This roasted cinnamon chicken and sweet potatoes is one of those dinners that asks almost nothing of you and tastes like it took hours to make. A whole chicken rubbed with cinnamon, cumin and olive oil, roasted over big chunks of sweet potato until the skin crisps and the potatoes go soft and buttery at the edges.
The cinnamon against chicken fat and olive oil it turns deep and savory, closer to what it does in a Greek kapama or a good stifado. Paired with cumin, it gives you a roast that smells extraordinary from the moment it goes in the oven.
This is a genuinely a one-pan dinner: season, cover, roast, uncover, done!
What cooks say:
“I made this last night using chicken breasts, as opposed to a whole chicken (my wife has not been able to eat chicken on the bone since her last pregnancy for some reason) and it came out great! I was sort of concerned about the flavor (because of so few ingredients) but it came out great! Easy prep, simple ingredients…I will definitely be making this again!”
Dave (geeky daddy)
Why you will love cinnamon chicken
Ingredient notes
Chicken. A whole roasting chicken, about 4–5 lb / 1.8–2.2 kg. Keep the skin on, it protects the breast during the long roast and crisps beautifully once the foil comes off. You can also use a cut-up whole chicken, bone-in thighs and legs, or Cornish hens (one per person). Boneless cuts work but will finish well ahead of the sweet potatoes; see the notes below.
Sweet potatoes. About 2 lb / 900 g, cut into large 1½-inch chunks. Big pieces matter — smaller ones collapse over a nearly two-hour roast. You want enough to fit snugly around the bird so they sit in the fat and spiced oil rather than drying out. Garnet sweet potatoes (sometimes sold as finger yams) work well and are a little less sweet.
Extra virgin olive oil. Half a cup sounds generous and it is. It’s doing double duty — carrying the spices into the skin and basting the sweet potatoes from below. Use good oil; you’ll taste it.
Cinnamon. The star ingredient. Ground, and fresher is noticeably better, cinnamon that’s been open for two years tastes like dust. Start with 2 tablespoons total and work your way up to 3 once you know you like it. Three is how we make it at home, but it’s a bold amount and there’s no reason to commit on the first try.
Cumin. Ground. It keeps the cinnamon from reading as sweet. Ground coriander is a decent substitute, or leave it out, the dish still works.
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Salt the cavity as well as the skin; it seasons the bird from the inside as it roasts.
Step by step
STEP 1. STEP 1. Season the chicken. Heat the oven to 400°F / 200°C. Pat the chicken dry. Rub it all over with half the olive oil, then season with 1 teaspoon sea salt, 1½–2 tablespoons ground cinnamon and 1 teaspoon ground cumin. Work the oil and spices into every fold and crease. Season the cavity with ½ teaspoon salt and a good grind of pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine.
STEP 2. Season the sweet potatoes. Cut them into large 1½-inch chunks and put them in a bowl. Add the remaining olive oil, ½–1 tablespoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon cumin and ½ teaspoon sea salt. Toss until every piece is coated.
STEP 3. Build the pan. Set the chicken in a roasting pan and pack the sweet potatoes snugly around it. Snug is the goal — gaps mean dry edges.
STEP 4. Roast covered. Cover the pan tightly with foil and roast for 60 minutes.
STEP 5. Uncover and finish. Remove the foil and roast another 40–50 minutes, until the skin is deep golden and crisp and the sweet potatoes are soft. The chicken is done when an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh, not touching bone, reads 165°F / 75°C.
STEP 6. Rest. Let the chicken rest 10–15 minutes before carving. Spoon the pan juices over everything when you serve.
Pro tips
- Start at two tablespoons of cinnamon. If you’ve never cooked chicken with cinnamon before, use 2 tablespoons the first time and go up to 3 once you know you like where it lands. Both amounts work; 3 is just louder.
- Use a thermometer, not the clock. Roasting times swing by 20 minutes or more depending on the weight of the bird and how your oven runs. 165°F / 75°C in the thickest part of the thigh is the only reliable signal.
- Cut the sweet potatoes big. Anything smaller than 1½ inches will fall apart over a long roast. You want chunks that hold their shape and go creamy inside.
- Don’t skip the covered hour. The foil traps steam and keeps the breast from drying out while the sweet potatoes soften. The crisping happens later, uncovered.
- Pack the pan snugly. Sweet potatoes sitting in the fat and spiced oil roast; sweet potatoes sitting in empty pan space dry out.
- Buy fresh cinnamon. Ground cinnamon fades fast. If yours has been open more than a year, the whole dish will taste flat no matter how much you use.
- Save the pan juices. Spiced chicken fat and olive oil with sweet potato starch in it — spoon it over everything, and put out bread.
Storage and leftovers
- Refrigerate: Carve the chicken off the bone and store it with the sweet potatoes in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Reheat: Warm on a tray at 350°F / 180°C for 15–20 minutes. A splash of the reserved pan juices keeps the meat from drying out.
- Freeze: Carved chicken and sweet potatoes freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat in the oven — the microwave turns the sweet potatoes watery.
- Make ahead: You can rub and season the chicken up to 24 hours ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. It roasts better for it. Season the sweet potatoes just before they go in the pan.
- Leftover ideas: Shred the chicken into a pita with yogurt and red onion, or fold it and the sweet potatoes into a grain bowl with lemon and herbs.
What to serve with this cinnamon chicken
- MAKE IT A HOLIDAY TABLE. The cinnamon-and-cumin aroma is close enough to a Thanksgiving kitchen that we’ve served this in place of turkey more than once, and cooked it in July just to get the feeling back. If you’re building a full festive spread, our Roasted Turkey Legs and Thighs works alongside it.
- SALAD. a traditional Greek lettuce salad-maroulosalata or horta-Greek boiled greens for a simple yet delicious dinner.
