I'll be completely honest with you guys, I had never roasted a chicken in my life before Wednesday. I felt clueless the entire time and probably texted my mom 20 times just to be sure I was doing everything right. I remember my moms Thanksgiving turkey a few years back, it was the best she had ever made and it was while I was still eating vegetarian/vegan. Oddly enough, trying that turkey was what got me back into eating meat again.
I stuffed the chicken with lemons, rosemary, and thyme just like my moms Thanksgiving turkey. A classic yet simple combination of flavors that really sends this bird over the edge of ordinary into something truly amazing. It was juicy, tender, and flavorful. Best of all it was a one dish meal, complete with veggies.
Roast Chicken
- I used a 4.5 lb chicken, 4-7 lbs. is a good size for a roaster
- 2 lemons, quartered
- small bunch of rosemary
- small bunch of thyme
- butter or olive oil for rubbing the chicken
- potatoes or another veggie to scatter around the chicken
Remove the giblets from your chicken, then wash the chicken with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Quarter the lemons and wash and spin dry the herbs. Salt and pepper the inside of the chicken, then stuff with half the lemon, and the herbs. I had a stick of garlic & herb Irish butter, so I rubbed a bit of the butter under the skin of the chicken. Use softened butter or olive oil (a couple tablespoons) to rub down the chicken. Season with salt and pepper, arrange the veggies and lemon wedges around the chicken as well as any extra herbs you have left over. It's not necessary to drizzle oil over the potatoes, the juices and fat from the chicken will create a nice sauce in the pan. Bake in a preheated 425 degree F oven for about an hour 15 minutes to an hour 30 minutes. I used a thermometer as well as making a small cut above the drummer to check if it was done. Cover with aluminum foil and let rest at least 10 minutes. The chicken will be cooked through when the juices run clear and the internal temperature is about 170-175 degrees. Be sure not to overcook the chicken, you can always put it in for longer but if you overcook the chicken it will be dry and disappointing.
I actually cooked this at 400 degrees but it took over an hour and a half, definitely crank the heat up to 425 and it should be ready in an hour 15 if you're using a 4.5 lb. chicken. It would also be delicious to roughly slice up a large white onion and lay that around the chicken with the potatoes. They should caramelize nicely and will go well with potatoes.
I didn't have kitchen twine to truss the chicken, I will probably get some for next time. It will help it cook evenly, faster.
Don't mind my awesome manicure . . . I cooked this after dark so I didn't get the best pictures! I recommend carving this at the dinner table if you're having people over, it's a wonderful presentation. Enjoy!
20 comments:
So Yummy looking, I might have to roast a chicken myself now!
I couldn't believe how much better it was than the rotisserie chickens from the grocery store. Now I definitely will be making my own.
YUM - I'm definitely going to try this! Looks so delish.
Oh this just looks so delicious! I have a herb garden and grow Rosemary and Thyme both so this would be a great way to use them. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
This looks amazing! I've only roasted a chicken once (during a cooking class) but I found it to be much easier than I thought it would be. Maybe one of these weekends when I have the time I'll try it again!
Looks awesome! If I'm ever having company over I'll have to try it. :)
Melanie@UnravelledThreads
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You did a beautiful job! The finished product looks so yummy!!
It's so yummy! I only wish I had skimmed off the fat and reduced the pan juices with some white wine to make a sauce, that would have been heavenly =P
I'm so jealous you have an herb garden! That must be fantastic =)
Yeah I agree, it was so simple. You can literally make a one dish meal, and go about your business while it's cooking. It's very hands off, I like that.
That's a good idea! =) I want to do a little dinner party with another couple (our apartment is too small to do more) and this would be a fun main course!
Aww thank you! Next time I'll try making it on the lighter side, either less oil or no butter or something to that effect.
I was definitely super anxious about my first roasted chicken as well...but after I was done I wondered what I was so afraid of! Yours looks like it turned out perfectly!
Perfection! It looks amazing!
Sometimes the simple things taste the best!:)
I know seriously, I was SO afraid of it becoming a big dry mess but it was the moistest chicken I've ever had! =)
It was so yummy!
I couldn't have said it better myself =)
I need to start cooking more... this looks delicious!
This would be a good way to start cooking more, and it will give you a nice amount of leftovers =)
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