Basque Roast Chicken with paprika and peppers, an easy one-pan roasted chicken dish. Family favourite.
Basque Roast Chicken recipe, a flavourful one-pan meal that’s filled with vegetables.
Many of my favourite recipes are those that have been passed down through family or given to me by friends – they’re the recipes that became family favourites around others’ tables. It seems that home cooks who love to share food can’t resist sharing favourite recipes either.
Sharing recipes is rarely just about the food. If you love a recipe it’s likely that there is some added goodness to go with it, something beyond the combination of ingredients that you want to bestow on others. It’s this generosity that makes the gift of a recipe so special to me.
This recipe for Roasted Basque Chicken with paprika and peppers was given to me by my friend Rona. Originally from Saint John, Rona now lives in Norway and we met online through our shared love of molasses. Rona had no way of knowing that I have been enchanted with the Basque region of France for a little while now, or that my husband’s heritage hails from the region.
Chances are you share a recipe with someone when you’re quite certain they’re going to love it. Rona hit the mark with this recipe. (It’s from the Canadian Living website.)
- If you’re lucky enough to have Piment d’Espelette in your pantry use it in place of the cayenne called for in the recipe below. (Piment d’Espelette is France’s only native pepper, and it is so highly revered that it is protected by AOC status. It has a wonderful smoky flavour and a nice heat.)
- Look for organic red peppers if you can find them since sweet peppers have a high pesticide residue (read more here).
- Look for naturally-raised chickens at your local market.
Basque Roast Chicken with Paprika and Peppers
Course: MainDifficulty: Easy6-8
servings10
minutes45
minutes55
minutesBasque Roast Chicken is much like a sheet pan dinner in that you toss everything together in a big pan to cook. The dish includes a good amount of vegetables but I also roast sliced zucchini to go alongside.
Ingredients
3 roasted red pepper or sweet red peppers, diced
1 sweet onion, thickly sliced
10 cloves garlic, sliced
1 large can of tomatoes (796 g) drained
8 bone-in skin-on chicken pieces (half-breasts, thighs or drumsticks)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme (or 1 tsp. dried)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. sweet paprika
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
Directions
- In a large baking dish or roasting pan, toss together red peppers, onion, tomatoes, and garlic.
- In a small dish, combine thyme, salt, sweet and smoked paprika and cayenne pepper (or Piment d’Espelette).
- Toss chicken with oil to coat and rub all over with spice mixture. Place chicken skin side up on vegetable mixture in pan.
- Roast in 450°F oven about 45 minutes, basting halfway through. Chicken is done when juices run clear.
