Discover how simple and delicious a heart-healthy whole roasted chicken can be! This recipe guarantees a juicy, tender bird packed with flavor from a buttermilk-herb marinade and a savory mustard rub—no excess salt required. It’s the perfect centerpiece for a healthy dinner that the whole family will love. Explore more heart healthy chicken dinner recipes to enjoy wholesome and delicious meals!
This roasted chicken is designed to be heart-healthy by focusing on high-quality lean protein while minimizing unhealthy fats and sodium. Instead of salt, the recipe builds deep flavor through a buttermilk-herb marinade and a savory spice rub, which keeps the sodium content exceptionally low. Furthermore, it uses reduced-fat buttermilk and calls for removing the skin before serving, two key steps that significantly control the overall calorie and saturated fat content.
Yes, roasted chicken can be very heart-healthy. The key is to prepare it with minimal salt and saturated fat, just like this recipe does by using an herb marinade and removing the skin.
A whole chicken is often more economical and provides both lean white meat and flavorful dark meat. It's a versatile option that allows you to use the entire bird for various meals.
Marinating the chicken, as done in this recipe with a buttermilk blend, is a fantastic way to ensure the meat stays moist and tender throughout the cooking process.
These hearty and satisfying comfort food classics add more delicious options to your heart-conscious diet.
Complete your meal with one of these delicious, healthful recipes for classic accompaniments to roast chicken.
Recipe yields 4 servings
In a small bowl, combine all mustard rub ingredients. Set aside.
In a small pot, place water, honey, orange juice, orange zest, garlic, peppercorns, rosemary and thyme. Bring to a boil. Turn off heat and allow to cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Stir in buttermilk.
Rinse chicken and pat dry. Place in a small bucket or deep baking dish, pour buttermilk marinade over chicken, cover and let marinate, chilled, overnight, or at least 8 hours.
Remove chicken from marinade, rinse, pat dry and let sit for 1 hour at room temperature. Coat chicken with mustard rub.
Preheat oven to 400°.
On a flat surface, arrange chicken, breast side up, legs facing you. Place kitchen twine under the legs and pull up around the legs to tie legs together. Flip chicken over, with breast side down and legs facing you. Pull twine around wings and tie together. Place chicken on a rack in a roasting pan. Insert a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh. Make a triangle-shaped piece of foil and cover chicken breast.
Bake for 30 minutes. Pull chicken out of oven, remove foil and baste chicken with any pan juices. Reduce oven temperature to 325° and roast for another 30 to 45 minutes, or until temperature reads 165°. Let sit for 15 minutes before serving. Remove skin and serve.
If you don't have buttermilk, you can create a substitute by adding one tablespoon of lemon juice to one cup of regular milk. Plain, low-fat yogurt also works well.
Feel free to swap the rosemary and thyme with other woody herbs like sage or marjoram for a different aromatic profile.
For a touch of heat, add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the mustard rub. Using smoked paprika instead of sweet paprika will lend a smokier flavor.
While the recipe suggests orange or lemon, lime juice and zest can be used for a different kind of tangy note in the marinade.
For more healthy chicken recipe inspiration, check out these chicken recipes that use all parts of the chicken, from chicken breasts and tenders to chicken thighs and drumsticks.