the same time, has been engineered to feed a crowd. It's no harder than roasting one chicken. The birds get rubbed down with a garlicky sumac spice rub brightened with lemon zest. Then, as they cook, their fragrant drippings season sliced plums roasting in the pan underneath them, which caramelize into a fruity, chutney-like sauce. Feel free to halve the recipe if you’d rather, but be sure to reduce the oven temperature to 425 degrees. For two chickens you need the higher heat so they both crisp properly, but for only one chicken, slightly lower heat keeps the plums from burning.
Featured in: Roast Chicken With Plums Gets a Touch of Spice for Rosh Hashana
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Ingredients
Yield:8 to 10 servings
- 2large lemons
- 2tablespoons ground sumac
- 4teaspoons kosher salt
- 1tablespoon black pepper
- 1teaspoon cinnamon
- 1teaspoon allspice
- 4tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4garlic cloves, grated or minced
- 2chickens, 4 to 4½ pounds each
- 1bunch thyme, more for garnish
- 2¼pounds plums, halved or quartered if large
- 4shallots, sliced into ¼-inch-thick rounds
- 2tablespoons honey
- 1tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ½teaspoon salt
- ½teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼teaspoon allspice
- 1bay leaf, torn in half
For the Chicken
For the Plums
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)
716 calories; 47 grams fat; 12 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 21 grams monounsaturated fat; 9 grams polyunsaturated fat; 23 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 16 grams sugars; 51 grams protein; 1058 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
Step
1
Grate the zest from the lemons and place in a small bowl. Set aside the zested lemons.
Step
2
Stir sumac, salt, pepper, cinnamon and allspice into the lemon zest. Stir in 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and the garlic. The mixture should feel like wet sand. Rub it all over the chickens, including inside the cavity.
Step
3
Divide thyme bunch in half and place in the chicken cavities. Place chickens on a roasting rack set over a rimmed baking sheet, and let marinate, uncovered, in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
Step
4
When ready to roast, let chickens come to room temperature for 30 minutes. Heat oven to 450 degrees.
Step
5
In a large roasting pan, toss together plums, shallots, honey, oil, salt, cinnamon, allspice, bay leaf and 2 tablespoons water. Spread out plum mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan. Place chickens on the rack over the plums in the pan. Roast for 30 minutes.
Step
6
Meanwhile, squeeze 1 tablespoon juice from reserved lemon and mix it with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Drizzle this over the chicken, then continue to roast until the birds are golden-skinned and cooked through, about 30 to 45 minutes longer.
Step
7
Let chickens rest, covered lightly with foil, for 10 minutes. Carve and serve with the plums and more thyme for garnish.
Ratings
5
out of 5
799
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Cooking Notes
Sue in Denver
This is the most delicious thing I have ever served. I think the problem many of the others noted (burnt edges around plums, black and gooey perimeter) occurred because the recipe should say to turn the oven down to 350 or 375 after the first twenty minutes. Having roasted lots of chickens, I did that, and it was fabulous. My guests loved it. We found the sumac at a middle eastern store and it added so much and was worth the effort.
Debbie Majerovitz
I just made this with boneless breasts (because there will be many eating on Rosh Hashana who don't eat anything else). It was amazing! I made half the spice and plum sauce recipe for 4 boneless breast pieces - which gave some extra sauce (a good thing). I didn't have fresh thyme and don't love it so I left that out. The breasts cooked in about 35 minutes, which was enough time for the plums to cook down without burning.
Melissa Clark
You'd only need to cook the chicken pieces for about 30 minutes, and you can add the plums at the same time. Reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees.
Melissa Clark
If you only roast one chicken instead of two, the plums might burn depending on your pan. Next time reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees and add an extra tablespoon of water to the plums.
Melissa Clark
If you only roast one chicken instead of 2, the plums might burn depending on your pan. Next time reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees and add an extra tablespoon of water to the plums. We are adjusting the recipe to reflect this!
Marla
I made this tonight and it was a huge hit with my family. Because I only made one chicken (even though it was good-sized, being nearly 4.5 pounds), I added 1 T. water and started off with the oven at 425. After the first 30 minutes, reduced the oven to 350 and cooked everything for an additional 30 minutes. Everything was sheer perfection. Especially after letting the chicken rest for 10-15 minutes before carving, so all the juices stayed in the chicken. Will definitely be making this again.
EB
Made this recipe with one chicken. Split the chicken open (by cutting down the back bone) and flattened and placed it directly over the plums. 410 degrees, convection oven, 1 hour. It was PERFECT!
Marj
Go ahead. Shake hands with fate and make friends with fat. This chicken is splurge-worthy. Great Oven Temperature Debate resolved here, I dared roast a single chicken at 425 degrees, and it and the plums were perfect though I would urge making the full amount of chutney if you can find and afford all those plums.
Melissa, can you reply to Hanan's query? Is there a substitute for plums post-season? Apples? Pears? Which varieties? Dietary defenses down, please ma'am, I want some more!
Adam
Just skip it. Sumac is lovely, but it's a fairly subtle flavor, and especially when competing with lemon, garlic, cinnamon, and allspice, you're not going to suffer too much for its absence.
