Sunday Chicken

This is the kind of roast chicken that fills the kitchen with aroma long before dinner hits the table. By Erin Merhar Updated on May 20, 2026

⏱️ 25

Prep Time (min)

🔥 115

Cook Time (min)

🍽️ 4

Servings

Easy

Difficulty

Dinner

📝 Ingredients

1 (4-lb.) whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces and patted dry
1 Tbsp. yellow mustard
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. (1 oz.) unsalted butter
1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth

👨‍🍳 Instructions

Gather all ingredients.
Rub chicken evenly with mustard. Stir together dried oregano, salt, paprika, pepper, and garlic powder in a small bowl.
Place chicken and spice mixture in a large ziplock plastic bag; seal bag and turn to coat evenly. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours.
Preheat oven to 425°F. Heat oil and butter in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high until butter is melted. Add chicken pieces, skin side down, and cook, undisturbed, until skin is browned and crispy, 6 to 7 minutes. Flip chicken skin side up.
Transfer skillet to preheated oven. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of chicken breast registers 155°F, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer chicken to a large plate and let rest for 10 minutes (temperature will continue to rise to 165°F), reserving drippings in skillet.
Sprinkle flour into reserved drippings; cook over medium, stirring constantly, until lightly browned and nutty in aroma, about 1 minute.
Gradually whisk in chicken broth and bring to a simmer over medium.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Season with salt to taste. Serve chicken with sauce.

💡 Notes & Tips

Recipe Tips For Sunday Chicken

If you’re not comfortable breaking down a whole chicken, purchase the parts that make up one. Shop for bone-in, skin-on pieces, including two thighs, two drumsticks, and two breasts (bonus if they have the wings attached). Cut the breasts in half crosswise so that the pieces are closer in size to both the legs and thighs.

You can also use four thighs or drumsticks and two breasts, if the pre-cut pieces are packaged that way.

Yellow mustard is the secret ingredient that not only adds flavor but also helps the herbs and spices to stick to the skin and promotes browning.

Be sure to sear the chicken skin-side down in order to render fat and help it crisp. This also creates flavorful browned bits in the pan, which become the foundation of the sauce.

For perfectly cooked chicken, remove it from the oven when each piece has reached at least 155°F on an instant-read thermometer. Then, it's important to let the chicken rest, and its internal temperature rise to 165°F before serving.