Roasted Cinnamon Chicken & Sweet Potatoes

Roasted cinnamon chicken and sweet potatoes in a baking dish with few herbs . On the table, and partial view of a salad, a bread loaf and serving utensils.

Roasted Cinnamon Chicken & Sweet Potatoes

A whole chicken roasted with cinnamon, cumin and olive oil over big chunks of sweet potato until the skin crisps and the potatoes turn soft and buttery. One pan, six ingredients, very little work.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, International

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1 45

Servings

Calories 542kcal

Author by Jenny Skrapaliori Graves

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.

Nutritional Info – Please remember that the nutritional information provided is only an estimate and can vary based on the products used.

Nutrition