Roast chicken is the ultimate kitchen staple! And my version is so ridiculously easy to make. There are just three ingredients, yes three! With no stuffing of the bird required. Trust me, this recipe will become your go-to oven roasted chicken recipe.
Growing up, my mom was always so adamant about making a whole roasted chicken. It was easy, economical, comforting, and offered a different tasting experience from baked chicken breasts (namely, I got dark meat and crispy skin!).
My mom loved to serve this recipe with a side of roasted vegetables for weeknight dinners, but Iโve found it can go far beyond that. You can zhuzh it up for a stunning Thanksgiving main (thatโs not a turkey) or carve it up to make soups, protein bowls, or even breakfast hashes.
While some roast chicken recipes are fancy, with aromatics stuffed inside the cavity and the chicken sitting on a bed of vegetables, donโt feel obligated to make it that way. As I always say, simple is often best!
Plus, when you want to get a healthy dinner on the table with no-fuss, itโs hard to beat this recipe.
Ingredients
1 Lemon
1 Head of garlic
ยผ A cup (half a stick) unsalted butter or extra virgin olive oil
1 3ยฝ โ 4 pounds of whole chicken
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Steps:
- Arrange a shelf in the center of the oven, pre-heat to 425 degrees. Cut a lemon in half crosswise and remove any visible seeds.
- Cutting garlic in half Crosswiise. (If it breaks down a little, donโt sweat.)
- Melt ยฝ stick of butter in a small saucepan or in the microwave in a small bowl.
- Put in 1 3โ4 lbs. Whole chicken on a cutting board (itโs best to use a plastic one that you can sterilize). A word about the size of the bird. 3 โ 4 lbs. The chicken is the perfect size for roasting this method. Something a little bigger will work, but once you go over 4 lbs. It becomes difficult to ensure that the brisket will not dry out in the time it takes to cook the dark meat. Dried everything avec paper spread. It is very important to dry the chicken as much as possible, which helps brown the chicken.
- With the chicken breasts facing up and legs facing you, use a sharp knife to cut the loose area of โโskin that connects the leg to the breast, and make a 3-inch incision. Continue cutting down to the joint that connects the thigh to the breast. Body, then stop (once you pierce the skin, there is not much there; if you are cutting the flesh, you are very close to the breast). This reveals the leg joint, making it easy to tell if the chicken is cooked. Repeat on the second side.
- Season every surface of the chicken, including the skin along the spine, inner cavity, under the wings, and the inner part of the leg that was just exposed, with plenty of salt and pepper. If you are using kosher salt, it should take 4-5 teaspoons โ as is the case with four fingers โ which will be about 4 full teaspoons.
- Transfer chicken breasts to a large, oven-safe skillet. Arrange the lemon and garlic chunks in a skillet around the chicken.
- Sprinkle the whole chicken with melted butter (mm mm) and transfer to the oven.
- Grill the chicken until it is well browned and cooked through, checking for completion after 45 minutes. To check, carefully remove the pan from the oven (the handle is hot!), Insert a knife into the leg joints and pierce the meat. If the juices drain clear, the chicken is done. If you see a pinkish-pink color, this needs more time. Continue toasting, checking every 5 minutes, until the juices are clear. (If you are not sure, you can also use the knife to gently chop some meat along the thigh bone โ the meat should look opaque and the fibers should separate easily.)
- Allow the chicken to rest in the skillet for at least 15 minutes before cutting it โ this will help the juices in the meat settle in, and it will also lower its temperature enough to handle with your bare hand while carving. Still be a lot warm by the time you serve it. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Pour all those delicious buttered juices over the meat and serve with the toasted garlic and lemon side by side.
- Do before that: the chicken can be prepared two days in advance. To calm down. Cover and hail.
Enjoy !
Lemon Garlic Roasted Chicken
4
servings30
minutes40
minutes300
kcal0
minutes1
Keep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
1 1 Lemon
1 Head 1 garlic
ยผ A cup (half a stick) unsalted butter or extra virgin olive oil
1 1 3ยฝ โ 4 pounds of whole chicken
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Arrange a shelf in the center of the oven, pre-heat to 425 degrees. Cut a lemon in half crosswise and remove any visible seeds.
- Cutting garlic in half Crosswiise. (If it breaks down a little, donโt sweat.)
- Melt ยฝ stick of butter in a small saucepan or in the microwave in a small bowl.
- Put in 1 3โ4 lbs. Whole chicken on a cutting board (itโs best to use a plastic one that you can sterilize). A word about the size of the bird. 3 โ 4 lbs. The chicken is the perfect size for roasting this method. Something a little bigger will work, but once you go over 4 lbs. It becomes difficult to ensure that the brisket will not dry out in the time it takes to cook the dark meat. Dried everything avec paper spread. It is very important to dry the chicken as much as possible, which helps brown the chicken.
- With the chicken breasts facing up and legs facing you, use a sharp knife to cut the loose area of โโskin that connects the leg to the breast, and make a 3-inch incision. Continue cutting down to the joint that connects the thigh to the breast. Body, then stop (once you pierce the skin, there is not much there; if you are cutting the flesh, you are very close to the breast). This reveals the leg joint, making it easy to tell if the chicken is cooked. Repeat on the second side.
- Season every surface of the chicken, including the skin along the spine, inner cavity, under the wings, and the inner part of the leg that was just exposed, with plenty of salt and pepper. If you are using kosher salt, it should take 4-5 teaspoons โ as is the case with four fingers โ which will be about 4 full teaspoons.
- Transfer chicken breasts to a large, oven-safe skillet. Arrange the lemon and garlic chunks in a skillet around the chicken.
- Sprinkle the whole chicken with melted butter (mm mm) and transfer to the oven.
- Grill the chicken until it is well browned and cooked through, checking for completion after 45 minutes. To check, carefully remove the pan from the oven (the handle is hot!), Insert a knife into the leg joints and pierce the meat. If the juices drain clear, the chicken is done. If you see a pinkish-pink color, this needs more time. Continue toasting, checking every 5 minutes, until the juices are clear. (If you are not sure, you can also use the knife to gently chop some meat along the thigh bone โ the meat should look opaque and the fibers should separate easily.)
- 10. Allow the chicken to rest in the skillet for at least 15 minutes before cutting it โ this will help the juices in the meat settle in, and it will also lower its temperature enough to handle with your bare hand while carving. Still be a lot warm by the time you serve it. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Pour all those delicious buttered juices over the meat and serve with the toasted garlic and lemon side by side.
- 11. Do before that: the chicken can be prepared two days in advance. To calm down. Cover and hail.
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