Oven Roasted Chicken With Herb Garlic Butter

There aren't many dishes that you can make at home that are easier than roast chicken. With a good roasting pan and a few common ingredients you can have a delicious roasted chicken ready in less than an hour, cheaper and better than any cooked chicken you can buy at the store. This recipe is very basic but the end result is quite flavorful. Garlic and herbs infuse with the butter to give the chicken a nice coating and a wonderful taste. The meat is juicy, the skin is crispy and with a few quick side dishes you have a complete meal. You will want a good, sturdy roasting pan. I also recommend that you tie the legs together while baking, it helps keep the chicken together and keeps the ingredients in the cavity.

How To Roast A Chicken

Preheat oven. Rinse and pat dry chicken with paper towel. Combine olive oil, melted butter, wine (if using) and lemon juice together, rubbing all over the chicken, under the skin and inside the cavity. Season chicken outside and inside with salt, pepper and parsley. Don’t be afraid to use generous amounts! Rub the minced garlic over the chicken and under the skin. I do this separately as the last step to maximize the garlic taste. Stuff the garlic head into the chicken cavity along with the rosemary sprigs and the squeezed lemon halve. You can also use sprigs of Thyme or any other herb. Roast, basting half way through cooking time, until cooked through. Broil until golden and crispy!
Baking a chicken

Ingredients

  • 1 4-5 pound 2-3 kg whole chicken, at room temperature giblets and neck removed from cavity
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 cup white wine, (OPTIONAL) -- use a dry wine like a Sauv blanc or Chardonnay
  • 1 lemon, halved
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 head of garlic roughly peeled and cut in half horizontally through the middle crosswise
  • 3 fresh whole rosemary sprigs
roasting pan

Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 430°F . Line a baking tray with foil, or lightly grease a roasting pan.
    • Discard neck from inside the cavity and remove any excess fat and leftover feathers. Rinse chicken (including cavity) under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels.
    • Pour the olive oil, melted butter, wine (if using) and the juice of half a lemon over the chicken, under the skin and inside the cavity. Season chicken liberally on the outside and inside the cavity with salt and pepper. Sprinkle over the parsley.
    • Rub the minced garlic over the chicken, mixing all ingredients together over the chicken and under the skin.
    • Stuff the garlic head into the chicken cavity along with the rosemary sprigs and the squeezed lemon halve. Tie legs together with kitchen string.
    • Place breast-side up into baking tray or roasting pan. Roast for 1 hour and 15-20 minutes, basting half way through cooking time, until juices run clear when chicken thigh is pierced with a skewer.
    • Baste again, then broil for a further 2-3 minutes, until golden.
  • Remove from the oven, cover with foil and allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving. Serve, drizzled with pan juices and remaining lemon half cut into wedges or slices. This recipe is great for those meals that you want to toss into the oven and forget for an hour.
 

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