Basil Lime Chicken with Roasted Vegetables

 

An easy basil lime compound butter makes crispy chicken 

and roasted vegetables extra special.

Happy Friday! Are you ready to slather your dinner in an irresistible basil lime compound butter?

I love this meal because it's simple and flavorful. The basil lime butter makes the chicken and vegetables more delicious without making them taste any less like themselves. Instead of obscuring the flavors of the main ingredients like heavy sauces sometimes do, it just kisses them with a little herbal, citrusy richness that still lets their natural essence come through. 

For the roasted vegetables, you can use whatever you have on hand. I used beets, carrots, summer squash, and onions. They need different amounts of time to roast, so I added the beets to the baking sheet first, then the carrots, and finally the squash and onions. If you want to sub in other vegetables and aren't sure how long they need to roast, check out this handy chart.

After getting some basil lime butter rubbed under the skin, this chicken is prepared with my favorite method for crispy skin and juicy meat: a brief sear skin-side-down on the stovetop, then a quick roast skin-side-up in the oven. Done and done. 

Can someone please pass the extra compound butter? Kthanksbye.

Basil Lime Chicken with Roasted Vegetables
Yield: 2 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

For the roasted vegetables:

4 small beets, peeled, trimmed, and quartered (I used chioggia beets)
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 carrots, thickly sliced
2 zucchini or other summer squash, thickly sliced
1 large onion, cut into 8 wedges

For the basil lime chicken:

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup lightly packed fresh basil, finely chopped
1 lime
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 bone-in, skin-on chicken legs (or 2 drumsticks + 2 thighs)

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Toss the beets with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper and place them on a large baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes. Toss the carrots with a little oil, salt, and pepper, add them to the sheet pan, and roast for another ten minutes. Meanwhile, start the chicken. Finally, toss the squash and onion with some olive oil, salt, and pepper, add them to the sheet pan, toss the vegetables to mix well, and roast for about 10 more minutes.

To make the basil lime butter, zest the lime with a microplane or fine grater. Mix the butter, basil, lime zest, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Mash well with a fork to combine. Scoop out about two tablespoons of the butter to use with the chicken, and set the rest aside, covered.

Loosen the skin on the chicken legs, being careful not to tear it, and slip the basil lime butter underneath, rubbing it in well. Season the outside of the chicken with a little salt and pepper.

Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken legs, skin side down, and sear for 6-7 minutes, until nicely browned on the bottom. Flip the chicken over. Slice the zested lime and nestle the slices into the pan with the chicken. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast for about 15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through (a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh should register 165°F). Transfer the chicken to a plate and rest for five minutes.

When the vegetables are done roasting, add a dollop of the reserved basil lime butter to the sheet pan and toss to coat the vegetables. Serve the chicken and vegetables hot, with a little more basil lime butter on top if desired.