Lemon Herb Roast Chicken
A whole roast chicken with crisp skin and a bright lemon and herb butter. The Sunday dinner that makes the house smell right.
By Jamie ·
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 1 hr 15 min
- Total
- 1 hr 30 min
- Serves
- 4
Watch
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken (about 4 lb)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 lemon, zested and halved
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 yellow onion, quartered
Instructions
- 1
Heat the oven to 425°F. Pat the chicken completely dry with paper towels and let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.
- 2
Mix the butter with the lemon zest, garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper.
- 3
Loosen the skin over the breasts and thighs with your fingers. Push about two thirds of the butter under the skin, then rub the rest over the outside.
- 4
Put the lemon halves and onion inside the cavity. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine.
- 5
Roast breast side up for 70 to 80 minutes, until the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F and the juices run clear.
- 6
Rest for 15 minutes before carving. Spoon the pan juices over the top.
This is the recipe people ask for most, and it's barely a recipe. The trick is the dry skin and the butter under it. Everything else is patience.
Substitutions
- No fresh herbs? Use 1 teaspoon each of dried thyme and rosemary.
- Smaller chicken? Start checking at 50 minutes.
Leftovers
The carcass makes excellent stock. Cover it with water, add the onion from the cavity, and simmer for two hours.
- #chicken
- #sunday dinner
- #one pan
