Mary Berry's one-pot chicken recipe has earned glowing reviews from home cooks who call it "so tasty" and "full of flavour", with several saying it will become a regular family dinner. The dish, featured in her Mary Makes It Easy series, is cooked entirely in a single pot, cutting down on kitchen time.
A simple and hearty all-in-one dish
The recipe uses a whole spatchcock chicken with Mediterranean-style vegetables, cooked in a casserole or deep saucepan. According to Mary's instructions, removing the backbone makes the chicken a spatchcock, which is easier to arrange in the pot and to carve or joint. The recipe suggests doubling the quantities for eight people, using a large roasting tin covered in foil.
Home cooks have shared their positive experiences. One said: "Easy recipe to follow and so nice to do it every few weeks, easy to do so much flavour." Another commented: "It has been a long time since I tried a first-time recipe and enjoyed it so much."
What cooks are saying
A third reviewer wrote: "This recipe was amazing - so tasty and I'm definitely making this again- thank you, Mary." A fourth added: "Loved it. Full of flavour. Easy to make. The whole family loved it and wants me to make it again. It will become a regular dinner for us."
Ingredients and method
To make the dish, you need two tablespoons of olive oil, one large onion thinly sliced, one large fennel bulb thinly sliced, one red pepper deseeded and diced, three large garlic cloves finely grated, 100ml white wine, a 400g tin of chopped tomatoes, two tablespoons of sun-dried tomato paste, two teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce, one small whole chicken, five bay leaves, a lemon thinly sliced, one teaspoon of paprika and one tablespoon of runny honey.
Start by preheating the oven to 200°C/180°C Fan/Gas 6. Heat the oil in a deep, lidded casserole or a large, lidded, ovenproof frying pan over high heat. Add the onion, fennel and pepper and fry for about three to four minutes. Add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds. Pour in the wine and boil to reduce by half. Stir in the chopped tomatoes, sun-dried tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce, then season with salt and black pepper.
Put the chicken upside down on a board and remove the backbone by cutting either side of the bone with scissors. Turn it over and press down on the breastbone to flatten it. Arrange the lemon and bay leaves over the chicken, then place it breast side up on top of the vegetables. Season and bring to the boil, then cover with the lid and transfer to the oven for around 35 minutes.
Remove the lid, sprinkle with paprika and drizzle with honey, then return to the oven uncovered for about 30 minutes to brown and finish cooking. Serve by spooning the vegetables onto a hot platter, then joint or carve the chicken and arrange it on top. The vegetables can be prepared ahead of time and brought back to the boil before adding the chicken and placing in the oven.
