Amazing Roasted Chicken Recipe

Hey, I’m John and today we’re making a perfectly delicious roasted chicken, so let’s get started.

Preparation

First off, preheat your oven to 450 °F. Grab a big roasting dish and we’re going to prep our chicken. You should have a 3-to-4-lb roasting chicken and it shouldn’t be ice-cold; if it is, it’s going to have a difficult time baking properly, so just let it warm up a bit and also drain any juices that are left inside. You want to pat your chicken dry with paper towels; it shouldn’t be wet because we’re going to be covering this in delicious things including butter and I need that to stick.

Seasoning Under the Skin

This chicken had its giblets removed; I actually saved the livers because roasted chicken liver is one of my secret favorite things. Roasted chicken is delicious and I love the crispy, nicely seasoned skin, but you want the meat to be flavorful too. You can’t just put flavors on the outside of your chicken; you have to put them under the skin as well. With your clean hands, you’re going to carefully separate the skin from the meat. You want to lift the skin away from the meat without tearing the skin; it’s great to keep it intact because it’s going to keep all those flavors in there. You also want to lift the skin away from the thighs as well because it’s going to be flavored all over. Set the chicken aside and wash your hands very well.

Herb-Butter Mixture

In a smallish bowl, combine about 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Melt this in the microwave at 50% power. While it melts, grab some fresh herbs and a few onions. For this recipe you want at least one medium onion, but I love onions with roasted chicken, so I’m going to add one medium and two small, sliced about half an inch thick. They’ll roast up, caramelize, and cook through in all those amazing rendered juices.

Grab a head of garlic; cut it in half crosswise. Slice a lemon in half. If you’re adding any herbs to your butter, make sure you separate the stems from the leaves; no one wants to chomp into a woody stem. I’m using tarragon—about a tablespoon, finely chopped—along with 1½ teaspoons of salt and about ½ teaspoon of cracked black pepper. Stir that together so it’s nice and mixed up.

Stuffing and Trussing

Rub the butter mixture all over the chicken—under the skin and over it. Use a spoon to add it into the cavities surrounding the breast and thighs. Create a little bed of sliced onion all around the chicken. Place the garlic halves and about three sprigs of thyme into the chicken cavity. Squeeze one lemon all over the chicken and pop the lemon halves into the cavity as well. Fold the wings under the body so they don’t burn, then tie the legs together with kitchen twine; this helps everything cook evenly.

Optional Vegetables

If you want to make a whole meal out of this, add baby potatoes, sliced carrots, or other vegetables around the chicken. Season them with a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of salt and pepper. I also popped the chicken liver in here—one of my favorite things to eat.

Roasting

Place the chicken in the oven preheated to 450 °F; as soon as you close the door, reduce the temperature to 425 °F. Bake for about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, or until golden brown and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 165 °F. Baste the chicken every 30 minutes in its own juices to keep it moist.

Resting and Serving

When the chicken is done, let it rest for about 20 minutes; all those juices will be reabsorbed and your chicken will be perfect. In the meantime, you could make a salad or set the table. Serve the chicken with the caramelized onions and vegetables; the meat is melt-in-your-mouth tender and packed with flavor.