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    You are here: Home » Dietary Restrictions » Paleo » Thyme Honey Mustard Spatchcock Chicken with Root Vegetable Puree

    Thyme Honey Mustard Spatchcock Chicken with Root Vegetable Puree

    March 10, 2017 (updated December 23, 2021) by Danielle Esposti

    May contain affiliate links. See our Privacy Policy and disclosure.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    A piece of thyme honey mustard marinated chicken over root vegetable puree with sauteed spinach.

    This sheet pan Spatchcock Honey Mustard Roasted Chicken with root vegetable puree is comfort food heaven. It’s an easy paleo roasted chicken recipe that comes together quickly with very little prep time and plenty of leftovers.

    This honey mustard spatchcock chicken is an easy, delicious weeknight meal that comes together quickly with little prep time. Adding root vegetables to the sheet pan makes preparing a nutritious side dish a snap. Paleo and Whole30 friendly!
    Jump to:
    • Thyme Honey Mustard Roasted Chicken Recipe Notes
    • Recipe

    One of the things I’ve struggled with throughout the Minimalist Foodie Challenge is my chicken limitations. Y’all know I love my whole roasted chicken, but I’ve been missing quick and easy (not to mention fast) bone-in chicken weeknight dinners. I’ve got a serious craving for Chicken with 40 Cloves. The heart (or in this case, the gullet) wants what it can’t have.

    Enter Occam’s Razor – the simplest solution is the best solution. Cut up the dang chicken. I’m almost embarrassed to admit that I’ve never butchered a whole chicken before now. It’s neither fear nor curiosity that’s held me back, but the simple fact that I’m a fairly lazy home cook – I like delicious, but I really like easy. My local market sells local pastured bone-in chicken pieces. Easy!

    This honey mustard spatchcock chicken is an easy, delicious weeknight meal that comes together quickly with little prep time. Adding root vegetables to the sheet pan makes preparing a nutritious side dish a snap. Paleo and Whole30 friendly!

    Alas, the time has come for me to learn this most essential skill, so naturally I took the most hassle free option and started with this spatchcock version of Thyme Honey Mustard Roasted Chicken. Have you ever spatchcocked a chicken? It’s pretty straightforward, and the only tool you need is a decent pair of kitchen shears. I didn’t have any, so I sucked up the $20 and got to work.

    The result? I can’t believe I waited this long. This bird cooked up pretty quickly (comparatively) and was moist and tender throughout with uber crispy skin. Bonus – it was really easy to carve. Definitely a winner. Definitely gonna do it again.

    Thyme Honey Mustard Roasted Chicken Recipe Notes

    This honey mustard spatchcock chicken is an easy, delicious weeknight meal that comes together quickly with little prep time. Adding root vegetables to the sheet pan makes preparing a nutritious side dish a snap. Paleo and Whole30 friendly!

    Delicious doesn’t need to be complicated as evidenced by this super straightforward thyme honey mustard roasted chicken marinade. Fresh thyme, local honey, whole grain mustard, a lemon, and a little salt n’ peppa. I sliced open the skin along the breast where it meets the thigh and rubbed some sauce under the skin. This was a good move if I do say so myself.

    After I roasted the bird for 20 minutes at 450, I reduce the oven temperature to 325 and added some skinned and diced root vegetables to the baking sheet. These roasted up perfectly with the chicken. When they were finished I pureed them with a little bit of cream, salt and pepper while the chicken rested.

    This honey mustard spatchcock chicken is an easy, delicious weeknight meal that comes together quickly with little prep time. Adding root vegetables to the sheet pan makes preparing a nutritious side dish a snap. Paleo and Whole30 friendly!

    Substitutions. I really love this recipe with thyme – it’s bright and aromatic and chicken’s perfect companion. I’d love to try tarragon next time I make this. For the root vegetables, I used butternut squash and sweet potatoes because that’s what I had. Fennel, rutabaga, carrots, parsnips – these are all fantastic substitutions.

    Paleo/Whole30. To make the puree paleo or Whole30 compliant, sub almond or coconut milk for the cream. To make the chicken Whole30 compliant, try â…“ cup applesauce or 3-4 pureed dates in place of the honey. Disclaimer – I haven’t tested these substitutions, they’re just my best guess based on previous Whole30 experiments. Personally, I think the marinade needs a touch of sweetness, so I wouldn’t skip the honey altogether without a substitution. If you try either of these, I’d love to know your feedback!

    This honey mustard roasted chicken is an easy, delicious weeknight meal that comes together quickly with little prep time. Adding root vegetables to the sheet pan makes preparing a nutritious side dish a snap. Paleo and Whole30 friendly!