- MAKE IT FAMILY-STYLE. Serve fabulous kalitsounia-Cretan savory hand pies, marinated olives with feta, warm bread with olive oil, and tasty dolmadakia-stuffed grape leaves on the dinner table.
- FOR DESSERT. Finish dinner with Greek coffee and a sweet and savory cheese phyllo pastry from Chania.
FAQ
Cooked it? Rate it!
If you tried this recipe, I’d love to know how you liked it — drop a comment below or tag me on Instagram @thegreekfoodie__.
Roasted Cinnamon Chicken & Sweet Potatoes
Equipment
- large roasting pan
- aluminum foil
- kitchen twine
- Instant-read thermometer
Ingredients
- 1 whole roasting chicken, about 4–5 lb / 1.8–2.2 kg
- 3-4 sweet potatoes, about 2 lb / 900 g, cut into 1½-inch chunks
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 2–3 tablespoons ground cinnamon, divided — start with 2 and work up to 3
- 1½ tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons sea salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F / 200°C.
- Pat the chicken dry. Rub it all over with half the olive oil, then season with 1 teaspoon sea salt, 1½–2 tablespoons ground cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon ground cumin, working the oil and spices into every fold. Season the cavity with ½ teaspoon salt and the black pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine.
- Cut the sweet potatoes into 1½-inch chunks. Toss them in a bowl with the remaining olive oil, ½–1 tablespoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon cumin and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt.
- Set the chicken in a roasting pan and pack the sweet potatoes snugly around it.
- Cover the pan tightly with foil and roast for 60 minutes.
- Remove the foil and roast a further 40–50 minutes, until the skin is deep golden and crisp and the sweet potatoes are soft. The chicken is done when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, without touching bone, reads 165°F / 75°C.
- Rest the chicken for 10–15 minutes before carving. Spoon the pan juices over the chicken and sweet potatoes to serve.
Notes
- CINNAMON: Start with 2 tablespoons total your first time and work up to 3 once you know you like it. Three is how we make it at home, but it’s a bold amount. –
- CHICKEN CUTS: A cut-up whole chicken, bone-in thighs and legs, or Cornish hens (one per person) all work. Bone-in pieces need roughly 50–60 minutes total. Boneless thighs or breasts will finish well before the sweet potatoes — remove them at 165°F / 75°C, cover with foil, and continue roasting the potatoes until tender. –
- CUMIN: Ground coriander substitutes well, or leave it out entirely.
- SWEET POTATOES: Garnet sweet potatoes (also sold as finger yams) work well and are slightly less sweet. Cooking time is the same. Cut everything to 1½ inches — smaller pieces collapse over a long roast. –
- TIMING: Roasting times vary with the weight of the bird and your oven. Use a thermometer rather than the clock.
Nutrition
I am so trying this! I have never thought about mixing cinnamon and chicken before, but this sounds so good!
It makes the house smell like Thanksgiving! Hope you will like it Dave! Thanks so much!
Can this be made in a crock pot?
Hi Toby,
Sure I don’t see why not! I bet it would be great in a crockpot. I would season as directed, add just a little broth, and cook on low for 4-6 hours.
x Jenny
I made this last night using chicken breasts, as opposed to a whole chicken (my wife has not been able to eat chicken on the bone since her last pregnancy for some reason) and it came out great! I was sort of concerned about the flavor (because of so few ingredients) but it came out great! Easy prep, simple ingredients…I will definitely be making this again!
That’s so good to hear Dave! I do the same sometimes, I just throw in skinless boneless thighs or chicken breasts with the sweet potatoes and it works every time. Thank you! x Jenny
The cinnamon went so perfect with the chicken- who would have known?! I’m so happy I tried this recipe. I can’t wait to have the leftovers for lunch and dinner today. Thank you! 🙂
I know, right! When I discovered the recipe I had no idea how well they go together. Thank you! x J
The warm notes of cinnamon roasted on this chicken were outstanding. It’s total comfort food for sure. Thank you so much for sharing
Thank you so much Lori!
I can smell it! What an interesting recipe with cinnamon. Very creative. I will try this soon for my family
Thanks so much Kushigalu!
I think it’s a great idea to use sweet potatoes with roasted chicken, instead of regular potatoes. It must smell amazing with cinnamon and cumin.
It does smell amazing! Thanks so much Veronika!
What a beautiful recipe. I initially was nervous but reading through this it looks pretty easy to make. I so appreciate that!
Thanks so much Leslie!
I’ve never thought to add cinnamon to chicken! What a great idea, and I’m quite sure it smells amazing as it cooks. This looks like such an easy and delicious Fall recipe
Thanks so much Karyl!
Oh my we loved this chicken recipe. I have a large family so we made 2 whole chickens. Some of my kids prefer white potatoes so we made one chicken per the recipe and replaced the sweet potatoes with white potatoes in the second. Both were fabulous. The cinnamon adds the perfect zing of flavor to the chicken and potatoes.
Thanks so much Eileen! So happy you enjoyed it!
I plan on making this (sounds delicious) but was wondering how many pounds the roaster chicken was for this recipe? Thanks!
Hi Jennifer,
It was a normal size chicken, about 4lbs or so.
Hope you like it, it is a favorite in our house!
Thanks so much,
xJenny
Hello,
The ingredients section lists one tablespoon cumin, the body of the recipe calls for a tsp of cumin, hope one tablespoon of cumin isn’t too overpowering! We’ll find out when the chicken is done, in about an hour. Smells delicious!
Hi! I am so sorry for the typo; it is fixed now. Thank you so much for letting me know. It is a tablespoon of cumin all over sweet potatoes, but you can always tweak it to your liking if you find it too much. I hope you liked the chicken; it is one of our favorite chicken recipes and we make it often.
x Jenny