I like to call this one “every herb and his dog” though that is not really true. If I used all the herbs I happen to own thanks to the great Aldi spice packs it would turn out weird I expect and it would take a long time to put the marinade together.
I have made this several times now and I believe this will be the final recipe though it could always change. The orange juice was an addition this week because we bought some – the previous attempts did not have it – but now that I have tried it I would always add it. If I switch some of the herbs it can make this a totally different recipe too. EG if you add in some cumin that would take this in a Mexican direction.
This makes enough chicken for the other half to have 220g of chicken for lunch for 5 days – I often make a potato bake to go with it, or he can have a boiled egg and some cheese and crackers. Plus a leftover bunch of chicken for me to have as a snack.
This is so simple, it takes me maximum 15 minutes to prepare the marinade then everything goes into a baking tray covered with alfoil for a couple of hours in the oven. Here’s what you need and how I do it.
2kg chicken breast – you can use thigh if you like but you would want to reduce the cooking time somewhat, if you used wings and drumsticks you might cook it slightly longer.
The marinade –
put the following together in a bowl –
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon of olive oil
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon mixed herbs
1 teaspoon chicken stock powder
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt – you can use minced garlic if you prefer
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
Whisk ingredients together. Pour a small amount into the baking dish, layer the chicken on top of that, then pour the rest of the marinade on top. You can add up to 500mls of liquid chicken stock if you like. The liquid will reduce down as it cooks.
Cover baking dish with alfoil. Do not skip this step, it is super important!
Cook in the oven at 200C (390F) for one hour.
Remove from oven, flip the chicken over. Put the alfoil back on. Return to the oven at 200C for another hour.
So why do I cook it for so long? Two reasons – so that all the flavours can seep into the chicken creating major awesomeness – and so the chicken completely falls apart when you touch it with a fork.
I like to make this into “pulled chicken” and I do that in the pan it cooked in so the chicken can soak up the maximum marinade.
That’s a lot of seasonings! So, what are the “mixed herbs”? Is that a seasoning mix you buy or is it whatever herbs you feel like putting in? Looks delicious. Also looks like a good way to use the multitude of seasonings I have in my cabinets that I bought and haven’t used.
Oh, nevermind. I just saw the mixed herbs in the picture. Aldi, I presume?
Yup, Aldi. They do some herbs all year round, but many of these come from a once a year spice collection. They have two different versions of that and I bought them both, I have not needed to buy herbs for a while now! ;)
This is a good way to use up the herbs I don’t use so often, but there are a lot of unopened herbs in the cupboard still waiting for me to find them a recipe home. ;)
Looks delicious! I’d like to know what the mixed herbs are too! The chicken seems really tender, I love pulled pork, and I think this would be a good addition to our meal plan! Thanks for the recipe! :)
It is so simple and if the other half likes it then I am so on board with that. I wish I could convince him to eat pork more often but he is really not a fan of it. The occasional pork roast or chop. Maybe if I did a pulled pork, he might change his mind. ;)
I skipped all those major “Recipe” steps. I don’t read “Recipe”! But that marinade is a work of art! So nice of “Herby” to bake you a chicken.
It is quite a work of art. Amazing how putting flavours together can be like making a painting. This week though, I was told that it was a little *too* spicy for The Other Half and I know where I went wrong, pulling the chicken in the pan with the leftover stuff amped up the flavours a tad too much for him. ;) Next time I will remove it to a chopping board and it will be fine.
It looks yummy, but there are far too many different flavours in there for me. Doesn’t the use of “mixed herbs” negate the need for rosemary?
Nope, I find it needs a little bit more rosemary than you get from the mixed herb set. ;) Actually the flavours all combine together to make something pretty wonderful – this is the closest I have ever managed to replicating all those flavours you get on a roasted chicken from a store. I wish I knew exactly what they used, but until I do, this works. ;)
So, what’s in the mixed herbs? My Aldi doesn’t carry this, so I’m thinking I can make my own mix based on what’s in yours.
Hey Dawn – the mixed herbs = Thyme, Rosemary, Marjoram, Basil, Oregano, Parsley. ;)
I found our equivalent: Italian seasoning. Yes, I launched a big online search for that…