There’s always a time for a roast chicken, it just feels right… the smell, the comfort, the way it turns a normal evening into a proper occasion. And this weekend, I’m giving you three of my absolute favourites. They’re big on flavour, easy to pull off, and guaranteed to make you look like you know exactly what you’re doing in the kitchen.
Before we dive in, we need to talk about one thing: the Irish spice bag.
If you’re visiting Ireland in 2026 or honestly, any time… the spice bag is the one fast‑food dish you have to try. if you are irish you already know It’s an institution. Ask anyone here and they’ll tell you about their favourite takeaway that does it “the best.” It’s salty, spicy, messy, and perfect after a night out. Traditionally, it’s a paper bag filled with chips, crispy chicken, peppers, onions, and that iconic spice blend that every Irish person swears they can identify blindfolded.
But here’s the thing: as brilliant as the classic spice bag is, it’s still fast food. It’s meant to be inhaled, not savoured.
My version flips that completely.
I take everything people love about a spice bag… the flavour, the heat, the comfort and build it around a whole roast chicken. Instead of a takeaway bag, you get a proper meal: buttery spiced chicken, roast potato chips tossed in that familiar seasoning, peppers and onions cooked right in the juices, and the whole thing served on a platter like the most chaotic, delicious Sunday roast you’ve ever had.
It’s the spice bag you sit down for.
The spice bag you share.
The spice bag you remember.
And honestly? If you’re coming to Ireland in 2026, this is the version I’d insist you try.
Now let’s get into the recipes, starting with the pesto butter roast chicken, then the Portuguese‑style charred chicken, and finishing with the spice bag roast chicken in all its glory. i have included the videos below.
Pesto Butter
50g butter
1 heaped tbsp fresh green pesto
Mix until smooth.
Method
Lay 3–4 thick slices of red onion in an ovenproof dish, they act as a base to prop up the chicken.
Place a whole chicken (around 1.6kg) on top. Use a spoon to gently separate the skin from the breasts and spoon the pesto butter underneath. Spread the rest over the outside. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and black pepper.
Roast at 170°C fan for 1 hour 20–30 minutes (about 20 minutes per 450g). Remove and rest under foil.
Turn the oven up to 200°C fan.
Into the same dish, add:
1.5 cups uncooked orzo
500ml chicken stock
150ml double cream
1 heaped tbsp fresh pesto
3 tbsp grated Parmesan
Pinch of salt & cracked black pepper
Mix well. Tear up a ball of fresh mozzarella and scatter over the top. Bake for 18–20 minutes until the orzo is creamy and the mozzarella is golden.
Finish with fresh basil and serve with the roast chicken.
Marinade Blitz
Blitz together:
1 medium onion
4 garlic cloves
2 red chillies
2 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp oregano
Juice of half a lemon
2–3 tbsp olive oil
Slice 2–3 red onions into thick disks and use them to prop up a whole chicken.
Mix 1 heaped tbsp of the blitzed mixture with 50g softened butter and gently push that under the skin.
Pour the remaining mixture over the chicken, keeping 2 tbsp aside for the rice.
Roast at 180°C for 1 hour.
Baste, then add 1 chopped red pepper and 4–5 chopped spring onions. Stir into the juices and roast for 25 minutes more.
Lift the chicken out to rest.
Baked Rice
Into the same dish, stir in:
1½ cups washed basmati rice
500ml chicken stock
100ml double cream
100g frozen peas
The reserved blitzed mixture
Bake for 20 minutes until the rice is fluffy and creamy.
Place the chicken back on top, pour over any resting juices, and serve straight from the dish.
I worked with TILDA on this recipe and it was a previous AD
Spice bag butter
75g butter
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