Umami Roast Chicken is a super simple and delicious Whole30- and Keto-friendly dish that uses my Magic Mushroom Powder. It’s a fool-proof weeknight chicken supper!
Magic Mushroom Powder is the BEST!
Have you tasted the power of my Magic Mushroom Powder yet? This (totally non-hallucinogenic) seasoning salt is one of my favorite flavor boosters—period. You can totally make it yourself—or save yourself the time and mess by buying bottles online from The Spice Lab! They ship nationwide and you can save 15% off with the one-time coupon code LETSGO.
I use a sprinkle of Magic Mushroom Powder in place of salt in almost all of my savory recipes. The pulverized porcini mushrooms add an indescribable deliciousness to every dish you dust it with. Case in point: this crazy-simple Umami Roast Chicken!
What Coconut Yogurt is the best for Umami Roast Chicken?
This recipe uses plain coconut yogurt, and some of my favorite brands include Anita’s Coconut Yogurt and Coyo. For those of you who are doing a Whole30 and worried about whether coconut yogurt is a compliant ingredient, I got you covered: I checked with the Whole30 headmistress herself, Melissa Hartwig, to ask if plain coconut yogurt with no junky ingredients (like the brands I listed above) is Whole30-compliant if used in a recipe like this one. Her answer?
Coconut yogurt is a pretty new product, and I’m treating it like nut cheeses. Technically compliant in any context—as long as the ingredients are compliant, of course. I’d really prefer it if people didn’t turn it into a breakfast bowl with dried fruit and coconut… but even that’s not against the RULES, just against my RECOMMENDATIONS. In the context you are describing, totally fine for the Whole30.
So don’t worry—you can totally make this nomtastic recipe on your Whole30! (You can do it even if you can’t find plain coconut yogurt anywhere: just use full fat coconut milk + lemon juice!)
Time to make Umami Roast Chicken!
Serves 6
Ingredients:
- ⅔ cup plain coconut yogurt (or use ½ cup full fat coconut milk + 2 tablespoons lemon juice)
- 2½ teaspoons Magic Mushroom Powder
- 1 teaspoon Red Boat fish sauce
- 6 cloves of garlic, minced
- 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
Equipment:
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Large bowl
- Garlic press
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Stainless steel wire rack
- Instant-read meat thermometer
Method:
In a large bowl, combine the coconut yogurt, Magic Mushroom Powder, fish sauce, and garlic.
Mix it all together.
Toss in the chicken thighs and mix until well coated. Marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes and up to a day.
When you’re ready to cook the chicken, heat the oven to 400°F convection or 425°F conventional with the rack in the middle position. Shake off the excess marinade and arrange the chicken, skin-side down, on a stainless steel wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet. Roast the chicken for 45 minutes…
…rotating the tray and flipping the thighs skin-side up at the halfway point.
The thighs are done when the skin is browned and the internal temperature of the chicken in the thickest part is at least 165°F.
Enjoy!
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2021).
PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD
Umami Chicken
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup plain coconut yogurt or use ½ cup full fat coconut milk + 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2½ teaspoons Magic Mushroom Powder
- 1 teaspoon Red Boat fish sauce
- 6 cloves of garlic minced
- 3 pounds bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the coconut yogurt, Magic Mushroom Powder, fish sauce, and garlic. Mix it all together.
- Toss in the chicken thighs and mix until well coated. Marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes and up to a day.
- When you’re ready to cook the chicken, heat the oven to 400°F convection or 425°F conventional with the rack in the middle position. Shake off the excess marinade and arrange the chicken, skin-side down, on a stainless steel wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet.
- Roast the chicken for 45 minutes, rotating the tray and flipping the thighs skin-side up at the halfway point.
- The thighs are done when the skin is browned and the internal temperature of the chicken in the thickest part is at least 165°F.
Video
Notes
- Note about the plain coconut yogurt: Some of the brands I like include Anita’s Coconut Yogurt, Living Cultures Super Food, and Coyo. No coconut yogurt? No prob! Just use full fat coconut milk + lemon juice!
- If you use boneless, skinless chicken thighs, decrease the total cooking time to 30 minutes or cook until the final internal cooking temperature is 165°F.
- If you're using chicken breasts, make sure you don't over cook them! Cook until the final cooking temperature is 150°F and not too much higher!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
looks like another fantastic dish. can’t wait to try it tonight. i notice my oven has convection bake and convection roast – which should I use (I feel silly not knowing, but don’t want to screw this up)? thank you!
Every oven is different, but I normally choose convection roast.
Thank you, thank you! It was another winner with the whole fam. I’m amazed and thankful for your quick responses! have a wonderful evening
Will GT’s coconut yogurt work with this recipe? Looking at the ingredients list, it seems like its a compliance with Whole30?
I haven’t tried that one yet!
Where do you find coconut yogurt and does the end dish have a coconut flavor to it as a result of using that product?
I was wondering what the idea behind a coconut based marinade vs an oil marinade? Does it make it more moist?
Michelle I tried this recipe this weekend and had a tough time getting the skin to brown up. I did have a couple things in the oven at the same time which may have been the cause so I’ll try again. However the flavor was so good! In addition I am now in love with coconut yogurt! Very similar to greek yogurt except tastes like coconut, which I love. I’ll be making my own for future recipes! Thank you again for another winner!
We live two hours from any Whole Foods market ( Thanks North Carolina! haha), any chance you will sell your products on amazon?!
No plans yet! We’ll let everyone know if we start selling it online!
This
This is, hands down, the best chicken recipe I have tried yet. I love your recipes, Michelle, and have both your cookbooks, but this recipe is just phenomenal. I’ve never tried marinating in coconut yogurt, so I was shocked at the level of flavor this had. I let the chicken sit for the full 24 hours, and bam! Intense and really full of umami.
This was so delicious! The skin didn’t get as brown as I wanted in the oven so I put the chicken under the broiler for a few minutes. Yum! Thanks for another great recipe!
Tried this recipe the other day and absolutely loved it! It really was jammed packed with umami. My chicken thighs came out absolutely perfect. I did have to broil it towards the end to achieve a crispy skin (probably because my oven isn’t amazing). What model is your oven?