Tammy
Yes - 450 for 20 mins, turned oven down to 350 for 40 mins more (only roasted one chicken, and only 3 lbs.). Plums did not burn, chicken was perfectly done. Wonderful recipe. (Thank you Sue in Denver for the roasting wisdom.)
MKMARINAC
Fabulous using boneless chicken breasts, too. I cut the amount of seasonings and plums in half and used 5 large chicken breast halves. Baked at 425 degrees for 40 min. A keeper!
Amy in Boston
This is a go - recipe, and I wasn't ready to give it up for the fall (plums have just gone out of season here). Frozen cherries were a really delicious substitute. I used two bags per chicken, and reduced the water I added.
I agree - turning it down to 375 after the first 20 - 30 minutes was a good change.
We often have it with noodles - but with the cherries, it would be even better with Persian rice and tadig.
Amy Jane
Heavenly dish! Thank you so much Melissa. I too was concerned about over cooking the plums so I cut the bird in half (butterfly) cooked all at 450° and simply shut off the oven after 30 minutes and left the door shut (no peeking for another 30 min ) and it was fantastic. Also used less honey and olive oil on the plums . Can squeeze lemon juice over all just before serving. ..wonderful
Barbara
I couldn't get just sumac so I substituted Zatar. It has Sumac as well as thyme and oregano. It worked well.
LCF
Melissa,
This sounds wonderful and perfect for my RH dinner.
Is there a substitute for sumac? Thanks
Zeva
Absolutely LOVED it!
Ryan
I thought the dish was tasty, but the flavors felt a little Christmas-in-July-esque - the cinnamon and allspice, though not heavy, really seem to shine through, and that combined with the cooked fruit just made me think I was having a Thanksgiving dish. This may not be an issue in some areas of the country, but in the Texas summer, not quite the flavors you'd look for, personally.
Lyda
For those asking, I ordered sumac online--easy! I LOVE THIS RECIPE!!!
Patti
Delicious! Rather than 2 small chickens, used 1 5-6 lb chicken, spatchcocked, resulting in large coverage for most of the plum mixture in the roasting pan. Laid chicken on flat roasting pan rack, which was then placed on top of plums. Cooked at recipe temp until chicken done. Made recipe like this twice. Seems when a smaller chicken doesn't cover areas of the plum mixture, then those areas result in blackened plums. Where larger chicken covers mixture, no black and nicely cooked, juicy plums.
SanFrancisco
Halved recipe (5 not fully ripe Santa Rosa plums), forgot to half olive oil in marinade, and one spatchcocked chicken. Marinated chicken an hour and 20 minutes, placed it on top of plum mixture (foil underneath). Roasted in 425 convection oven for 20 minutes, then sprinkled 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice and 1/2 Tbsp olive oil (mixed) over chicken, reversed tray and lowered oven temperature to 350 convection. The chicken was ready in 30 more minutes. Only a little blacked edges to outer plums. Excellent
Sandra Talarico
The flavors were revelatory. I treated this like a regular sheet pan roast. I cut up the chicken and nestled it on the pan with the plums. Roasted for a little more than 30 minutes at 425.
juliaQ
Oops forgot to get lemons. Substituted orange peel and juice. We think it is better!
lisa
Delicious! I only cooked one chicken and utilized the instructions to lower heat after 30 minutes. I did make the plums as if I were cooking two chickens though. We are making pork chops tomorrow so it will serve as another great side.
MJB
Delicious, but plums burned around the edges and the roasting pan was really difficult to clean. (I did add extra water per instructions). Next time, will follow others' suggestions to turn oven down to 375 after first 20 minutes.
Dalia Rollett
We made this with chicken breasts and Santa Rosa plums from our front tree. Not only was it delicious but it looked like a restaurant meal. Definitely a recipe will be be repeating during plum season. I skipped the honey and it was perfect.
Kentfield Barbara
Perhaps I just did not enjoy the seasonings, but I would not prepare this again. Even though I roasted a 4 lb. Chicken at 425 and added the plums 20 min. later, the plums were burnt and inedible. Also, the cinnamon was overpowering.
Deta
I actually would like to make this for Easter. Any suggestions for a plum substitute available this time of year? Apples? Or, any frozen, dried or jarred fruit? Apricots? Prunes?
Robin
Nice flavor. I would double the fruit, shallots and spices. Plums were out of season so I used prunes and canned apricots. It actually made quite a delicious garnish—could have added a little stock to the pan.
Ann Daniels
I've made this: with one chicken on a rack; one chicken/no rack; chicken thighs instead of whole chicken (about 40 minutes total at 425 degrees); with different fruit (peaches and nectarines, or apples plus a little water or cider); with shallots in wedges instead of sliced; in a roasting or baking pan instead of sheet pan. Fantastic every time. The only essential - the fruit/shallot mix must cover the bottom of the pan, or the fruit layer and the delicious juices will burn.
Susana
Perfect --Made with thighs so put chicken and plum mixture in pan at once - 425 for 35 minutes. Perfect. Made for crowed so used a coated baking pan and came out perfect - nothing stuck.
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