Description
This classic roast chicken recipe features a whole chicken slathered in a flavorful garlic-herb-lemon butter, roasted to perfection with crispy golden skin and juicy tender meat. Enhanced with rosemary, sage, parsley, and garlic, the chicken is roasted in white wine and aromatics, producing succulent pan juices perfect for serving as a sauce or gravy base.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Seasoning
- 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
Garlic-Herb Butter
- 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 Aromatics
- 1 cup / 250 ml dry white wine or low sodium chicken broth
- 1 onion, quartered
- 1 garlic bulb, halved horizontally
Instructions
- Bring Chicken to Room Temperature: Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking to ensure it cooks evenly.
- Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 220°C (450°F) for a standard oven or 200°C (430°F) for fan/convection ovens. Place the oven rack in the middle position.
- Prepare Garlic-Herb Butter: In a bowl, combine the melted butter with minced garlic, sage, rosemary, parsley, salt, pepper, and the juice from 2 lemon wedges. Mix well to create a fragrant butter mixture.
- Loosen Chicken Skin: Using a dessert spoon, gently loosen the skin on the top of the chicken (breast and drumsticks) without detaching it completely, creating space for the butter mixture underneath.
- Apply Butter Under Skin: Prop the chicken upright and spread most of the garlic-herb butter beneath the loosened skin, focusing on the breast and drumsticks. Reserve some butter for the chicken’s surface.
- Butter the Chicken Surface: Drizzle and smear the remaining garlic-herb butter evenly over the entire surface of the chicken. Squeeze the juice of 2 lemon wedges over it.
- Stuff and Truss: Stuff the used lemon wedges and rosemary sprigs inside the chicken cavity. Tie the drumstick ends with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the bird for even cooking.
- Season and Arrange for Roasting: Sprinkle the chicken all over with salt and pepper. Place the quartered onion and halved garlic bulb in the roasting pan, then set the chicken on top. Pour the white wine around the chicken and drizzle olive oil over the bird.
- Roast the Chicken: Transfer the roasting pan to the oven and roast for 10 minutes at the initial temperature. Then reduce the oven temperature to 180°C (350°F) and continue roasting for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 75°C (165°F) and juices run clear when pierced at the joint between the drumstick and body.
- Baste During Roasting: Baste the chicken twice during cooking, once at 30 minutes and again at 1 hour by spooning pan juices over the skin to keep it moist and flavorful.
- Rest the Chicken: Remove the chicken from the oven and rest uncovered for 15 minutes to maintain crispy skin and allow juices to redistribute.
- Serve: Carve the chicken and serve with the pan juices. Discard the onion but include the roasted garlic for added flavor. You can also use the chicken carcass to make a rich homemade broth.
Notes
- The garlic-herb-lemon butter ensures the chicken is juicy on the inside with a crispy golden exterior.
- Use fresh herbs like rosemary, sage, and parsley finely chopped for maximum aroma and flavor.
- Basting helps develop a richly flavored, moist skin.
- This recipe can be adapted with different chicken sizes; adjust cooking time accordingly.
- For gravy, use pan juices combined with a little flour or cornstarch to thicken on stovetop.
- Resting the chicken uncovered keeps the skin crispy; covering causes it to soften.
- Use the leftover carcass to make an incredible homemade chicken broth, enhancing other dishes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 399 g
- Calories: 505 kcal
- Sugar: 1.5 g
- Sodium: 370 mg
- Fat: 35 g
- Saturated Fat: 14 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 5 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 120 mg