    Did you make this Roasted Chicken? I’d love to know how it turned out! Leave a comment and a rating below.

    While you’re at it, let’s be friends – follow me on Pinterest and Instagram for the latest and greatest.

    Recipe

    This honey mustard spatchcock chicken is an easy, delicious weeknight meal that comes together quickly with little prep time. Adding root vegetables to the sheet pan makes preparing a nutritious side dish a snap. Paleo and Whole30 friendly!

    Thyme Honey Mustard Roasted Chicken with Root Vegetable Puree

    Author: Danielle Esposti
    Print Recipe Rate this Recipe Pin Recipe
    This honey mustard roasted chicken is an easy, delicious weeknight meal that comes together quickly with little prep time. Paleo and Whole30 friendly!
    Prep Time: 35 mins
    Cook Time: 40 mins
    Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins
    Servings : 6
    Calories:

    Recommended Equipment

    • Cutting Board
    • Kitchen Shears
    • Baking Sheet
    • Aluminum foil
    • Microplane
    • Food Processor
    • Instant Read Thermometer

    Ingredients

    Thyme Honey Mustard Chicken

    • 1 4- lb whole chicken
    • 1 tbsp sea salt
    • 1 lemon
    • ¼ c. whole grain mustard
    • ¼ c. honey
    • 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, plus 2-3 additional sprigs
    • ½ cracked black pepper

    Root Vegetable Puree

    • 1 tbsp avocado oil or your choice of fat
    • 2 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced into ½″ pieces
    • 1 small butternut squash, peeled and diced into ½″ pieces
    • 2-4 tbsp heavy cream
    • sea salt, to taste
    • cracked black pepper, to taste

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 450. Thoroughly dry the chicken with paper towels or a kitchen towel. Place the chicken breast-side down on a cutting board. Using a sharp pair of kitchen shears, cut along one side of the spine. Rotate the chicken 180* and cut along the other side of the spine, removing it completely. Flip the chicken over and press on the breastbone to flatten. Transfer the chicken to a baking sheet lined with foil and sprinkle with sea salt. Allow to rest at least 15 minutes, but preferably 30 minutes.
    • While the chicken is resting, prepare the marinade and prep the root vegetables. Zest the lemon. Whisk together the lemon zest, whole grain mustard, honey, thyme leaves, and pepper. Slice the zested lemon and nestle it, along with the thyme springs, under the chicken. Peel and dice the vegetables and toss with the fat.
    • Cut two slits into the skin where the breast meets the thigh. Rub a few tablespoons of marinade between the skin and breast meat. Rub the remaining marinade all over the chicken.
    • Roast the chicken at 450 for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven to 350. Place the vegetables around the chicken. Roast the chicken and vegetables an additional 40 minutes (or more, depending on bird size) until the temperate of the chicken reaches 165 and the vegetables are soft and tender.
    • Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and allow to rest. Meanwhile, transfer the vegetables to a food processor or blender. Add the 2 tbsp cream, salt and pepper and puree until smooth, adding additional cream if needed.

    Notes

    Make it Paleo. Substitute almond or coconut milk for the heavy cream.
    Whole30 Suggestions. Substitute 3-4 dates or â…“ c. applesauce for the honey.
    On Slow Roasting. I slow roast my pastured birds. For organic or conventional birds, reduce oven temperate to 400 and roast 20 minutes.
    Did you make this recipe?Mention @oursaltykitchen or tag #oursaltykitchen!
    « White Bean Ragout with Butternut Squash
    The Minimalist Foodie Challenge: Weeks 9 and 10 »

    Disclaimer: This post and the recipe card may contain affiliate links, which means we receive a small commission (at no cost to you!) if you make a purchase using these links. Rest assured, we only endorse products we own and truly love!

    2 Comments
    Filed Under: Fall Recipes, Grain Free, Kid Friendly, Main Dishes, Paleo, Winter Recipes Tagged With: butternut squash, chicken, dairy free, dinner, entree, fresh herbs, gluten free, good for leftovers, thyme, Whole30

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lindsay | With Salt and Pepper

      April 22, 2017 at 3:23 pm

      Spatchcock chicken is one of our favorite things EVER to make! Matt makes the skin super crispy for me because I could eat it for days…this way of seasoning though, sounds like a game changer! 🙂

      Reply
      • Danielle

        April 23, 2017 at 1:25 pm

        I am seriously in love this roasting method. And make room on that couch for fans of munching on crispy chicken skin because I will join you!

        Reply

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