Roast Chickens With Plums Recipe (2024)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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.

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.)

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!

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

I couldn't get just sumac so I substituted Zatar. It has Sumac as well as thyme and oregano. It worked well.

Melissa,
This sounds wonderful and perfect for my RH dinner.
Is there a substitute for sumac? Thanks

Absolutely LOVED it!

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.

For those asking, I ordered sumac online--easy! I LOVE THIS RECIPE!!!

Delicious! Rather than 2 small chickens, used 1 5-6 lb chicken, spatchco*cked, 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.

Halved recipe (5 not fully ripe Santa Rosa plums), forgot to half olive oil in marinade, and one spatchco*cked 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

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.

Oops forgot to get lemons. Substituted orange peel and juice. We think it is better!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.