by Diana Rattray
Garlic and herb butter is tucked under the skin to flavor this roasted whole chicken. Use fresh or dried herbs in the butter mixture. Cippolini onions are peeled and roasted along with the chicken, but feel free to use small pearl onions or quartered large onions. Add some potatoes or carrots to the pan if you like. It’s the perfect roast chicken for a Sunday dinner or family meal.
Lemon and Herb Roasted Chicken
This simple lemon and herb roasted whole chicken is surrounded by Cipollini onions or small pearl onions. Add small new potatoes to the pan if you like.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Sunday Dinner, Whole Chicken, Herbs, Lemon
- Method: Roast
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 whole roasting chicken, about 4 pounds
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried leaf thyme
- 2 teaspoon fresh chopped sage or 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf sage
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed and minced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion
- 1 lemon
- fresh thyme sprigs and sage leaves, optional
- 12 or more small whole cipollini onions or pearl onions, peeled
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375 F.
- Remove the giblets and discard them or save them for another use.
- Pat the chicken dry and place it in a roasting pan or baking dish.
- In a small bowl or cup, combine the butter, lemon zest, thyme, sage, garlic, salt, and pepper. Gently separate the skin from the breast and tuck the butter mixture under the skin on both sides.
- Brush the skin lightly with olive oil.
- Cut the large onion and lemon into chunks and put them in the cavity. If you have fresh herbs, place a few thyme sprigs and sage leaves in the cavity.
- Tie the ends of the drumsticks together.
- Toss the onions with a few tablespoons of olive oil and add to the pan around the chicken.
- Roast for about 20 minutes per pound, or until the chicken registers at least 165 F on an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh. Juices should run clear.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and tent with foil; let rest for about 10 minutes before serving.
