2 of our favourite good-value chicken recipes

Name a protein that works harder than chicken. We’ll wait. Aside from the fact that it’s a crowd-pleaser, and an endlessly versatile one at that, it’s also good value for money. So, if you’re looking for some new ways to cook chicken that don’t break the bank, we’ve got you covered right here.

  • Paprika-roasted chicken

    Something of a modern, cheat’s chicken paprikash, this whole roast chicken recipe calls for a deboned bird to be smothered in paprika butter and cooked until tender. If you prefer, you could use a regular, bone-in bird instead – just remember to adjust the cooking time slightly. Don’t, however, skip the serving suggestion of pappardelle tossed in sour cream – the combination with the spiced chicken is a winner.

    Ingredients:

    • 1 x 700 g free range whole deboned chicken
    • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
    • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
    • 30 g butter, softened
    • 2 t paprika
    • Pappardelle, cooked al dente, for serving
    • Sour cream, for serving
    • Caraway seeds, toasted, for serving

    Method:

    1. Preheat the oven to 220°C. Season the chicken all over and smear the underside with garlic. Place skin-side up on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
    2. Mix the butter with the paprika and spread over the skin. Roast for 20 minutes until char-browned and tender. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.
    3. Serve with the buttery juices and pasta moistened with sour cream and sprinkled with caraway seeds.

    (Serves 4)

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  • Two-skillet deboned jerk-style chicken

    If you’ve got the ingredients for this jerk rub on hand, we strongly recommend making it yourself. However, if you’ve got to a make a stop at the shops, then we will happily turn a blind eye if you pick up a ready-made version. The rub really is the most laborious part in this recipe, so once you’ve dealt with that, it’s a straight shot to a hands-on meal of shredded chicken served in flatbreads.

    Ingredients:

    • For the jerk-style spice rub:
    • 1 T juniper berries
    • 1 stick crushed cinnamon
    • 1 t dried chilli, crushed
    • 2 bird’s-eye chillies
    • 2 t ginger, minced
    • 2 t garlic, minced
    • 1 lime, zested and juiced
    • 4 spring onions, sliced, plus extra for serving
    • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
    • 3 T Muscovado sugar
    • 1 whole deboned chicken
    • 4 T olive oil
    • Woolworths Mediterranean Flatbreads, for serving
    • Woolworths Ayrshire Double Cream Yoghurt, for serving
    • Cucumber, diced, for serving
    • Lime wedges, for serving

    Method:

    1. To make the rub, combine all the dry spices in a pan and lightly toast for 1–2 minutes over a medium heat until fragrant. Remove from the heat. Combine with the remaining ingredients and 2 T olive oil, and rub all over the deboned chicken. Marinate for 15–30 minutes, or overnight if you have time.
    2. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Place a cast-iron skillet in the oven to heat up. Place the chicken in a separate cast-iron or ovenproof pan. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and heat over a high heat until it starts to sizzle. Add any remaining jerk rub or marinade to the pan and cook on one side for 5 minutes.
    3. Remove from the heat and place in the oven. Carefully place the preheated cast-iron pan directly on top of the chicken to weigh it down – there’s no need to cover it with foil. Roast for 20–25 minutes.
    4. Allow to rest in the pan for 10 minutes, then pull apart in the pan and serve with the flatbreads, yoghurt, cucumber, spring onion and lime.

    Cook's note: The fast cooking action from two direct heat sources makes for an incredibly succulent, tasty bird. The spice rub also works brilliantly and if you start with a deboned chicken all the hard work is already done. Genius.

    To save time, use whole deboned chicken or drumsticks from Woolworths.

    (Serves 4)

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