My favorite Herb Roasted Chicken

Roast a perfect chicken every time

• Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and bring the chicken up to room temperature.  This will take at least an hour or more depending on the size of the chicken.  If you go from the refrigerator directly to the oven, it will never cook evenly.  For a perfectly browned chicken that is cooked evenly, you must bring the bird to room temperature.  Remember crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside.  Don’t forget this important step.
• Let the bird rest for 10 minutes before carving.  This allows the juices to settle into the meat.  Cutting before the rest time will result in all the juices running out of the chicken and onto the cutting board, onto the counter, then into the floor.  (voice of experience 🤦‍♀️)
• Place the chicken on a small rack lifting it for more even cooking.  
• Season with herbs, garlic, and butter under the skin for the most flavor going directly into the meat.  Gently lift the skin from the breast meat with your fingers or the back of a spoon.  Don’t tear the skin.  
• Use a meat thermometer or instant-read thermometer to check the temperature.  Temp should be at 165℉ and the juices should run clear. 
• Start with a high temperature of 450℉ for the first 15 minutes, the lower to 350℉ for the remaining 60-90 minutes.

One Pan Roasted Chicken and Vegetables

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1. Preheat oven to 450℉. In a small bowl, mix lemon juice and zest and a heaping spoonful of grainy Dijon mustard. (reserve both halves of the lemon).  Add minced garlic, salt, and several grinds of pepper.  Drizzle in extra virgin olive oil.
2. Stir in finely chopped fresh herbs.  Stir mixture.  Set aside.
3. Wash the chicken inside and out.  Pat dry with a paper towel.  Loosen skin from the chicken breast.  Spoon half of the lemon-garlic mixture under the skin.
4. Place lemon halves inside the cavity of the chicken
5. Spoon remaining lemon-garlic mixture inside the cavity.  Reserve 1 tablespoon of mixture to coat outside of chicken.
6. Rub outside of chicken with the remaining tablespoon of lemon-garlic mixture.  Tie the legs together with baking twine and tuck wings under chicken.  
7. Place on a rack in a roasting pan or dish.  Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.
8. Meanwhile prepare and chop, carrots, potatoes, apples, sweet potatoes, and shallots.  Drizzle with 1 teaspoon of olive oil, with a dash of salt and pepper.  Toss to coat the veggies.
9. After 15 minutes of baking time, remove chicken from the oven and lower temperature to 350℉. 
10. Place vegetables around the chicken and return to the oven to bake for an additional 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours. 
11. The juices should run clear and the internal temperature of the thickest part of the thigh should be 165℉.  Remove the chicken from the oven and allow to rest 10 minutes before carving.  Serve with roasted veggies and pan juices.

5 from 2 votes

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My Favorite Herb Roasted Chicken

Roasted chicken with vegetables is a simple one-pan meal like grandma used to make.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword herb roasted chicken recipe, one pan chicken and veggies, whole roasted chicken

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes

Servings 5 servings

Calories 337 kcal

Author Janet Barton

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken 4-5 lbs
• 1 lemon
• zest from one lemon
• 4-5 garlic cloves give or take minced
• Grainy Dijon mustard
• fresh parsley sage, rosemary & thyme (sing it) I use about 1 tablespoon of each
• Extra-virgin olive oil about 1/3 cup 80 mL
• salt and pepper
• Assortment of root vegetables peel and chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450 ℉ (232C) Wash chicken in cold water.  Pat dry with a paper towel.

2. Squeeze the juice from 1/2 lemon. In a small bowl combine lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, grainy mustard, and fresh herbs. Mix together.
   

3. Carefully lift the skin away from the breast of the chicken. Place a heaping spoonful of the herb mixture under the skin to coat breast meat. Reserve 1 tablespoon and pour the remaining in the cavity of the chicken.  Rub reserved mixture over the entire chicken. Place both lemon halves inside the cavity of the chicken.
   

4. Tie legs together with a piece of twine and place in preheated oven. Bake for 15 minutes. Lower temperature to 350℉ (176C). Arrange vegetables around chicken and continue to bake for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes OR until the temperature of the leg meat reaches 165℉ (74C). Allow to rest for 10 minutes before carving.
   

Recipe Notes

• Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and bring the chicken up to room temperature.  This will take at least an hour or more depending on the size of the chicken.  If you go from the refrigerator directly to the oven, it will never cook evenly.  For a perfectly browned chicken that is cooked evenly, you must bring the bird to room temperature.  Remember crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside.  Don't forget this important step.
• Let the bird rest for 10 minutes before carving.  This allows the juices to settle into the meat.  Cutting before the rest time will result in all the juices running out of the chicken and onto the cutting board, onto the counter, then into the floor.  (voice of experience 🤦‍♀️)
• Place the chicken on a small rack lifting it for more even cooking.  
• Season with herbs, garlic, and butter under the skin for the most flavor going directly into the meat.  Gently lift the skin from the breast meat with your fingers or the back of a spoon.  Don't tear the skin.  
• Use a meat thermometer or instant-read thermometer to check the temperature.  Temp should be at 165℉ and the juices should run clear. 
• Start with a high temperature of 450℉ for the first 15 minutes, the lower to 350℉ for the remaining 75-90 minutes.

 

Nutrition Facts

My Favorite Herb Roasted Chicken

Amount Per Serving

Calories 337 Calories from Fat 207

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 23g 35%

Saturated Fat 6g 30%

Cholesterol 114mg 38%

Sodium 107mg 4%

Potassium 327mg 9%

Total Carbohydrates 2g 1%

Dietary Fiber 0g 0%

Sugars 0g

Protein 28g 56%

Vitamin A 4.3%

Vitamin C 17.7%

Calcium 2.7%

Iron 8.6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

For a simple, yet heavenly chicken try Buttermilk-Marinated Roast Chicken by Samin Nosrat’s best selling book, “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat”

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This recipe was originally posted in 2014.  It has been reposted with a printable recipe card and additional tips and instructions.