Jennifer Garner’s Go-To 5-Ingredient Chicken Recipe

Jennifer Garner makes all sorts of recipes on her Instagram-famous #PretendCookingShow. From her favorite Ina Garten meals to dishes she grew up eating, following the Family Switch star’s culinary adventures is a true delight. And, like most moms who use social media, Garner is quick to share recipes her kids actually eat with her Instagram followers.

Garner’s latest Instagram reel shows the mom-of-three making her go-to roast chicken recipe—one she borrowed from New York Times food columnist Melissa Clark. Garner’s recipe seems to be a variation on Clark’s Grilled Roast Chicken recipe, with a few tweaks and additions.

“I did this recipe,” she explains in the clip. “I was home with just one kid and they ate the whole damn bird—one helping and then another. There was this really great broth at the bottom. It was so satisfactory that I keep going back to that well and I thought, you know what? You might want to do it, too.”

As the recipe suggests, Garner takes her pretend cooking show outdoors, preparing her bird on a gas grill. This makes her five-ingredient roast chicken a perfect summer dish, since it removes the need to heat up the kitchen with a toasty oven. What’s more, the ingredients list is super simple. “It’s all stuff you have at home except for the chicken,” Garner explains. “Unless you have one—and that’s your business.”

To make this simple, five-ingredient grilled roast chicken, gather kosher salt, black pepper, chili powder, lemons, extra virgin olive oil, garlic cloves, a sliced yellow onion and a whole chicken. Both Jen and the original recipe recommend you opt for one that’s around 3 ½ to 4 pounds.

“Now we have to spatchcock the lady, and I’m sorry about it,” Garner says before spatchcocking, or butterflying, her whole chicken. “I highly recommend asking the butcher in your grocery store to spatchcock the chicken for you.”

Since Garner didn’t ask her butcher for help, she moves through the spatchcocking process—quite impressively, may we add—removing the chicken’s backbone and stuffing seasoning beneath its skin. The home chef offers an additional spatchcocking tip, too. “Save this backbone in the freezer for the next time you make broth,” she says, “it’s got lots of good stuff on it, but not to look at right now because it’s gross.”

The rub for the chicken is made by combining salt, pepper, chili powder and lemon zest, then covering the chicken with the blend inside and out. “I double the spice mixture because I like it so much,” she adds, before leaving the spice-rubbed chicken to marinate in the refrigerator for at least four hours prior to cooking.

When it’s time to grill her bird, Garner heats an empty cast-iron skillet on a hot grill for 10 minutes before placing her oil-rubbed chicken breast-side-down in the hot skillet. After 5-7 minutes, she flips the chicken over and adds garlic, onion, and lemon wedges to the pan beneath it. She then turns down the grill’s heat and lets the chicken continue to cook for around 10-25 minutes, until the breast reaches an internal temperature of 155 degrees F. 

“I love you, you smell so good,” Garner says to her finished, golden brown bird before serving it up. And the chicken does look pretty darn delicious. We think Garner’s simple roast chicken would pair perfectly with some of our favorite summer side dishes, like Summer Squash Pasta with Sungold Tomatoes or Grilled Sweet Potato Wedges dipped in The Best Homemade Aioli. However you enjoy it, just be sure you follow Jen’s example and savor every bite.