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Roast Chicken

Perfect Roast Chicken

This roast chicken recipe delivers golden, crackly skin, juicy meat, and layers of flavor from herb butter, garlic, and lemon. Using a two-stage roasting method, it guarantees consistent, crowd-pleasing results perfect for both family dinners and festive occasions.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner, LUNCH, Main Course
Cuisine: European
Calories: 708
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Chicken
  • 1.75 kg whole chicken patted dry (up to 2 kg)
  • fine sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1 lemon quartered
  • 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
For the Herb Butter
  • 100 g unsalted butter melted
  • 3 cloves garlic finely minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh sage finely chopped
  • 2 tsp fresh rosemary finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh parsley finely chopped
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp ground black pepper
For the Roasting Base
  • 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth or dry white wine substitute
  • 1 onion quartered
  • 1 bulb garlic halved horizontally

Method
 

  1. Remove chicken from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Preheat oven to 220°C / 450°F (200°C / 430°F fan). Position the oven rack in the middle.
  2. In a small bowl, mix melted butter with garlic, sage, rosemary, parsley, salt, pepper, and juice from 2 lemon wedges.
  3. Place chicken in a roasting pan. Gently separate skin from breast and drumsticks using the back of a spoon. Spread most of the herb butter under the skin, saving some for the outside.
  4. Rub remaining butter over the skin. Squeeze juice from remaining lemon wedges over. Stuff used lemon wedges and rosemary sprigs inside the cavity. Tie drumsticks and tuck wings.
  5. Scatter onion wedges and halved garlic bulb in the pan. Place chicken on top. Pour broth (or wine substitute) around chicken and drizzle lightly with olive oil.
  6. Roast for 10 minutes at high heat, then reduce to 180°C / 350°F and roast for about 1 hour 15 minutes. Baste at 30 minutes and 1 hour with pan juices.
  7. Check doneness: internal temperature should reach 75°C / 165°F or juices run clear at the drumstick joint.
  8. Rest chicken on a board, uncovered, for 15 minutes before carving.

Notes

For extra crispy skin, pat chicken completely dry before seasoning. If using broth instead of wine, add extra lemon juice for acidity. Try thyme or tarragon instead of rosemary for a twist. Save carcass for homemade stock.