Moroccan-Spiced Roast Chicken With Creamy Cilantro Sauce

The first dish my mom taught me to make was a roast chicken, and I’ve been making variations of that classic ever since. This recipe is simple enough to prepare for an everyday meal and reliable enough to be a standby for special occasions like having the in-laws over or inviting your boss to dinner. The potatoes roast along with the chicken, resulting in an automatic side dish–though Israeli couscous is a delicious accompaniment as well.

This particular version of roast chicken has fantastic flavor thanks to essential pantry spices, which provide great dimension. The cool yogurt cilantro sauce is finger-licking good. I like this flavor line-up so much that I use the same spice combination and creamy sauce with pork tenderloin that I throw on the grill when I don’t want to heat up the kitchen.

INGREDIENTS (SERVES 4)

For the chicken

1 (5-pound) roasting chicken
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
2 pounds small red potatoes, halved
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon paprika 1 lemon, halved 1 yellow onion, quartered 4 garlic cloves, smashed

For the sauce

1 cup (8 ounces) Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce
1 garlic clove, grated
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper

DIRECTIONS

For the chicken, preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Pat the chicken dry. Season the cavity of the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Put the chicken in the center of a roasting pan, breast side up, and surround it with the potatoes.

In a small bowl, combine the butter, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, paprika, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Spread 2 tablespoons of the spice butter underneath the skin on the breast of the chicken, distributing it evenly. Spread the remaining butter over the entire surface of the chicken. Squeeze half of the lemon over the chicken. Stuff the remaining lemon half, the onion quarters, and garlic in the cavity. Tie the legs with kitchen string.

Roast until the chicken reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit on a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh (1 to 11⁄2 hours).

Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, oil, lemon juice, sriracha, garlic, and cilantro. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Let the chicken stand for 10 minutes before carving. Serve with the potatoes and the creamy cilantro sauce on the side.

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