Roasted Chicken with Schmaltz and Onions

📍 Where this dish comes from: Tel Aviv, Israel · Carmel Market (Shuk HaCarmel)
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This is roast chicken done the way it was often done in households without a lot of extra ingredients to spare — schmaltz and onions doing all the work, basting the bird from the outside in as it roasts and turning genuinely rich along the way.

What You’ll Need

Roasted Chicken with Schmaltz and Onions

A whole chicken roasted under a blanket of caramelized onions and rendered schmaltz for maximum flavor.

Print Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Jewish

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 440kcal

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken about 4–5 lbs
• 1/4 cup schmaltz melted
• 3 onions sliced
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 tsp paprika

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Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
• Scatter half the sliced onions in the bottom of a roasting pan.
• Pat the chicken dry, then rub all over with schmaltz, salt, pepper, and paprika.
• Place the chicken on top of the onions in the pan, and scatter the remaining onions over and around it.
• Roast 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 350°F (175°C) and continue roasting 55–65 minutes, basting once or twice, until a thermometer in the thigh reads 165°F (74°C).
• Rest 10–15 minutes before carving, and serve with the roasted onions.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 440kcal | Protein: 38g | Fat: 31g | Fiber: 1g

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Health Benefits

• Schmaltz provides a traditional, dairy-free cooking fat well suited to a meat-based dish.
• Roasted onions develop natural sweetness without any added sugar.
• A whole roasted chicken remains a lean, protein-rich centerpiece even with the added richness of schmaltz.

Pairs Well With

• Savory Onion Cauliflower "Kugel"
• Israeli Chopped Salad