Give Roast Chicken Extra Flavor With This Simple Compound Butter (Perfect For Fall)

A golden roast chicken with vegetables or other side dishes is a fulfilling meal that's perfect for anytime of year. Compound butter can level it up even further to give the bird extra flavor. For a festive fall version, take a cue from Tasting Table's maple butter roast chicken recipe and prepare a simple compound butter with maple syrup, herbs, and spices.

If cowboy butter is the compound butter you'll never want to eat chicken wings without, maple compound butter can help enhance a whole roast chicken with familiar flavors of the fall season. All you need is your preferred brand of butte, maple syrup, salt and pepper, fresh thyme, and dried oregano. Once you mix everything together so that the compound butter is fully combined, you can even make this ahead of time and store it in the fridge for later use.

When using the butter, be sure to carefully rub it both under and on top of the skin of your chicken to fully coat it. During the roasting process, carefully remove your chicken and baste it with the melted compound butter and pan drippings to achieve crispy and flavorful skin. Continue to baste it periodically until your chicken is fully cooked through. The extra flavor from all the herbs, spices, and maple syrup will help your chicken achieve a pleasing taste and texture, making it ideal to pair with a number of seasonal side dishes.

Roast chicken is the perfect lean poultry protein to select as the centerpiece of your fall feast. You can use this compound butter to dress a whole chicken for roasting or even use it with pieces of meat such as chicken breasts, drumsticks, legs, or thighs. Any way you choose to use this compound butter to dress your chicken, it's a simple way to add extra flavor to the dish.

The maple compound butter makes it even more flavorful while also opening up possibilities for complementary sides and desserts. Using a cider-glazed root vegetables recipe will pack in even more seasonal flavor. Or save some thyme from your maple compound butter ingredients to include in a seasonal side salad. For a warm accompaniment, serve your roast chicken with a cup of butternut squash bisque or sweet potato soup or make a batch of roasted sweet potatoes for a classic addition to your roast chicken meal.

On the sweet side, finishing off the meal with a luscious pumpkin pie for dessert is a great idea. A nutty maple pecan pie will also play well off of the flavors already present in your roast chicken. For a lighter sweet treat, try a warm apple compote with cinnamon. Any way you choose to prepare your maple compound butter and roast chicken, it's sure to be the hit of your fall season.