Besides a pot roast, roasting chicken has to be one of the most comforting, best smells there is coming from your kitchen. (Ok, maybe fresh baked bread would give it a run for it’s money)
When I have a little extra time to cook, I love doing this recipe. For working moms and dads, it might need to be a weekend recipe but worth the time!
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!
What you’ll need:
- 1 whole chicken, rinsed
- 1 T lemon juice or 1 fresh squeezed lemon
- 2 -3 T olive oil
- 2 T Fresh Rosemary removed from the stem + 2 sprigs
- 1 T Fresh Thyme, removed from the stem + a sprig or two for inside
- 1 T Fresh Sage, chopped + a few whole leaves for inside
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 onion for inside
- 2 cloves of garlic
Step by step:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Rinse chicken carcass inside and out and pat dry.
Mix the lemon juice, olive oil, rosemary, thyme, sage, salt and pepper. Take that mixture and rub all over the chicken. You may need a little extra olive oil.
Place inside the chicken carcass, sprig of rosemary and thyme and a few sage leaves, smash garlic cloves and throw those in the carcass as well. Tie off the legs. Place breast side up in a roasting pan or oven safe dish. Chop your favorite veggies and place around the chicken. I used sweet potato, carrots, onion and garlic. I put olive oil all over the veggies and seasoned with salt and pepper.
Place an oven safe thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken, being careful not to touch the bone.
Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20 minutes, then turn oven down to 400 degrees and continue roasting for another hour to 1 1/2 hours or until internal temp is 165 degrees.
If the chicken browns too quickly, you may cover it with foil so it doesn’t over brown. When the chicken has reached 165 degrees, remove and cover in foil and let rest 10 minutes before carving. This lets the juices redistribute to the meat! Enjoy!
