"Buttermilk" Roast Chicken
**PICTURES UPDATED MARCH 2022*
When I started to eliminate dairy from my diet, this got eliminated from my meal plan, it was a sad time. I have made this chicken for years, I even made it for the giant park Easter with both of our families to announce the gender of our youngest. Spoiler alert, it was a second girl, and we immediately got the disappointment comments from our families (PS, don't do that to a pregnant lady, remember a healthy baby is the only thing that matters). The best part of this chicken is that it is so tender and juicy, everyone loves it! So I knew I needed it back in the rotation and I tried to think of how I could still enjoy it without the dairy or sugar.
Enter my favorite non-dairy product, cashew yogurt! It has the thick consistency of buttermilk and I just needed to add some tang, lemon juice. Mixing those two together made the perfect "buttermilk" and I knew I had cracked the code. Sugar is one of those things that once you take out, you find it was totally unnecessary. Much like that extra sprinkle of cheese I used to put on everything, thinking it added flavor, NOPE! I love the ease of this recipe, throw it together in a big bag and pop it into the fridge to infuse with flavor and enjoy the next couple days. My youngest loves the drumstick, getting all cave-girl with eating with her hands. This is the perfect meal for weeknights, impromptu get togethers, or multiplying for a large group. Serve it with a salad or veggies, it is especially delicious alongside my Rainbow Carrots and Potatoes for an easy weeknight dinner or my Layered Picnic Salad for a large group!
"Buttermilk" Roast Chicken
Inspired by Smitten Kitchen
1 3/4 cup cashew yogurt or other dairy free yogurt (make sure it is not thick like Greek Yogurt)
1/4 cup lemon juice
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon salt + more to sprinkle
1 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika + more to sprinkle
1 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper + more to sprinkle
2 1/2 - 3 lbs chicken, bone-in and skin-on. I used breasts and drumsticks
- combine all the marinade in a large storage bag, toss the chicken in, seal, and mix thoroughly. Place in another dish to catch any possible leakage from the bag. Refrigerate at least two hours but I recommend overnight or up to two days.
- Preheat the oven to 425. Cover a baking dish with foil and place the chicken, shaking off additional marinade. Sprinkle with a little salt, pepper, and smoked paprika on each piece of chicken.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes until the internal temperature is 165 and there are some browned, crispy parts of chicken.
As we have already discussed, I prefer to dirty the least amount of things possible so I mix the entire marinade in one large measuring cup.
Rather than having a bunch of lemons in my house, I buy this bottle of juice. Look at that ingredient list: lemon juice; the only thing that should be on it.
Grab your chicken, put it into a large bag, pour the marinade over, seal bag, shake/mix/massage the bag, keep in a bowl or dish, refrigerate for up to two days, pull out and cover baking dish with foil.
I also recommend that every time you open your fridge, give the bag a little love and massage it, that way the marinade moves around and each piece of chicken gets attention.
Pull the chicken out of the bag and give the pieces a little shake, then arrange in the baking dish.
This little extra sprinkle adds so much flavor so make sure you don't skip this step!
