Lemon Herb Roast Chicken
A whole chicken rubbed with garlic herb butter under the skin, filled with lemon and onion and roasted at 425°F until the skin is crisp and golden. Serves 4 to 6.
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A whole roast chicken is one of the most satisfying and economical dinners there is. The trick to juicy meat and crisp skin is getting butter under the skin, where it bastes the breast as it roasts, and starting with a bird that has been patted completely dry.
Garlic, thyme, rosemary and lemon zest flavor the butter, and a halved lemon and onion inside the cavity perfume the meat from within. Roasting at 425°F gives deep golden skin in about an hour and a quarter. Leftovers make excellent sandwiches, salads and soup.
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken (4 to 5 pounds), giblets removed
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary, or 1 teaspoon dried
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for the skin
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 lemon, halved
- 1 small onion, quartered
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Heat the oven. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) with a rack in the lower middle.
- Dry the chicken. Pat the chicken very dry inside and out with paper towels. Do not rinse it; rinsing spreads bacteria around the sink and does not make the chicken safer.
- Make the herb butter. Mash together the butter, garlic, thyme, rosemary, lemon zest, salt and pepper.
- Butter under the skin. Starting at the cavity end, slide your fingers under the skin of the breast and thighs to loosen it. Spread most of the herb butter under the skin and rub the rest over the outside.
- Fill and tie. Put the lemon halves and onion in the cavity. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine and tuck the wing tips under the body.
- Roast. Set the chicken breast side up on a rack in a roasting pan or in a large ovenproof skillet. Brush with the olive oil and sprinkle with a little more salt. Roast for 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, until the thickest part of the thigh, not touching bone, reads 165°F and the juices run clear.
- Rest. Move the chicken to a cutting board, tent it loosely with foil and let it rest for 15 minutes.
- Carve and serve. Carve the chicken and spoon the pan juices over the meat.
Tips
- For extra-crisp skin, salt the chicken and leave it uncovered in the refrigerator overnight before roasting.
- Scatter potatoes, carrots and onion chunks around the chicken for the last 50 minutes to roast in the drippings.
- Thighs are juicier at 175°F to 180°F; the breast is done at 165°F. Check both.
Questions about this recipe
- How long do you roast a whole chicken?
- At 425°F, a 4 to 5-pound chicken takes about 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, roughly 15 to 18 minutes per pound. It is done when the thigh reaches 165°F.
- Should I wash a chicken before roasting it?
- No. The USDA advises against rinsing raw poultry, because it splashes bacteria around the kitchen. Patting it dry is all it needs.
- How do I get crispy skin on roast chicken?
- Dry the skin well, use a hot oven, and do not cover the chicken while it roasts. Salting it and refrigerating it uncovered overnight helps even more.
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