Description
A classic roast chicken recipe featuring a whole chicken seasoned with a flavorful herb and garlic butter, roasted to juicy perfection with crispy skin. The chicken is infused with lemon and rosemary, basted during cooking, and served with savory pan juices.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1.75 – 2 kg / 3.5 – 4 lb whole chicken, patted dry
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 lemon, quartered
- 3 rosemary sprigs
Herb Butter Mixture
- 100 g / 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp sage, finely chopped
- 2 tsp rosemary, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Roasting Base
- 1 cup / 250 ml dry white wine or low sodium chicken broth
- 1 onion, quartered
- 1 garlic bulb, halved horizontally
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken: Remove the chicken from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking to bring it to room temperature for even roasting.
- Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 220°C (450°F) for a standard oven or 200°C (430°F) if using a fan/convection oven. Position the oven rack in the middle.
- Make Herb Butter: In a bowl, combine the melted butter with minced garlic, sage, rosemary, parsley, salt, pepper, and juice from 2 lemon wedges. Mix well.
- Loosen Chicken Skin: Place the chicken in a roasting pan. Gently loosen the skin on the breast and drumsticks with a dessert spoon, being careful not to tear it.
- Apply Butter Under Skin: Prop the chicken upright and carefully drizzle most of the herb butter mixture under the loosened skin, spreading it evenly. Reserve a small amount of butter for later.
- Butter the Skin: Smear the remaining butter all over the outside of the chicken. Squeeze juice from 2 lemon wedges over the surface.
- Stuff Chicken: Insert the used lemon wedges and rosemary sprigs inside the chicken cavity for additional aroma.
- Tie and Tuck: Tie the drumstick ends together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken to promote even cooking.
- Season: Generously sprinkle the entire chicken with salt and pepper.
- Prepare Roasting Pan: Spread the quartered onion and halved garlic bulb in the roasting pan. Place the chicken on top and pour the white wine or chicken broth around it. Drizzle olive oil over the chicken.
- Roast Chicken: Place the pan in the oven and roast at 220°C (450°F) for 10 minutes. Then reduce the temperature to 180°C (350°F) and continue roasting for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 75°C (165°F) and juices run clear when pierced.
- Baste Regularly: Baste the chicken with pan juices twice during cooking—once at 30 minutes and again at 1 hour—to maintain moisture and enhance flavor.
- Rest: Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest uncovered for 15 minutes before carving. This prevents the skin from becoming soggy.
- Serve: Carve the chicken and serve it with the pan juices. Discard the onion but use the roasted garlic from the pan for added flavor. Use the leftover carcass for homemade broth as suggested in the notes.
Notes
- When loosening the skin, be gentle to avoid tearing, which helps trap the butter and herbs for juicy, flavorful meat.
- Use the garlic bulb and onion from the roasting pan to enhance the pan juices. The onion can be discarded after cooking, while the garlic becomes soft and delicious.
- Resting the chicken uncovered is key to keeping the skin crispy.
- Serve with side dishes such as roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes, or a fresh green salad for a complete meal.
- The chicken carcass can be simmered with vegetables and herbs to make a rich homemade chicken broth.
