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A healthy roast chicken dinner with no added fat to roast the chicken and still keeping it juicy. Served with black rice and yogurt sauce.
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Why is this roasted chicken dinner low fat
Many roasted chicken recipes cover the chicken skin with butter or oil to have crispy skin and juicy meat. Frankly, I fund the added fat completely unnecessary, I have never been a fan of chicken skin, especially since I always see some residual hair on the raw skin before I cook the chicken.
I always remove the skin when I eat, but cooking the chicken with the skin helps to keep it moist.
I serve this chicken with brown rice, which is very healthy and you can find more information about its nutrition benefit in the article: 7 Incredible Benefits of the ‘Forbidden Rice’- The Black Rice. If you are interested in a black rice vegan salad to serve as a side dish, you can check out the recipe: Black Rice Recipe With Apple, Avocado And Carrots.
As a sauce, I serve this yoghurt sauce made with low-fat Greek yoghurt mixed with herbs like parsley, mint, cumin and cucumber and seasoned with salt and lemon juice.
How to keep the chicken juicy with no fat added
So you may ask, how do I keep the chicken juicy without adding any fat? The answer is very simple.
I lay the chicken on a roasting rack and put it inside a deep baking pan. I cover the bottom of the pan with water at about 1 inch – 2.5 cm high. While cooking, the steam from the water will keep the chicken nice and moist.
Depending on how big is the chicken, you may need to cook it for 50 to 75 minutes at 390 F – 200 C.
The best way to always have a perfectly cooked chicken is to reach an internal temperature of 180 F – 88 C.
Ingredients
- whole chicken
- sprig of rosemary
- sprig of thyme
- sprig of sage
- 1 lemon
- 5 garlic cloves
- 3 tbsp coarse salt
- 3 tbsp Provencal herbs
How to cook the roasted chicken
- Lay the chicken on a roasting rack inside a baking pan
- Stuff the inside of the chicken with 1 tbsp coarse salt, crushed (not peeled) garlic cloves, a sprig of rosemary, thyme and sage and the lemon cut in half
- Pour on the top of the chicken coarse salt and Provencal herbs and massage. Make sure the entire chicken is covered
- Pour inside the baking pan enough water cover the bottom with at least 1 inch – 2.5 cm height
- Bake in a hot oven at 390 F – 200 C for 40 minutes, then turn and cook for another 10 minutes depending on the side of the chicken
- The chicken will be ready at an internal temperature of 190 F – 88 C
Making the yoghurt sauce
- Peel and grate the cucumber
- Squeeze the water out
- Add the chopped parsley, mint and cumin
- Squeeze 1 lemon juice
- Add the yoghurt
- Season with salt and pepper
What vegetables to serve with this roasted chicken dinner
As a vegetable side dish to this chicken, you can serve grilled zucchini, eggplants and pepper salad, or a Greek salad.
You can even serve a baked Ratatouille which has fewer calories than a regular one, or Roman artichokes cooked in the pressure cooker.
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📋Low Fat Roast Chicken Dinner
Ingredients
- 1 free range chicken
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 1 sprig sage leaves
- 1 sprig thyme
- 1 non treated lemon
- 5 cloves peeled garlic cloves
- 3 tbsp sea coarser salt
- 3 tbsp Provencal herbs
Yogurt sauce
- 9 oz light Greek yogurt
- 1 cucumber
- 1/2 cup freshly chopped parsley
- 1/2 cup chopped mint leaves
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 lemon juice
- salt
- black pepper
- 1 cup Black rice
- 1 tsp salt for the rice
Looking for kitchen gadget gifts?Instructions
- Lay the chicken on a roasting rack inside a baking pan1 free range chicken
- Stuff the inside of the chicken with 1 tbsp coarse salt, crushed (not peeled) garlic cloves, a sprig of rosemary, thyme, sage and the lemon cut in half1 sprig fresh rosemary, 1 sprig sage leaves, 1 sprig thyme, 1 non treated lemon, 5 cloves peeled garlic cloves
- Pour on the top of the chicken coarse salt and Provencal herbs and massage. Make sure the entire chicken is covered3 tbsp sea coarser salt, 3 tbsp Provencal herbs
- Pour inside the baking pan enough water cover the bottom with at least 1 inch – 2.5 cm height
- Bake in a hot oven at 390 F – 200 C for 40 minutes, then turn and cook for another 10 minutes depending on the side of the chicken
- The chicken will be ready at an internal temperature of 190 F – 88 C
Black rice
- Boil the black rice in salted water for 20 minutes. Drain when done1 cup Black rice, 1 tsp salt
The yogurt sauce
- Peel and grate the cucumber and squeeze the water out1 cucumber
- Add the chopped parsley, mint and cumin1/2 cup freshly chopped parsley, 1/2 cup chopped mint leaves, 1 tsp cumin
- Squeeze 1 lemon juice, add the yogurt and season with salt and pepper9 oz light Greek yogurt, 1 lemon juice, salt, black pepper
- Serve the chicken with the block rice drizzled with the yogurt sauce
Amanda Wren-Grimwood
What a great chicken recipe for summer! This is so easy to prepare and perfect for healthy eating without sacrificing taste.
Laura
thank you Amanda, very tasty indeed
Adrianne
I am loving the step by step photos you have done for this recipe, they are so great!! They make it clear to see what to do and how I can follow along!! Cheers 🙂
Laura
Thank you, I am glad it helps
Jacqueline Debono
I love everything about this recipe, both the rice and the yogurt sauce sound delicious. Your tip to put water in the bottom of the baking dish is genius! I have to try that!
Laura
Thank you, yes, it works very well
Beth Neels
I love roasted chicken, but like you, I never eat the skin either! I love the pairing here with the yogurt sauce! Looks so delicious! I can’t wait to give it a try!
Laura
Thank you, trying to lose some weight here!
Aleka
What a great idea to steam it! I never thought about doing that but I will now!! I also hate the residual hairs!! Blahhh
Laura
LOL, I cannot stand the hairs