By Paige Wood
I grew up thinking that eating dark meat chicken was equivalent to gnawing on a hunk of beef fat.
Now, I know no one told me that dark meat chicken was bad for me – but they did mention that it contained more fat and calories than white meat chicken. And in my small, pea-brained mind, that was equivocal to BAD. DO NOT EAT. IS NOT GOOD FOR YOU.
This is embarrassing to admit, but up until recently, I did not eat dark meat, chicken or turkey, because it was labeled as unhealthy in my mind. Then I started buying Costco rotisserie chicken ($5 for an entire bird? Unthinkable.) to shred for easy meal prep. And it broke my heart to waste all that meat on those thick, full legs.
So, I started hiding bits of it amid the shredded white meat, so I couldn’t tell it was in there. Then, one day, I got bold. And I took a forbidden bite of the dark meat while I was dismantling the chicken. And mine eyes have seen the glory.
Just kidding. There was no hallelujah chorus. It honestly tasted just like chicken (imagine that). But lusher and more flavorful.
Then I read this article on the subject: What’s Healthier: White or Dark Meat Chicken?
My eyes have been opened to the benefits of dark meat chicken – and I am no longer afraid of it!
Along with this delicious realization, I wanted to share a mouth-watering whole chicken recipe from the Pioneer Woman. It’s super easy, great for meal prep on the weekends, and relatively cheap for how much meat and meals you get out of it!
All this to say, ENJOY your chicken – white or dark meat.
Ingredients
1 whole chicken, rinsed and patted dry
3/4 c. butter, softened
3 whole lemons (oranges or apples work, too)
4 sprigs rosemary (dried rosemary works, just remember dried spices are more potent than fresh)
salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees (400 degrees for convection bake).
- Zest two of the lemons, strip the leaves off one of the rosemary sprigs, and chop it up finely.
- In a bowl, combine softened butter, lemon zest, rosemary, salt, and pepper to taste.
- Line a baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil and lay the patted-dry chicken on the foil, breast side up.
- Use your fingers to smear the butter mixture all over the chicken, under the skin, and inside the cavity.
- Cut the lemons in half and squeeze the juice of one lemon all over the chicken. Place the six lemon halves (of however much will fit) and the three remaining rosemary sprigs into the cavity of the bird.
- Place the chicken into the oven and roast for 1 hour, 15 minutes, or until done. Skin should be deep, golden brown, and juices should be sizzling.
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