Description
A sensory adventure featuring juicy, tender meat infused with zesty lemon and earthy herbs, this Lemon Herb Roasted Chicken is easy to prepare and makes an impressive centerpiece for any meal.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 whole 5 lb chicken, thawed with giblets removed
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- 2 whole yellow onions, quartered
- 2 whole large lemons, quartered
- 2 heads garlic, halved crosswise
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter, melted (or olive oil)
- 5 cloves minced garlic
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
- 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 cup chicken broth or water
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 0.5 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Allow your chicken to sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before cooking. Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C) on the lower rack.
- In a bowl, combine the melted butter, minced garlic, rosemary, thyme, lemon zest, salt, and pepper to make the herb butter.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then rub more than half of the herb butter under the skin.
- Stuff the cavity of the chicken with quartered lemon, onion, halved garlic, rosemary, and thyme.
- Tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Arrange the remaining quartered onions, garlic, lemons, and herbs in the roasting pan.
- Rub the remaining herb butter on the chicken skin, season generously with salt and pepper, and pour 1 cup of broth into the pan.
- Roast for about 1.5 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C).
- Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes before carving.
Notes
- For an extra touch, serve with a sprinkle of fresh herbs.
- Consider adding root vegetables like carrots or potatoes to the roasting pan for an all-in-one meal.
- Patting the chicken dry thoroughly before applying butter is key to achieving perfectly crispy skin.
- Resist basting during roasting to maintain crispy skin and ensure even cooking.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 piece
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 34 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 19 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 5 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 100 mg