RecipeFix original

Lemon Herb Roast Chicken

90 minutes · serves 4 · Gluten-Free · Dairy-Free · Nut-Free · Paleo · Whole30

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Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken, about 4 lb
• 1 lemon
• 4 sprigs rosemary
• 6 sprigs thyme
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 6 cloves garlic, unpeeled and lightly crushed

Method

Prepare the chicken

1. Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C) with a rack in the middle. Remove any giblets from the chicken and pat it very dry inside and out with paper towels; dry skin is what browns and crisps.
2. Finely grate the zest from the lemon, then cut the lemon in half. Strip the leaves from 1 rosemary sprig and 3 thyme sprigs and chop them finely. Stir the zest and chopped herbs into the olive oil with the salt and pepper.
3. Set the chicken breast-side up in a large ovenproof skillet or small roasting pan. Gently loosen the skin over the breast with your fingers, spoon about a third of the herb oil underneath, and rub the rest all over the outside.
4. Tuck the lemon halves, garlic and remaining herb sprigs into the cavity. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body so they don't scorch.

Roast

1. Roast for 60 to 70 minutes, until the skin is deep golden and an instant-read thermometer reads 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part of the breast and of the thigh, not touching bone. If the skin browns too quickly, cover the breast loosely with foil.

Rest and carve

1. Tip the chicken so the juices in the cavity run into the pan, then move it to a cutting board. Rest it uncovered for 15 minutes; it carves more cleanly, and uncovered, the skin stays crisp.
2. Meanwhile, tilt the pan and spoon off most of the clear fat, leaving the browned juices. Pull the lemon halves and garlic from the cavity with tongs, squeeze the lemon juice into the pan, and stir to loosen the browned bits.
3. Carve the chicken into legs, thighs, wings and sliced breast. Squeeze the soft garlic from its skins over the meat and spoon the pan juices over everything to serve.

Cook's notes

• For crisper skin and more deeply seasoned meat, salt the chicken up to a day ahead and refrigerate it uncovered on a plate. Make the herb oil without the salt and rub it on just before roasting.
• The timing is for a 4-lb bird. A larger or smaller chicken will take longer or less; go by the thermometer rather than the clock.
• Leftovers keep, covered, in the fridge for up to 3 days. Save the carcass for stock.

RecipeFix originals are written as practical home recipes and editorially reviewed for internal consistency. They are not described as kitchen-tested. Nutrition is not shown unless it is calculated from the final recipe.