Lemon Herb Roast Chicken

A good roast chicken is the most useful recipe you’ll ever learn. It’s Sunday dinner, it’s Monday’s chicken salad, and the carcass is Tuesday’s soup. This version gets a generous rub of garlic, thyme, rosemary and lemon zest butter — half of it tucked right under the skin so the breast stays juicy.

Roasting the bird on a bed of onion rings lifts it off the pan so the skin crisps all over, and the onions melt into the drippings. Deglaze with a splash of broth while the chicken rests and you have a pan sauce in two minutes.

Tips for the best lemon herb roast chicken

• Salt the chicken the night before and leave it uncovered in the fridge for the crispiest skin.
• Use an instant-read thermometer — 165°F in the thickest part of the thigh.
• Let it rest a full 10 minutes before carving or the juices end up on the board.

Kitchen tools I used: instant-read thermometer, cotton kitchen twine.

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Lemon Herb Roast Chicken

Juicy roast chicken with crackly skin and a garlic-herb butter, roasted over onions for an easy pan sauce.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Calories: 520

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 whole chicken about 4 lb, patted dry
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
• 3 cloves garlic finely grated
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary chopped
• 1 lemon zested, then halved
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 yellow onion cut into thick rings
• ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth

Method

 

1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Pat the chicken very dry with paper towels — dry skin is crispy skin.
2. Mash the butter with the garlic, thyme, rosemary and lemon zest.
3. Loosen the skin over the breasts and thighs with your fingers and push half of the herb butter underneath. Rub the rest over the outside, then season all over with the salt and pepper.
4. Put the lemon halves inside the cavity and tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Set the chicken on the onion rings in a roasting pan or large cast-iron skillet.
5. Roast for 65 to 75 minutes, until the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F and the juices run clear.
6. Rest the chicken for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, set the pan over medium heat, add the broth and scrape up the browned bits to make a quick pan sauce. Carve and serve with the sauce.

Notes

For the crispiest skin, salt the chicken the night before and refrigerate it uncovered on a rack.

Leftovers keep for 4 days in the fridge — save the carcass for stock.