Nothing compares to a warm and comfortable roast chicken dinner, friends. Juicy, soft, and bursting with flavor from the lemon garlic butter. Very tasty and very simple to prepare on both weeknights and weekends.
A nice roast chicken is, in my opinion, one of life’s greatest pleasures. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t enjoy roast chicken—well, maybe vegetarians. It goes well with almost everything as it is so basic and timeless. In fact, I believe I get rotisserie chicken from Publix or Costco at least once a couple of times a month. Since you already know that anything handmade is superior, the only thing that can compare is when it’s homemade. And that’s all there is to it.
This is my go-to recipe for roast chicken whenever I’m craving it at home. Yes, please! It is combined with two of my favorite ingredients, garlic and lemon. Hear me out: I’m addicted to garlic. A meme that read something like, “Garlic is to cooking as vanilla is to baking,” caught my attention the other day. And I couldn’t agree more, everyone. And lastly, my absolute favorite, lemon. Oof, let’s go with the chicken, garlic, and lemon!
A Word About Our Sponsors
DISCLOSURE: I’m thrilled to be collaborating with The Yummly Smart Thermometer on this article, which is sponsored by them. However, all opinions stated are entirely mine. I’m really appreciative of brand ambassadorships like this one that I can tell you about! I’ve been using it for a few weeks now and I really adore this clever culinary gadget.
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What You’ll Need For This Roast Chicken Recipe
- whole fresh chicken (neck and gibets removed)
- Salt and pepper are very basic ingredients!
- Oil and butter (keeps the chicken juicy)
- garlic (either minced or in the form of paste)
- Two lemons, each juiced and cut in half
- fresh rosemary, which adds a pleasant herbal taste.
- onion (to be stuffed into the cavity of the chicken)
- carrots (with a more flavorful inside)
- head of garlic (which intensifies the flavor of garlic even more!)
With only a few ingredients and a huge, powerful taste, this roast chicken dish is really easy to prepare at home! It’s not at all daunting to roast a whole chicken at home, despite what many people think. I’ll tell you what, you can prepare this roast chicken if you have an oven and can season meat. Ha!
How To Make A Roasted Chicken
- Warm up the oven and prepare the roasting pan.
- Take off the neck and giblets from the chicken’s cavity.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
- Give the chicken a liberal amount of salt and pepper.
- Mix together the oil, butter, lemon, garlic, and rosemary.
- Take the mixture and coat the chicken completely with it.
- Place the head of garlic, carrots, and onion inside the chicken cavity.
- Tie the legs together using kitchen thread.
- Roast the chicken for thirty minutes at 425°.
- After lowering the heat, bast the chicken.
- Give the roast chicken a further hour to finish cooking.
- Take the chicken out of the oven and give it time to rest before slicing.
Tips + Tricks For The Best Roast Chicken
PAT DRY THE CHICKEN: To ensure that any last traces of moisture are eliminated, pat dry the chicken with paper towels before proceeding. This guarantees perfectly crispy skin on your roast chicken!
GET READY FOR HECK LEAVING THE BIRD: This isn’t the moment to add a dash of seasoning—no, this is the moment to use the maximum amount—well, just a little bit. Make sure to thoroughly season the chicken on both sides, underneath, and into the cavity with a good amount of salt and pepper. We want the chicken to taste as good as possible!
GO UNDER THAT SKIN: You desire taste both within and outside. Carefully remove the chicken skin with your hands to reach below. This applies to the garlic butter combination as well as the spices. Outstanding chicken is not just on the outside but also inside and out!
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE: I’m all about that love, really, that love. Baste the chicken halfway through to preserve its delicious juices and contribute to the roast chicken’s beloved golden hue.
LET IT REST: The roast chicken has to rest, just like people do. It’s important to remove the chicken from the heat source and allow it to rest for a minimum of 15 to 20 minutes before slicing. The act of resting permits the chicken’s internal fluids to accumulate and retain their moisture.
More Reciped You Might Like
Lemon Garlic Butter Roast Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 lb fresh whole chicken giblets removed
- kosher salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter, melted and divided
- 1 tablespoon olive oil plus more as needed
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste or minced garlic
- 2 lemons juiced, halved, and divided
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary stems removed
- 1 medium-sized yellow onion cut into quarters
- 2 medium-sized carrots chopped into quarters
- 1 head of garlic sliced in half crosswise
Instructions
- Set the oven to 425 °F. You may either gently grease a roasting pan or an oven-safe cast-iron skillet (at least 10 inches) or line a large baking sheet with foil. In order to achieve uniform crispiness on the underside of the chicken, I also advise installing a fitting rack within the vessel of your choosing.
- Verify that the chicken’s neck and giblets have been removed and that the inside is spotless. After removing any extra skin or feathers, gently dry the chicken all over with a paper towel.
- Spread a generous amount of salt and pepper over the exterior, underside, and interior of the chicken, then place it on top of the rack, breast side up, inside the baking dish.
- Olive oil, minced garlic, 1/4 cup melted butter, lemon juice, and rosemary should all be combined in a small basin. Mix the ingredients carefully to fully incorporate them. Rub the mixture over the chicken with a pastry brush or your hands (using disposable gloves if you’d like). To ensure the mixture reaches all areas of the skin, softly work your fingers under the skin.
- Use the remaining half of the lemon, the onion, the carrots, and the garlic head to stuff as much as possible into the chicken cavity; any extras may be distributed around the bird. Tie the chicken legs together with kitchen twine.
- Put the chicken in the oven and roast it for thirty minutes, uncovered.
- Lower the oven’s setting to 350°F. Remove the chicken with caution and brush it with the last 1/4 cup of melted butter. After that, return the chicken to the oven and cook it for a further hour or until its internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- After taking the chicken out of the oven, baste it once more with pan juices. Before slicing and serving, let the chicken rest for a minimum of 15 to 20 minutes. This makes the roast chicken very juicy by locking in the fluids. Serve warm, as desired, or with your preferred side dishes and pan juices.
Notes
- Please read the blog post in its entirety for more tips + tricks.