The 1 Ingredient That Makes Roast Chicken Taste Better Every Time

When I worked in the EatingWell Test Kitchen my coworkers dubbed me the “Roast Chicken Queen” but not even because I was necessarily any better at it than anyone else (truly anyone can roast a stellar chicken!)—but more because of how often I make roast chicken. It’s on the menu at my house at least once a week. It’s the ultimate comfort food dinner, plus you have leftovers to get you through a week's worth of work lunches. 

But admittedly, when you make that much roast chicken, things can get a little boring. I always try to mix it up by varying the spice rub I use, but one week I was feeling particularly unmotivated, so my husband took over on roast chicken duty. When I walked into the kitchen he had a jar of chili crisp out and was slathering the oily mixture all over the chicken. At first I was horrified—that small jar of my favorite condiment going on a raw chicken?! But then I realized this is actually the most genius cooking idea he’s ever had.

Why You Should Be Roasting Chicken with Chili Crisp 

Chile crisp is essentially a combination of oil and spices featuring crispy chunks of chiles, onion, garlic, and sometimes other ingredients like nuts. So not only is it packed with flavor, it also already has its own (very flavorful) oil built in, which is perfect for adding to roast chicken to help keep the meat juicy while getting the skin nicely browned and very crispy. 

But the best thing about this hack? All you need to make roast chicken is two ingredients: chicken and chili crisp. It takes the ingredient list down from a handful of herbs, a couple spice jars, and a glug of oil to one do-it-all ingredient. Everything you need to season that chicken is in that one jar. (And OK, fine, you might want to add a touch of salt, too.) 

How To Make Chili Crisp Roast Chicken 

The beauty of this dish is that it’s so easy that you don’t even need an actual recipe. All you do is take your chicken and rub it with chili crisp. I like to get mine under the skin so the meat itself will be infused with flavor—this is also where I put most of those seasoning chunks so that they don’t burn. Then rub a little bit of the seasoned oil over the skin and sprinkle it with some coarse salt, which will also help the skin crisp since it draws out any extra moisture. Then roast in the oven as you normally would.

You can do this on a whole chicken of course, but it also works with chicken parts. I’ve done it with wings, thighs, and drumsticks all with delicious success! 

So the next time you find yourself in a dinner rut, reach for your jar of chili crisp for an instant winner chicken dinner.