Low FODMAP Whole Roast Chicken & Vegetables
Do you need another chicken recipe? YES and this Low FODMAP Whole Roast Chicken & Vegetables is it! Once you make it, you will be able to vary it to your liking with seasoning or other low FODMAP vegetables. They key is a cast iron pan and a very hot oven.
Crank It Up
425°F (220°C) is going to work its magic along with a cast iron pan. Cast iron is simply superior at retaining heat, which is going to yield an incredibly juicy chicken with crisp skin – the combo you want.
You preheat the pan in the oven while the oven itself preheats. When you add the chicken, back side down, it hits the pan and sizzles. Vegetables are quickly scattered about and in the oven it goes.
Carrots & Parsnips Have No FODMAPs
There are some fruits and vegetables that have no FODMAPs and they should become your best friends in the kitchen. Carrots and parsnips are among our favorites.
Are Brussels Sprouts Low FODMAP?
Many folks think that Brussels sprouts are off limits – and they are in large portions. They have been re-tested in the lab by Monash recently. For years the low FODMAP Green Light amount was set at 38 g. Presently it is 53 g. Now before you balk and say that still sounds a small amount, look at the images below.
First, look at the various sizes of Brussels sprouts above. The Monash app says that a 53 g serving of Brussels sprouts is equivalent to 2 ½ sprouts, but as the images here show, the weight is what you want to pay attention to.
I bought these sprouts loose by the pound and as you can see, the smallest was a mere 12 g and the largest was more than double that size (almost triple!) at 32 g. If this post doesn’t convince you to use your scale – or buy one – I don’t know what will!
Now, let’s get even more granular and look at the weight of the sprouts once they are trimmed. The numbers in the bottom row above are the trimmed weight of each sprout. So an untrimmed 12 g sprout ends up being 9 g trimmed, etc. Brussels sprouts have a very hard, heavy stem end, which must be trimmed away before cooking and eating.
When Monash tells us that we can have 38 g, or 53 g of Brussels sprouts, they mean that’s the amount we can actually eat. These images and numbers should help you understand that this will means you will begin with more than 38 g, or 53 g BEFORE you trim the vegetables. This of course stands for all vegetables and fruit. Focus on the FINAL weight of what you are actually eating.
Low FODMAP Whole Roast Chicken & Vegetables
Our favorite way to roast chicken is in a cast iron pan and in a very hot oven.
Ingredients:
- 1, 3½ to 4 ½- pound (1.6 kg to 2 kg) whole chicken, giblets removed, patted dry
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 medium carrots, scrubbed, trimmed, cut into 4-inch-long (10 cm) by ½-inch (12 mm) wide pieces
- 2 medium parsnips, scrubbed, trimmed, cut into 4-inch-long (10 cm) by ½-inch (12 mm) wide pieces
- 8- ounces (225 g) trimmed Brussels sprouts, halved lengthwise
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Preparation:
-
Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season generously with salt, inside and out. Tie legs together with kitchen twine. Let sit while oven preheats.
-
Place a rack in upper third of oven (allowing room for height of chicken) and set a 12-inch to 14-inch (30.5 cm to 35.5 cm) cast-iron skillet in oven. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
-
Meanwhile, toss carrots, parsnips and Brussels sprouts together with half the olive oil in a large bowl to coat; season with salt and pepper.
-
Once oven reaches temperature, coat the chicken with some of the reserved oil. Drizzle remaining oil into hot skillet. Place chicken in the middle of skillet and scatter vegetables around. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (not touching bone) registers 165°F/74°C, about 50 to 60 minutes. Let chicken rest in skillet at least 10 minutes.
-
Transfer chicken to a cutting board and carve. Serve with vegetables. Any leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
Notes:
Tips
- Let’s talk flavor and texture! Choose your chicken wisely. We prefer air-chilled chickens, which we find reliably provide the best texture and flavor. Kosher chickens can be good as well, in which case you do not need to add salt, or at least use less.
FODMAP Information
Our recipes are based on Monash University and FODMAP Friendly science.
- Brussels Sprouts: Brussels sprouts have been lab tested by both Monash University and FODMAP Friendly. The Monash lab results state that 38 g of Brussels sprouts are Green Light low FODMAP. FODMAP Friendly has lab tested sprouts as low FODMAP at 75 g per serving.
- Carrots: Carrots have been lab tested and deemed low FODMAP by both Monash University and FODMAP Friendly. According to Monash carrots contain no FODMAPs.
- Oil: All pure oils are fats and contain no carbohydrates, therefore they contain no FODMAPs.
- Parsnips: Parsnips have been lab tested by Monash University and have shown no detectable FODMAPs.
Please always refer to the Monash University & FODMAP Friendly smartphone apps for the most up-to-date lab tested information. As always, your tolerance is what counts; please eat accordingly. The ultimate goal of the low FODMAP diet is to eat as broadly as possible, without triggering symptoms, for the healthiest microbiome.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more. For a more detailed explanation, please read our article Understanding The Nutrition Panel Within Our Recipes.
Is a 12-inch cast iron skillet large enough for this dish? I only have a 10-inch one right now but am looking to order a larger size. Chickens are so big these days!
The 12-inch pan works for the size chicken recommended, which maxes out at 4.5 pounds. If you want to cook larger 6 pound chickens, then yes, get a larger size.
Thank you!
I made this today with a slightly less than 4 lb chicken from costco. i seasoned with S&P, smoked paprika (from Penzey’s, the best), and garlic-infused olive oil under and on top of the skin. i only had baby carrots so I threw those in the pan too. I think this cooked a lot faster (in my 10″ cast iron skillet) than when I’ve used a big roasting pan with the rack. took about an hour (although my oven can’t seem to hold temp so it might have been at 500F for a while). We LOVED the carrots cooked in chicken fat!
Chicken fat makes so many things better! We actually had the same dinner last night and used “baby
” carrots, green beans and potatoes. So easy.
I’ve made this 3 times now and it’s delicious. I bought a larger cast iron skillet in order to make this recipe and found it really useful for making good pizza, so bonus!
YES those skillets are VERY handy. I have been working on some pizza recipes for a while now and I couldn’t agree more that it is a great use.
thanks for sharing. I love parsnips but hard to prep because of fibrous core which I have difficulty digesting. also not much left after removing core.
It is so true that this can happen. In our markets parsnips are often sold in packages and you don’t get to choose more slender ones. Of course always eat to your own tolerances, which might not include parsnips.