Lemon Garlic Roasted Chicken
A whole chicken roasted until golden with a bright lemon garlic butter under the skin.
Dietary: Wheat free, Nut free, Halal, Kosher, Kosher for passover, Ashkenazi kosher for passover
Allergens: Dairy
Rubbing garlic butter beneath the skin keeps the breast meat moist while the exterior crisps in a hot oven. Lemon halves and fresh herbs stuffed in the cavity perfume the meat as it roasts, making this a straightforward centerpiece for a Sunday dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken, about 4-5 pounds
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
- 1 lemon, halved
- 1 small onion, quartered
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound baby potatoes, halved
- 3 carrots, cut into large chunks
Method
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Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking to take the chill off, and pat it completely dry with paper towels inside and out.
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Preheat the oven to 425°F.
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In a small bowl, mash together the softened butter, minced garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, thyme, rosemary, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until well combined.
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Gently loosen the skin over the breasts and thighs with your fingers, then spread about two-thirds of the garlic butter directly under the skin, massaging it evenly over the meat.
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Rub the remaining garlic butter over the outside of the chicken skin.
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Season the chicken cavity and exterior with the remaining salt and pepper, then stuff the cavity with the lemon halves, quartered onion, and smashed garlic cloves.
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Tie the legs together with kitchen twine and tuck the wing tips under the body.
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Toss the potatoes and carrots with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and scatter them around a roasting pan; set the chicken on top, breast side up.
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Roast until the skin is golden and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F, about 75 to 90 minutes, basting once with pan juices halfway through.
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Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest, loosely tented with foil, before carving.
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Carve the chicken and serve with the roasted potatoes and carrots, spooning pan juices over the top.