Perfect Roast Chicken
Perfect Roast Chicken is a classic dish featuring a whole chicken roasted to golden perfection with crispy skin and juicy, tender meat. It's typically seasoned with herbs, garlic, butter, and lemon, creating a flavorful and aromatic meal.
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
Inactive 20 minutes mins
Total Time 2 hours hrs 10 minutes mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine French
Servings 8 Yield
Calories 615 kcal
- 1 (5 to 6 pound) roasting chicken
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large bunch fresh thyme, plus 20 sprigs
- 1 lemon, halved
- 1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
- 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
- 1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced
- 4 carrots cut into 2-inch chunks
- 1 bulb of fennel, tops removed, and cut into wedges
- Olive oil
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Place the onions, carrots, and fennel in a roasting pan. Toss with salt, pepper, 20 sprigs of thyme, and olive oil. Spread around the bottom of the roasting pan and place the chicken on top.
Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the vegetables.
Calories: 615kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 41gFat: 44gSaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 203mgSodium: 994mgSugar: 4g
Keyword Perfect Roast Chicken