Whole Roasted Chicken
Whole Roasted Chicken
Sunday dinners have a special place in my house. For most of the week, we have sports, homework, events and very rarely do we get to sit down and enjoy a meal together. On Sundays, we still have hockey (my husband is the coach, so I still lose my boys to the rink) but they don’t leave the house until a little later, which gives us time to sit down together.
Whole Roasted Chicken is my favourite Sunday night meals. It is relatively hands off and feeds my family of 5 with leftovers for the week. The entire house smells amazing AND I store the bones for chicken broth - It’s a win-win-win!
This is my fool-proof recipe for whole roasted chicken with a beautiful crispy skin, juicy tender meat and loads of flavour. Not only is a roast chicken super impressive when placed on a dinner table, but it's also the perfect recipe for every occasion. You can dress it up with beautiful side dishes and desserts, or serve everything in one dish for a humble and cozy meal.
Whole Roasted Chicken with Root Vegetables
Ingredients:
1 4 lbs whole chicken
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
I lemon, quartered
6 sprigs of fresh rosemary
6 sprigs of fresh sage or thyme
3 tbsp butter, melted
1/2 lb baby carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 lb baby potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 yellow onion, cut into 8 wedges
8 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1/3 cup olive oil
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the cavity generously with salt & pepper and place the lemon into the cavity of the chicken with 2 sprigs of rosemary and sage (or thyme).
Brush the outside of the chicken with the melted butter and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
In a large baking dish, add the carrots, potatoes, onion and garlic. Add in the 1/3 cup olive oil, salt and pepper and 2 more sprigs of rosemary and sage.
Roast for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 F. Roast for another 40-50 minutes until th chicken is cooked through. The chicken is cooked when a thermometer reads 165 F in the breast. The exact time will depend on the size of your chicken. Toss the veggies occasionally to turn them in the olive oil so that they cook evenly.
Transfer the chicken to a carving board and cover it with aluminum foil and let it rest for 10 minutes. Return the veggies to the oven if they need a few more minutes of cooking while the chicken rests.
Carve the chicken, discard the herb branches and serve with lots of the pan juices.
A whole roast chicken with lemon and fresh herbs, accompanied by beautifully roasted root vegetables, is a simple yet exquisite meal that is perfect for a cozy Sunday dinner. The flavours are amazing, the house smells incredible and it draws the family together before the start of another busy week.
Have you tried this recipe? How did it turn out for you? What is your go-to Sunday dinner?